Naturalpath

Healthnotes Newswire (June 7, 2007)—Many women start thinking about calcium and vitamin D after menopause, but new evidence suggests that paying attention to these nutrients before menopause could protect against breast cancer.

The new study, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, was drawn from the large, long-term Women’s Health Study. The analysis included information about diet and cancer diagnoses over a ten-year period from 10,578 premenopausal women and 20,909 postmenopausal women.

Some of the richest sources of dietary calcium are green leafy vegetables, such as kale, spinach, and broccoli, as well as sea vegetables such as kelp and dulse. Figs and some nuts and seeds also provide high amounts of calcium. Vitamin D has few natural sources (primarily egg yolk and fish oil) but the body is able to make plenty when it has adequate sun exposure.

Healthnotes Newswire (June 7, 2007)—It is well known that physical activity is necessary for people to stay strong as they age, but now it appears that unsuspecting older people might have a vitamin D deficiency working against them. New research finds that getting enough vitamin D helps seniors stay strong.

Staying fit is a major concern to many people as they strive to remain independent while facing their later years. Physical fitness influences mental fitness and helps people avoid disability by reducing risk of chronic diseases.

Over the past few years there has been increasing awareness of vitamin D’s role in overall health. In addition to regulating how bones use calcium, vitamin D also controls the way calcium is absorbed and used by the body, influences immune function, and has some anticancer effects.