Vitamin D

“The reduced exposure to sunlight
and lower vitamin D levels of many women over 50
can reduce the absorption of calcium for bone strength”.1

Definition

What is vitamin D?

Depending on the Source (DotS) the definition of vitamin D may vary. The (United States) Office of Dietary Supplements’ (ODS) definition is:

“Vitamin D is a nutrient you need for good health. It helps your body absorb calcium, one of the main building blocks for strong bones. Together with calcium, vitamin D helps protect you from developing osteoporosis, a disease that thins and weakens the bones and makes them more likely to break. Your body needs vitamin D for other functions too. Your muscles need it to move, and your nerves need it to carry messages between your brain and your body. Your immune system needs vitamin D to fight off invading bacteria and viruses”.2

Role

What is the role of Vitamin D?

In Vitamin D: The Importance of Vitamin D according to the (Australian) Jean Hailes for Women’s Health (JH):

“Vitamin D has many roles within the body. The most understood role is its ability to help the body absorb calcium and phosphorus and vitamin D also assists with:

  • Bone development and strength
  • Cell growth
  • Maintaining a healthy immune system
  • Hormone function
  • Nervous system regulation

Apart from its important role in maintaining bone health, vitamin D may also have an important role in other diseases such as diabetes, cancer and infection. These are currently areas of intense research”.3

Sources of Vitamin D

What are sources of vitamin D?

In Vitamin D: What Foods Provide Vitamin D? the ODS explain:

“Very few foods naturally contain vitamin D. Fortified foods provide most of the vitamin D in the diets of people in the United States. Check the Nutrition Facts label for the amount of vitamin D in a food or beverage.

  • Almost all of the U.S. milk supply is fortified with about 3 mcg (120 IU) vitamin D per cup. Many plant-based alternatives such as soy milk, almond milk, and oat milk are similarly fortified. But foods made from milk, like cheese and ice cream, are usually not fortified
  • Vitamin D is added to many breakfast cereals and to some brands of orange juice, yogurt, margarine, and other food products
  • Fatty fish (like trout, salmon, tuna, and mackerel) and fish liver oils are among the best natural sources of vitamin D
  • Beef liver, egg yolks, and cheese have small amounts of vitamin D
  • Mushrooms provide a little vitamin D. Some mushrooms have been exposed to ultraviolet light to increase their vitamin D content”.4

Daily

How much vitamin D should women over 50, aim for daily?

DoY (Depending on You) and DotS this may vary. It can therefore be in your best interest to choose to check what’s-what for you.

Sun

What is the association between the sun and vitamin D?

The ODS explain:


Vitamin D“Your body makes vitamin D when your bare skin is exposed to the sun. Most people get at least some vitamin D this way. However, clouds, smog, old age, and having dark-colored skin reduce the amount of vitamin D your skin makes. Also, your skin does not make vitamin D from sunlight through a window.

Ultraviolet radiation from sunshine can cause skin cancer, so it’s important to limit how much time you spend in the sun. Although sunscreen limits vitamin D production, health experts recommend using sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or more when you’re out in the sun for more than a few minutes”.5

Calcium

What is the association between calcium and vitamin D?

On page one in Calcium and Calcium Supplements: Achieving the Right Balance – Calcium and Diet the (United States) Mayo Clinic elaborate on:

“To absorb calcium, your body also needs vitamin D. A few foods naturally contain small amounts of vitamin D, such as canned salmon with bones and egg yolks. You can also get vitamin D from fortified foods and sun exposure”.6

Bone Strength

What is the association between bone strength and vitamin D?

In Calcium: Recommended Daily Calcium Intake – Women: 50+ the JH explain:

  • “The reduced exposure to sunlight and lower vitamin D levels of many women over 50 can reduce the absorption of calcium for bone strength”.7

Level

How may I find out my level of vitamin D?

In Vitamin D: What You Need To Know the JH note:

  • “See your doctor to have a blood test to determine your level of vitamin D”.8

Health Care Provider

What if I think I need to take a vitamin D supplement?

If you think you need to take a vitamin D supplement, it may be in your best interest to choose to talk to your health care provider about this.

In Vitamin D: What You Need To Know the JH also explain:

  • “Your treating doctor can recommend whether you need to take a vitamin D supplement”.9

Health Topics A-Z

Where may I find Health Topics A-Z related to the Vitamin D?

In Health Topics A-Z you may find:

Health Topics A-Z

Links

Where may I find Links related to Vitamin D?

Your Country may have Links similar to:

