If you are a woman age 50 or older, you may want to learn how Vitamin D can help you prevent bone loss and bone disease.

Some people are born with bone disease like people afflicted with brittle bone disease or osteogenesis imperfect. But other types of bone diseases are developed over time as bone loss occurs when bone cells die at a faster rate than new cells form. In either case, there are ways to slow the bone loss. Engaging in strength exercises and eating a well-balanced meal help slow bone loss. A daily dose of calcium is also important. The proper daily calcium is between 1,000 and 1,500 milligrams. But one of the best ways to help with bone loss and diseases bone is to get adequate amounts of Vitamin D.

• To understand how important an adequate amount of Vitamin D is, consider the following: Several serious bone diseases can occur when Vitamin D levels are insufficient as children or even later in life.
• Deficiencies can occur because not enough Vitamin D-rich food is consumed or a person doesn’t get enough exposure to sunlight, another source of Vitamin D.
• One disease caused by inadequate Vitamin D is Rickets. Rickets is a disease that occurs in children that causes the long bones to grow at slower rates or even become deformed.

Osteomalacia is another bone disease that can occur because of Vitamin D deficiency. Only adults get this bone disease, and it is characterized by thinning and fragile bones and muscle weakness. Osteoporosis, a bone disease most common in menopausal women, can also be caused by Vitamin D deficiencies. Osteoporosis, meaning “porous bones”, occurs when bone density becomes diminished and bones become susceptible to fractures.

One of the best ways to prevent or treat these bone diseases is to get the proper daily amount of Vitamin D. It’s best to consult your doctor about the precise amount of Vitamin D you should be taking. Fish liver oil, especially cod liver oil, is one of the best sources of Vitamin D. Including fatty fish like salmon, catfish, mackerel, herring, sardines and tuna in your diet will provide Vitamin D as well. Other sources of Vitamin D are whole eggs and cooked beef liver. UV rays from the sun are also excellent for Vitamin D production and will help build stronger bones

Read more: Britte Bone Disease : Researchers Identify New Brittle Bone Gene