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Vitamin D Deficiency Can Lead to Serious Osteoporosis Risks!

8th March, 2011 - Posted by GEM_Author - No Comments

A recent study showed that nearly 90% of Americans do not get their recommended daily dose of vitamin D.   An underrated but vital component in health, vitamin D has always been linked to playing an instrumental role in processing calcium, but what most people don’t know is that it is also closely associated with many of our other health concerns; Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to health issues such as heart disease, cancer, immune levels and even depression.

What does vitamin D do for our bodies?  Aside from aiding in the mineral absorption process needed for our bones and teeth, vitamin D is also the foundation of an important bodily steroid hormone called calcitriol. Calcitriol plays important roles in promoting cell regeneration and growth, regulating hormonal balance in the body and preventing onsets of cancer.   Researchers have also determined a link between vitamin D and fighting obesity, heart disease, and depression.

For women approaching, going through, or ending menopause, not having enough vitamin D means having serious risks of osteoporosis.  Menopausal women have lower estrogen levels, which have been shown to slow the body’s ability to synthesize and regenerate vitamin D.  Because the body then lacks the nutrient, the processes of proper bone renewal and calcium absorption are hindered, putting women at an even higher risk for osteoporosis.  In the absence of vitamin D, the efficacy of calcium drops significantly, since calcium depends on vitamin D in order to efficiently process through the body.  For women, having sufficient levels of vitamin D in their system means mitigating onsets of osteoporosis and bone loss.

Our bodies can naturally synthesize a sufficient supply of vitamin D if exposed to just a couple hours per week of direct sunlight.  We can also gain vitamin D from eating food like fatty fish such as sardines, tuna fish or salmon.  Even so, most people are still deficient of vitamin D, and face unnecessary health problems because of it.  GEM provides 25% of the daily recommendation for women in its Keep It Cool® ready-to-drink beverage, but also suggests that women approaching menopause add additional vitamin D3 supplements per day in order to help their bodies meet their needed vitamin D quota.  Vitamin D is an essential nutrient in helping our bodies stay strong and healthy as we age.

For more health advice or discussions about menopause-related subjects, please visit our blog at http://drinkgemblog.com/. GEM Drinks is an award-winning company that creates specially formulated, all-natural beverages that help women to alleviate symptoms of menopause and improve the quality of their lives. For more information about GEM Drinks, please visit our website.