When you think of bone and teeth health, calcium is the first thing that comes to mind. Understandable, because calcium is the main mineral needed for bone growth and strength.

However, there is another nutrient needed for good bone health and strength: vitamin D. Why is it important for bones?

Bone Growth and Development

Bones take an incredibly long journey to grow. They start forming in the womb, before a person is born. They don’t finish developing until after 25 years.

Calcium is the main mineral needed for the formation, growth, and repair of bones. It’s why growing kids are encouraged to eat calcium-rich foods such as eggs, tofu, leafy greens, milk, yogurt, and fortified juices and cereals.

The Importance of Vitamin D

Vitamin D is just as important as calcium. Without vitamin D, it doesn’t matter how much calcium you get. This is because the body won’t be able to absorb calcium without vitamin D.

A lot can happen to a person’s bones throughout 25 years. Sometimes they break or splinter. They elongate and thicken.

Teeth, too, change during the years. Baby or milk teeth fall out to make way for adult or permanent teeth.

All these changes with the bones and teeth will require calcium. And if calcium is required, so is vitamin D.

Bone Health Without Vitamin D

Without enough vitamin D and calcium, bones lose their density and toughness with age. This can lead to several bone-related problems, such as osteoporosis and osteomalacia.

Osteoporosis is the condition where bone mass is reduced. The body needs calcium from time to time, because calcium plays a role in blood pressure regulation. When the body needs calcium, it takes some from the calcium stored in bones. If the body has enough vitamin D and calcium supplementation, this wouldn’t be a problem. The body can just store calcium again.

Without vitamin D, however, the body can’t absorb calcium. The calcium stores in the bones will continue to get depleted, resulting to shrunken, brittle bones.

Osteomalacia is the condition where the bones are softened because of insufficient calcium and vitamin D. People with this condition are prone to bone fractures and breaks.

Osteomalacia is the term for the condition if presented in an adult. In children, it’s known as rickets.

When Should You Start Taking Vitamin D Supplements?

As early as you can, especially if you can’t get natural vitamin D from sun exposure or whole foods. Because bones continue to form and grow until 25, it’s important to supply your body with enough vitamin D, calcium, and phosphorus that it needs.

Vitamin D absorption also gets harder as you get older. It’s advisable to start taking supplements early on so your bones won’t suffer with osteoporosis or osteomalacia when you reach your senior years.

There are many good vitamin D supplements to choose from. Just look for a brand with only vitamin D (and a carrier oil as vitamin D needs oil for absorption). Many choose to take vitamin D drops as liquid vitamin D is easier for young and old alike to take.

The body is made up of complex organ systems. Everything that you put inside it is being processed, absorbed, and sometimes excreted. Food is the fuel of the body. Food gives vitamins and minerals needed to function well. The body can also make some of its own vitamins and minerals when needed.

But, these essential vitamins have to undergo specific conversions to be usable. Let us look at folic acid, for example.

Folic acid is the metabolically inactive form of folate or vitamin B9. Humans are dependent on dietary sources for their folate supply. Pharmaceutically manufactured folic acid supplements are also a great source of this vitamin. Fortified food like bread and cereal are also good sources.

Folic acid plays an important role in proper brain functioning. It aids in the production of the genetic material (DNA and RNA) and also supports the growth and development of cells and tissues in the body. On top of that, folic acid also helps in making red blood cells that transport oxygen throughout the body.

Dozens of studies have also shown that folic acid aids in mental health. Its active form helps in the production of dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin – the happy hormone.

Pregnant and breastfeeding women need higher levels of folic acid in their system. Folate is crucial in fetal development. It prevents the baby from having birth defects like neural tube defect, cleft palate, and spina bifida. Taking folic acid supplements before conception also lowers the risk of miscarriages and preterm birth.

Varieties of folate-rich food are as follows: green leafy vegetables, seafood, liver, peanuts, legumes and whole grain.

But, folic acid is an inactive form of folate. An enzyme needs to convert it first to its active form so that our body can absorb it. That enzyme is called the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase or MTHFR. The MTHFR converts folic acid into L-methylfolate. L-methylfolate is the active form of folate. It can now be absorbed by the body, bringing it into the blood circulation. The blood will then transport it to the organs that need it.

The MTHFR enzyme is not only important in the folate cycle, it is also crucial in several methylation cycles in the body. Methylation processes are important in the regeneration and regulation of cells in the body.

Folate deficiency can be caused by alcoholism, malnutrition, and genetic variation.

Some people have genetic conditions wherein they lack or are deficient in the MTHFR enzyme. Thus, these people will not be able to convert folic acid into its usable form. Doctors will prescribe them an alternative dietary supplement called methylfolate or active folate to provide their folate needs.

Healthy people can take folic acid as long as they have the MTHFR enzyme in their bodies.

Discussion of health conditions with your health care provider is important to address several health issues. It is crucial to consider everything when it comes to your health.

In recent years there has been a lot of buzz about the benefits of IV therapy, especially for those that participate in athletics of all kinds. Athletes are known to have higher dietary needs due to their high level of physical activity and caloric burn rate. In many cases it can be hard to keep up with the
fluids and nutrition that they need. Here are just a few of the reasons that you may want to give IV therapy a try for yourself if you are an athlete.

Those that participate in activities that are high in intensity, duration or both actually cause stress to their metabolic system. This makes it more difficult for the body to absorb the nutrients that the individual consumes.

Only recently has this become increasingly clear by doing extensive studies on the nutritional levels of extreme athletes. By using infusions of nutrients, you are supplying your body with the nutrition that it needs while
circumventing the digestive process, which in even the average person leads to a great deal of waste.

Additionally, someone that does high level exercise has a much higher need for a wide range of nutrients in order to perform optimally. This is not a means to cheat as some might believe, but simply giving the body what it actually needs.

There are limits to how frequently professional athletes can get this type of therapy, but in general they do not break any regulations implemented by governing authorities. To be sure you within the rules you should consult the rules with the doctor you select to administer your treatments.

A major problem that most athletes face is trying to determine what a balanced diet would even look like for them that also allows them to maintain their weight. Due to the high number of calories burnt during exercise, they have a much higher need for carbs than the average individual.

Additionally, due to the high use of their muscles, there is a high need for increased protein to maintain strength and prevent injury. After worrying about fulfilling the calorie and protein needs it remains to be asked what is the right combination of fruits, vegetables and dairy?

Even the most experienced nutritionist will admit that even with all of the studies that have been done, there is no definitive answer to this question. Everyone has different needs and the body flushes out the majority of nutrients we consume that they do not immediately need.

This is where IV therapy comes into play. It gives the body the primary nutrition that science knows most people are lacking in a fashion that goes directly into the bloodstream for the body to use. It almost guarantees that your body will have everything it needs to perform at its highest capacity.

IV therapy is really a perfect option for athletes that find that they do not feel like they are getting the most from their diet. Of course, it is best to continue to eat a healthy balanced diet, but this is a great way to be sure that you are getting what your body needs in order to perform at as high level!