Supplementing Your Health: Calcium With Vitamin D

Research into the health effects of various vitamins and minerals has focused in the past few years on calcium with vitamin D. Both are important for maintaining healthy bones and teeth, but the combination of the two packs an extra punch. The human body cannot absorb calcium without the presence of vitamin D. The most common food product in which the combination of calcium with vitamin D is found is enriched milk, where vitamin D has been added.

Vitamin D is often called the "sunshine vitamin," as it is produced naturally by the skin in the presence of sunlight. Due to warnings of the dangers of the sun, a reduction in the amount of ultraviolet sunlight people are exposed to has resulted in less vitamin D being naturally manufactured by the body. Without supplementation with a "calcium with vitamin D" supplement, calcium intake and absorption falls. Lack of calcium has been linked to several diseases, including osteoporosis and colon cancer. Calcium is also critical to the formation and maintenance of strong teeth that are resilient to decay.

The Benefits of Calcium With Vitamin D

Calcium is critical to maintaining bone density as people age. Bones naturally lose density and minerals over time. The reduction of protective estrogen in post-menopausal women also leaves bones fragile and brittle. Although some bone loss is predictable and acceptable, some is unnatural, such as the type that occurs with osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a severe loss of bone density that leaves people prone to bone fractures and spinal disfiguration.

Calcium with vitamin D supplements are recommended by doctors for both the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. Osteoporosis symptoms can be delayed or minimized by delivering a consistently high dose of bone-building calcium. Calcium with vitamin D supplements are also critical for those with a lactose intolerance, dairy allergies, and for vegans, who choose not to drink milk or eat cheese or yogurt.

Strong teeth are also a function of calcium. In their teeth-forming years, children should be provided with calcium-rich foods like milk, cheese, yogurt, and broccoli daily. Eating healthy during childhood also encourages wise food choices later in life - a time when calcium intake generally falls. Calcium with vitamin D supplements should be a regular part of an adult’s life.