These two vitamins play a pivotal position in supporting bone well being. Calcium makes up nearly all of your skeleton’s construction, and it additionally assists in blood vessel contraction and dilation, muscle operate, and blood clotting, amongst different processes, in keeping with the Nationwide Institutes of Health3 (NIH).
While you’re not consuming sufficient calcium—both by way of meals or dietary supplements—your physique will stimulate a course of to tug the mineral out of your bones, rising the danger of bone loss, says Masternak. Equally, vitamin D, which will be obtained by way of meals, dietary supplements, and solar publicity, promotes calcium absorption within the intestine. With out sufficient of it, your physique will not be capable to correctly make the most of all the calcium you are consuming, contributing to osteoporosis, per the NIH4.
To make sure you’re consuming the beneficial 1,000 to 1,200 milligrams of calcium day by day (relying in your age), prioritize meals comparable to dairy merchandise (e.g., yogurt, milk, cheese), fortified drinks (e.g., soy milk, orange juice), and fish (e.g., salmon and sardines with bones). In the event you need assistance assembly that guideline after adjusting your weight loss program, think about a complement, says Masternak, whether or not it is a well-formulated multivitamin or stand-alone calcium complement.