Links

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New or Updated

  1. BMS TV: Menopause Explained
  2. BMS TV: Osteoporosis Vitamin D
  3. Build Better Bones.org [International Osteoporosis Foundation]
  4. Calcium
  5. Calcium
  6. Calcium Supplements
  7. Calcium and Vitamin D: How Much Vitamin D Do You Need?
  8. Calcium and Vitamin D: Important At Every Age
  9. Calcium and Vitamin D: Important At Every Age – Recommended Calcium Intakes
  10. Calcium and Vitamin D: Important At Every Age – Selected Calcium-Rich Foods
  11. Calcium/Vitamin D: Sources of Vitamin D
  12. Calcium/Vitamin D: What Is Vitamin D and What Does It Do?
  13. Can Vitamin D Supplements Prevent Autoimmune Disease?
  14. D-Pleted – The Vitamin Many of Us Are Low on
  15. Dietary Supplements
  16. EMAS Position Statement: Vitamin D and Menopausal Health [European Menopause and Andropause Society]
  17. FDA 101: Dietary Supplements
  18. Get the Facts on Calcium and Vitamin D
  19. HRT & Menopause Extra
  20. Healthy Living & Bone Health
  21. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) With Dr Nicky Peel & Prof. David Armstrong
  22. How Menopause Impacts Your Health: Bone Health
  23. How Much Calcium Do You Really Need?
  24. Information for Consumers on Using Dietary Supplements
  25. Looking After Yourself
  26. May Is Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month [United States]
    Vitamin D
  27. Mayo Clinic Q and A: Perimenopause Transitions and Concerns
  28. Menopause
  29. Menopause
  30. Menopause
  31. Menopause
  32. Menopause Patient Information: 5. Lifestyle Advice In Menopause & Perimenopause
  33. Menopause Preparedness Toolkit Video Series: Common Conditions Associated With Menopause and Midlife
  34. Menopause Preparedness Toolkit: A Woman’s Empowerment Guide
  35. Menopause, Perimenopause, Hormone Therapy and Other Treatments With Madelyn Butler, MD [Podcast]
  36. Menopause: Things You Can Do
  37. Menopause: Understanding the Changes and Finding Relief | Dr Susan Davis | The Proof Podcast EP 256
  38. My Dietary Supplement and Medicine Record
  39. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: How Safe Is This Product or Practice?
  40. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: Know the Science: How Medications and Supplements Can Interact
  41. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: Natural Doesn’t Necessarily Mean Safer, or Better
  42. National Osteoporosis Foundation
  43. Navigating Menopause: Expert Insights and Solutions | Dr Susan Davis | The Proof Podcast EP 245
  44. Nutrition In Menopause
  45. Office of Dietary Supplements: Calcium
  46. Office of Dietary Supplements: Vitamin D
  47. Pathtogoodbonehealth.org [Your Path To Good Bone Health, Bone Health & Osteoporosis Foundation, United States]
    Osteoporosis
  48. Should Vitamin D Supplements Be Prescribed Routinely for Midlife Women?
  49. The Truth About Menopause Supplements | Dr Sarah Berry
  50. Therapy for the Effects of Menopause
  51. Top Health Checks for Women
  52. Updates on Exercise and Lifestyle Tips for Bone Strength with Joanne Fagerstrom, PT CFP
  53. VITAL: The VITamin D and OmegA-3 TriaL – Large Trial Investigates Whether Vitamin D and Omega-3s Can Reduce Risk of CVD and Cancer and Effects on Diabetes, Bone Health, and Other Conditions
  54. Vitamin D
  55. Vitamin D
  56. Vitamin D
  57. Vitamin D
  58. Vitamin D Deficiency
  59. Vitamin D Deficiency: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments
  60. Vitamin D Is Good for the Bones, But What About the Heart?
  61. Vitamin D Supplements: Not a Quick Fix for Heart Disease
  62. Vitamin D and Cancer Prevention
  63. Vitamin D and Sun Protection
  64. Vitamin D and Your Health: Breaking Old Rules, Raising New Hopes
  65. Vitamin D: What Foods Provide Vitamin D?
  66. Vitamin D: When Enough Is Enough?
  67. Vitamins and Minerals: Vitamin D
  68. Webinars: Previous – Osteoporosis for Midlife Women and Beyond
  69. What Is A Bone Density Test (DXA Scan)
  70. World Osteoporosis Day October 20

Sources

Where may I find the Sources quoted?

You may find the Sources quoted:

Sources

  1. Calcium: Recommended Daily Calcium Intake – Women: 50+. Last Updated: 26 August 2023 | Last Reviewed: 01 December 2013. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/bone-health/calcium Accessed: 27 November 2023
  2. Vitamin D: What Is Vitamin D and What Does It Do? Updated: 08 November 2022. Office of Dietary Supplements https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-Consumer/ Accessed: 27 November 2023
  3. Vitamin D: The Importance of Vitamin D. Last Updated: 26 August 2023 | Last Reviewed: 01 December 2013. Jean Hailes https://jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/bone-health/vitamin-d/ Accessed: 27 November 2023
  4. Vitamin D: What Foods Provide Vitamin D? Updated: 08 November 2022. Office of Dietary Supplements https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-QuickFacts/#h6 Accessed: 27 November 2023
  5. Vitamin D: Can I Get Vitamin D From the Sun? Updated: 08 November 2022. Office of Dietary Supplements https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-Consumer/ Accessed: 27 November 2023
  6. Calcium and Calcium Supplements: Achieving the Right Balance – Calcium and Diet. 01 November 2022. Mayo Clinic https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/calcium-supplements/art-20047097 Accessed: 27 November 2023
  7. Calcium: Recommended Daily Calcium Intake – Women: 50+. Last Updated: 26 August 2023 | Last Reviewed: 01 December 2013. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/bone-health/calcium Accessed: 27 November 2023
  8. Vitamin D: What You Need To Know. Last Updated: 26 August 2023 | Last Reviewed: 01 December 2013. Jean Hailes https://jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/bone-health/vitamin-d/ Accessed: 27 November 2023
  9. Vitamin D: What You Need To Know. Last Updated: 26 August 2023 | Last Reviewed: 01 December 2013. Jean Hailes https://jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/bone-health/vitamin-d/ Accessed: 27 November 2023
Topic Last Updated: 27 November 2023 – Topic Last Reviewed: 27 November 2023

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