What is the Importance of Vitamin D for Women?

Medical experts have long emphasized the importance of vitamin D for women, particularly as a factor in bone health. In addition to this well-known bone-strengthening role, vitamin D is increasingly revealing its potential as a defense against certain types of female cancers as well as a weapon against cardiovascular disease. Unfortunately, many women do not take in enough vitamin D to fully profit from its protective potential. To maximize the health benefits of vitamin D for women, they must take care to consume an adequate amount of the nutrient each day.

One of the best-understood benefits of vitamin D for women is its role in promoting bone strength. More specifically, vitamin D acts as a “buddy” to the bone-building nutrient calcium, aiding its absorption by the body’s skeletal system. Without this vitamin D/calcium teamwork, the bones can become brittle, a condition known as osteoporosis. As middle-aged and elderly women face a particularly high risk of osteoporosis, it is crucial that they take in adequate quantities of vitamin D.

Increasingly, medical researchers are beginning to understand that vitamin D may provide a number of health benefits in addition to its bone-strengthening capacity. This research has served to highlight the importance of vitamin D for women, as it seems to have the potential to reduce the risk of breast and ovarian cancers. It may also diminish the chance of cardiovascular disease, which, in Western nations, typically kills more women than men each year.

As of 2010, the protective functions of vitamin D in regards to women’s cancers and cardiovascular disease are not yet fully understood. Nevertheless, preliminary evidence does seem to support vitamin D’s protective capacities, even if the science behind these capacities has not been completely decoded. Thus, women may wish to begin bolstering their daily vitamin D intake.

Unfortunately, most women do not take in enough vitamin D to fully benefit from its supportive capacities. Further, some health experts argue that the current recommended daily dosage of vitamin D — 400 international units (IU) — is inadequate. These experts propose that the recommended dosage should be bumped up to 1,000 IU.

To complicate matters, substantial quantities of vitamin D can be difficult to come by. Apart from fortified dairy products and oily fish, few commonly eaten foods contain significant quantities of the vitamin. While the body is capable of naturally producing vitamin D when the skin is exposed to the sun, many medical professionals argue that the skin cancer risk posed by such exposure outweighs the vitamin-building benefits. To ensure a sufficient intake of vitamin D, women should consider taking daily nutritional supplements containing at least 400 IU of the vitamin.