Protect Your Joints With Vitamin D

Here at The Daily Health, we’ve written numerous times health benefits of the sunshine vitamin ? vitamin D. Adequate levels are necessary to help prevent common cancers, heart and autoimmune diseases, rickets, osteomalacia (bone pain and muscle weakness), diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and depression… to mention but a few.

Now, recent research indicates that the secret to true joint relief may be easier than you ever imagined. Simply top up your vitamin D levels.

Stopping joint pain in its tracks

If you’re tired of taking powerful and potentially addictive painkillers, applying compression wraps and freezing-cold ice packs, vitamin D may be just the affordable solution you’ve been looking for when it comes to putting an end to your joint pain woes.

Researchers tracked more than 400 middle-aged and elderly volunteers for four years, measuring their levels of vitamin D and parathyroid hormone (a key hormone the metabolises vitamin D).

Their results found that patients with the lowest vitamin D levels more than doubled their risk of developing painful and debilitating degenerative joint diseases like osteoarthritis.

The link between vitamin D and strong bones is not new. That’s because for years we have known that it helps our bodies absorb calcium ? a bone-strengthening mineral ? and other nutrients, like magnesium. And just like vitamin D strengthens your bones, it also does the same for the cartilage that cushions our knees ? and the synovial fluid that lubricates our joints, which also depend on many of the same nutrients that it helps deliver.

In fact, previous research has found that patients with the lowest levels of vitamin D had cartilage that was in the worst shape.

In addition to protecting your bones and cartilage, it also helps fight inflammation, which can cause stiffness and discomfort in your joints.

Fortunately, the best thing about vitamin D is it’s free. Step outside on a clear day for twenty or thirty minutes, and the sun will provide all the vitamin D you need. If that’s not an option ? or if you live somewhere without a lot of sun ? you can pick up some vitamin D supplements just about anywhere.

However, alternative health experts all agree that even at higher doses, vitamin D (along with calcium and magnesium) can’t do the job alone. Here’s a list of additional nutrients that you may need to help ageing bones stay healthy:

• Manganese
• Boron
• Silica
• Molybdenum
• Strontium
• Zinc
• Copper
• Vitamin K
• Vitamin C
• Hydrochloric acid

Finally, add some exercise, which helps your bones to re-mineralize.

Obviously, this is no quick fix? which is probably why most doctors and patients are inclined to keep things “simple” by taking powerful painkillers that only mask the pain and don’t treat the causes of joint pain.

As always, speak to a doctor who specialises in alternative and natural medicine to find out what the right vitamin D dosage is for you and to determine a joint repair strategy that is best for you.

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Disclaimer: Bear in mind the material contained in this article is provided for information purposes only. We are not addressing anyone’s personal situation. Please consult with your own physician before acting on any recommendations contained herein.

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Sources:

Low vitamin D linked to osteoarthritis in knee, agresearchmag.ars.usda.gov