Women’s History and Women’s Health: Vitamin D

Vitamin D is an essential vitamin for everyone, but for women, it plays an especially crucial role in staying healthy throughout the lifetime. With March being Women's History Month, it’s the perfect time to look at some health tips for women.

For all people, vitamin D is important for hormone regulation, glucose metabolism, neuromuscular activity, immune function, and bone health. Vitamin D increases calcium and phosphate absorption into the body, which is important for bone mineralization - the process that makes bones hard and strong. 

Bone mineral density is especially important for women because they tend to have less than men throughout their life stages. Women reach their peak bone density around age 30 and decline from there with a sharp reduction during menopause. Conversely, men reach peak bone density around age 40 and decline much more gradually. Good vitamin D intake will help maintain calcium and phosphate levels preventing the body from taking it from your bones.

Good sources of vitamin D include Fatty fish (salmon, trout, tuna, mackerel), egg yolks, some mushrooms, fish liver oils, and fortified foods. Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin, meaning it will absorb more efficiently into the body when paired with healthy fats like olive oil.