Nutrition

Women can help protect themselves from osteoporosis by following Canada’s Food Guide to ensure an adequate intake of key nutrients. It is particularly important to get enough calcium and vitamin D.

Calcium and Vitamin D

Almost every cell in your body needs calcium. Your heart, nerves, muscles, blood, colon and bones need calcium on a daily basis.

Your bones depend on calcium for strength. About 99 percent of your body's calcium is stored in your bones. The rest circulates in your blood and takes part in important functions. If there is not enough calcium circulating in your blood, the body takes the calcium it needs from your bones. The bones act like a bank, where you deposit calcium daily and withdraw it as needed. When calcium is taken from your bones, your bones weaken and become more fragile.

Vitamin D is also vital to the health of your bones:

• It increases your body’s ability to absorb calcium by 30 to 80 percent, thereby making your bones stronger.
• It helps strengthen your muscles.
• It has been shown to reduce older adults’ risk of falling by more than 20 percent.
• Some initial research has also identified a link between vitamin D deficiency and musculoskeletal pain.

Calcium and Vitamin D Recommendations

Osteoporosis Canada recommends that adults between the ages of 19 and 50, including pregnant or lactating women, get 1,000 mg of calcium and 400 international units (IUs) of vitamin D3 daily. Adults over the age of 50 should get 1500 mg of calcium and 800 IUs of vitamin D daily.

Food Sources of Calcium

The best way to get the calcium we need is from food.

Each serving below provides 300 mg of calcium:

The best source of calcium is milk and calcium-rich foods. Consider supplements if it is impossible to get enough calcium from your diet. Your doctor or a registered dietitian can recommend the amount and type of calcium supplements you need to take.

Sources of Vitamin D

Vitamin D occurs naturally in very few foods: cod liver oil, fatty fish, such as salmon, tuna, mackerel or sardines, and egg yolks. Vitamin D is also added to milk and some rice and soy beverages. For adults over 50 years of age, it is almost impossible to get the recommended daily intake of vitamin D through food sources alone.

Sunshine helps your body to produce vitamin D. Ten to 15 minutes exposure on your hands and face without sunscreen every day is recommended. In the fall and winter months, the sun becomes weak in Canada and does not allow us to get as much of the vitamin. For this reason, your doctor may recommend vitamin D supplements.

Be aware that it is possible to get too much vitamin D. How much is too much is the subject of debate: Health Canada advises against taking more than 2,000 IUs a day whereas others say anything under 10,000 is safe.

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