Vitamin D For Muscle and Bone Health
Why is vitamin D important for bone and muscle health?
Vitamin D is an important vitamin for bone and muscle health. It helps regulate the levels of calcium and phosphate in our bodies. These minerals are essential for maintaining healthy bones and teeth and for the efficient metabolism of glucose in our muscles.
Most of the vitamin D we need comes from sunlight, but we can also absorb small amounts from certain types of food or take a vitamin D supplement to prevent deficiencies.
If you are concerned about your vitamin D levels, you can book a private vitamin D test through Bluecrest Wellness at a time and location that suits you.
What is Vitamin D?
Vitamin D is an essential vitamin your body uses to help regulate calcium and phosphate levels. Calcium protects and nourishes your bones and teeth, while phosphate is important for the efficient metabolism of glucose in your muscles.
Low vitamin D levels can increase your risk of osteoporosis and broken bones, particularly as you get older. Severe shortages of vitamin D can cause bone deformities such as rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults.
Where do we get vitamin D from?
There are three ways you can get vitamin D:
- From sunlight
- From food
- From supplements
Vitamin D from sunlight
As the sun’s rays fall on us, they react with our skin to make vitamin D. Due to the strength of sunlight required to get enough vitamin D, in the UK, it’s only possible to get vitamin D from sunlight from the beginning of April to the end of September. Throughout this period, you should expose your skin to direct sunlight for around 10 minutes once or twice a day.
To make sure you get enough sunlight, you should remember:
- If the weather is cloudy, producing the same amount of Vitamin D takes longer than on a sunny day.
- Glass blocks the sun’s rays, so getting outside or opening your window is important.
- If you have darker skin, it will produce vitamin D at a slower rate.
- Sun cream stops the sun’s rays from reaching your skin, which can reduce the amount of vitamin D your body makes. However, it’s important to only expose your skin to the sun for 10 minutes at a time before applying sun protection, as otherwise you could damage your skin.
Vitamin D from food
Some foods contain a small amount of vitamin D; however, it is hard to get enough vitamin D from food alone. Foods containing vitamin D include:
- Oily fish, like herring, salmon and mackerel
- Eggs
- Some pork products
- Lamb’s liver
- Fortified bread
- Fortified yoghurts
- Specially processed mushrooms
Vitamin D from supplements
Taking vitamin D supplements is another way to help ensure adequate vitamin D levels for bone and muscle health. In the UK, the government recommends that everyone consider taking a 10-microgram vitamin D supplement from the end of September to the beginning of April.
Although you don’t need to have a vitamin D blood test before starting to take a vitamin D supplement, you can book a private vitamin D blood test with Bluecrest Wellness if you're concerned about your levels.
What does vitamin D help with in the body?
It is hard to overstate the importance of vitamin D, as it plays a vital role in helping to regulate calcium and phosphate levels in our bodies.
This is important as calcium is an essential mineral for maintaining the health and strength of our bones and teeth. Phosphate, on the other hand, is essential for the efficient metabolism of glucose in our muscles, effectively giving us the energy we need to do the things we love.
Is vitamin D good for bones?
Vitamin D is good for our bone health and strength as it helps us to better absorb calcium from our diet and plays a vital role in regulating calcium levels in our body. Having adequate vitamin D levels can help ensure our body gets enough calcium to stay strong and healthy.
Does vitamin D help muscles?
Vitamin D affects our muscles by regulating the levels of the mineral phosphate in our body. Phosphate is essential for the efficient metabolism of glucose in our muscles, giving us the energy to use our muscles and participate in the activities we love.
How can you check your vitamin D levels?
At Bluecrest Wellness, our private vitamin D blood test involves having a simple blood test. It is a quick, easy, and accurate way to know your vitamin D levels. The test can be added to any of our full-body health assessment packages to give you comprehensive insights into your general health.
Why check your vitamin D levels?
Vitamin D testing is recommended for any individuals concerned about their vitamin D levels and pregnant women. Regular testing is also recommended for those at high risk of a vitamin D deficiency due to:
- Thin bones or osteoporosis
- Obesity
- Weight loss surgery
- Age – gut absorption of vitamin D and skin production reduces as we age
- Having to take certain medications, like phenytoin
- Having an existing condition that prevents nutrients and vitamins in their intestines, like ulcerative colitis, coeliac disease or Crohn’s disease
