Osteoporosis is often a silent disease, as there are virtually no symptoms until a bone fracture occurs. Because of this, many women do not worry about their osteoporosis risk until they are diagnosed. But, you shouldn’t wait until your bones are weak and brittle to give attention to your health.
Half of women over 50 are at risk
Studies suggest that about 50% of women over the age of 50 will suffer a fracture related to bone loss, and one in five patients who have such fractures will die within a year. In fact, the annual incidence rate of osteoporotic fractures in women is greater than the combined incidence rates of heart attack, stroke and breast cancer.[1] Those are staggering statistics
As vitamin D deficiency has been linked with muscle weakness, increased fall risks, and bone fractures, researchers pioneered a study to determine the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among postmenopausal women with wrist fractures.
Low levels of vitamin D were found in 44 percent of postmenopausal women with wrist fracture
Wrist fractures (also called distal radius fractures) are among the most common osteoporosis-related fractures occurring on average 15 years earlier than hip fractures. The study, presented at the 2012 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, revealed that low levels of vitamin D were found in 44 percent of postmenopausal women with wrist fracture.[2]
How to boost your vitamin D
Every day, you should be getting an adequate amount of vitamin D to maintain good bone health. You can achieve this in two ways: Sunlight and supplements.
- Sunlight. UVB radiation from the sun striking the skin converts cholesterol in our body to vitamin D. Then the body converts vitamin D into a steroid hormone fixing damaged cells and maintaining good cell health. Plan to go out in the sun without any sunscreen for long enough so that your skin turns the very lightest pink. This should be from 10 to 30 minutes. Also, get enough of your skin exposed to sun. Exposing only your face and hands may not be enough for adequate conversion into vitamin D. But remember, don’t get sunburned! The huge benefits of a daily 20 minute sun exposure will change to potential harm if you stay out longer without protection and end up getting sunburned.
- Supplements. Undoubtedly, the best way to get your vitamin D is from skin exposure to the sun, but some of us have schedules that just do not allow that to happen. In that case you’ll need to supplement with Vitamin D3, the most readily absorbable form. You should take a vitamin D3 supplement that gives you at least 1000-5000 IU of vitamin D3 daily. It’s good to work with your doctor and let him periodically run a test called the 25-hydroxyvitamin D blood test to make sure you’re not overdosing but have the optimal levels of Vitamin D. Adjust your D3 intake accordingly.
Maintaining adequate vitamin D levels is relatively easy to do and yields huge benefits. So here is a summary of what you should do:
- Start now increasing your vitamin D levels by getting more sun exposure or by supplementing with vitamin D3.
- At your next regular doctor’s visit, have your doctor run the vitamin D blood test. Evaluate the results to determine if your blood level is in the optimum range for maximum disease prevention. Sometimes you won’t be motivated to take action until you see in black and white how deficient you are.
- If you are low, talk to your doctor about increasing your supplement to the upper part of the range recommended above.
When you get your blood test back, what should be the optimum “score” or result you need to achieve? You should never settle for less than this number! Or do you know how to test your own Vitamin D blood level using one of the Direct to Consumer Testing Labs? Learn the answers to both of these and much more about this topic in our comprehensive guide, Osteoporosis Relief: Natural Remedies for Osteoporosis Prevention and Treatment.
[1] International Osteoporosis Foundation.
[2] American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. “Low Levels Of Vitamin D Found In 44 Percent Of Postmenopausal Women With Wrist Fracture.” Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 10 Feb. 2012. Web.
Originally published in 2012, this blog has been updated.
The post Are You Getting Enough Vitamin D To Prevent Osteoporosis Symptoms? Vitamin D Deficiency Is a Common Problem appeared first on Natural Health Advisory.
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