You might wonder why I typically refer to my aging grandmother in my articles. Well, first of all, in her 105th year of life, she has had her share of wellness issues over the past century, and we can usually get some genuine insight from those.
Also, her sense of humor and her no-frills attitude make for some good added fodder for these articles. I am not exploiting her. I am merely borrowing some of her insight and transposing it for the 21st century. Besides, she is 250 miles away from me…she’ll never know!
So, in keeping in tune with bone-related articles, I have to say that Grandma’s bones are in pretty good shape for her mature age. I assume she gets the necessary vitamins and minerals in her diet to keep her skeleton in fine form. I know for a fact that she shuns dairy, loves Cinnabon rolls, turns up her nose at any fruit product, eats salt like candy, and relies upon a steady diet of McDonald’s breakfast items and their free coffee. Did I just frighten you? If so, then consider Grandma a medical miracle. I am sure some scientists will want to examine her body post-mortem some day to find out how she ate like this for decades and thrived.
For the rest of us, however, we have to opt for different avenues of health to keep our bones in prime condition. As for me, I just came in from an hour spent by the pool, basking under the warmth of the glorious sun. (Oh, dear! I just admitted that I might have some slacker tendencies! Let me retract that admission. It was not an hour. It was ten minutes, and I was soaking up my daily quota of the sunshine vitamin – Mr. Vitamin D!)
According to www.dairycouncilofca.org, Vitamin D is frequently referred to as the “sunshine vitamin.” Our bodies can produce this vitamin when we expose our skin to just 10-15 minutes of sun exposure each day on our face, hands, and arms, sans sunscreen. This will meet our daily needs for this powerful vitamin. However, certain climates, weather conditions, and geographical locations do not allow for this sort of absorption, so we need to seek other sources of vitamin D. We can find these in items such as fortified milk, yogurt, salmon, tuna, and sardines. Some other food products, such as cereals and orange juice, do come fortified with this supplement.
So, why do we even need Vitamin D? According to www.ahealthyme.com, “vitamin D grabs calcium and phosphorus out of your intestines and dumps them into your bloodstream where they can be absorbed by your bones and keep your skeleton strong.” In children, a lack of vitamin D can lead to rickets, a bone-deforming condition that can contribute to bowlegs or knock-knees. For adults, a shortage of this supplement can lead to osteoporosis, the “brittle bone” disease that creates pain in the bones and in the joints.
Interestingly enough, vitamin D can help prevent certain types of cancer, most specifically colon and colorectal cancers. As recently as 2005, according to A Healthy Me, studies have shown that taking 1,000 IU daily of vitamin D3 cuts the risk of breast and ovarian cancer…by up to 50 percent! Please pass the tuna and yogurt now! I am going to eat it outside in the sun…for 10 minutes!
As a mom of three teenage boys, I am surprised to learn that they, too, might be lacking in vitamin D. With all of the time kids these days spend in front of the computer or the TV, they are seeing less of the great outdoors. They need vitamin D at this significant growth period during their lives. To be safe, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends mutli-vitamin supplements containing 200 IU of vitamin D for teens who do not consume at least 16 ounces of vitamin-D fortified milk each day.
For adults, the daily recommendation of vitamin D is 200 IU per day until age 50. From ages 51-70, you need 400 IU. Past the age of 70, go for 600 IU daily. The National Osteoporosis Foundation recommends getting 800-1,000 IU daily for post-menopausal women and men over the age of 50.
Okay, this seriously puts my grandma in a dilemma. Not only is she WAY over 70, but, since she did get something similar to a period again at age 102….spotty at times, yet there (another topic for another day) is she post-menopausal or pre-menopausal for the second time?) Well, if she gets hot flashes again, I maybe onto another topic for the day!
Until then, be sure to keep your bones healthy and in check with our good friend, Mr. Vitamin D. Keep osteoporosis at bay and maintain a healthy and active lifestyle. Just don’t jog to McDonald’s every day or ask for extra salt. I told you, however, Grandma is a medical enigma. She does keep things interesting.