Vitamin D for Bone Support: 3 Ways It Helps Your Bones

Research shows that vitamin D supplementation supports long-term bone health. In fact, not getting enough sunny D can lead to bone loss, osteoporosis and fractures — which in turn pave the way for muscle weakness, among others. ¹

Without further ado, here’s everything you need to know about vitamin D for bones according to science.

Vitamin D promotes calcium absorption

It’s no secret that calcium likes to take all the credit when it comes to bone health. The truth is, other nutrients are working hard behind the scenes to support the calcium you consume from food. Vitamin D3, for example, promotes the absorption of calcium in your gut, which in turn assists the normal mineralisation of your bones. ^{2, 3}

Put another way? Without vitamin D, your body wouldn’t be able to use the calcium you eat on a daily basis, causing your bones to become frail and more prone to breaking.

Quick fact

27% of the UK population have insufficient levels of vitamin D, while 74% have levels below the optimum level for well-being.

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Vitamin D supports bone fracture recovery

According to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), an estimated 3 million people over the age of 65 fall at least once a year, which increases their risk of fractures substantially. ⁴ If you’ve recently broken a bone — because hey, it can happen to any of us — supplementing with vitamin D can aid your recovery. ^{5, 6} Another study suggests that vitamin D supplementation in hip fracture patients helped to increase body mineral density at the fracture site. ⁷

Added to which, maintaining adequate levels of vitamin D in the body can reduce your risk of fractures, especially if you’re physically active and enjoy high-impact activities such as weightlifting. ^{8, 9}

Create bones for very intense situations

Our bone structure is very important to our performance in the gym. At times, people with shorter arms can perform exercises that are very hard for people with longer arms. While you can’t change the structure of your bones, but you can make sure they are in the best condition possible by taking vitamin D supplements.

According to the Biomedical Central Journal, vitamin D3 receptor is in the skeletal muscle tissue and is needed for optimal performance. This really can't be understated if you have goals that you want to accomplish as soon as possible. Though most people who go to the gym only think about the macros they take in and the weight they are pushing, supplements can't be understated for accomplishing goals. There are also going to be times when you need that strength if you don't go to the gym and vitamin D allows your bones to hold up.

Studies by Healthline found that children who consumed the recommended amount of vitamin D got the height growth that other kids their age didn’t experience. The most important factors to consider is if the child is overweight and the genetics of the parent. The most objective way of proving that these works are to compare the heights of the taller parent and analyse that the child is in a healthy weight.