Vitamin D: good for your bones AND your heart
Many studies have shown the value of vitamin D for bone health. Vitamin D helps form and maintain strong bones by promoting the absorption of calcium. Calcium helps prevent and treat osteoporosis—a disease characterized by thinning bones.
Now, evidence from the Framingham Offspring Study shows people with low vitamin D levels were at an almost two-fold increased risk for heart disease. Many older adults are considered to be deficient in vitamin D. A 2005 study showed that approximately half of women already being treated for osteoporosis were vitamin D deficient.
Th e U.S. Food and Nutrition Board recommended intake of vitamin D is 400 international units (IUs) a day. Experts, however, think even 1,000–2,000 IUs a day may be a conservative estimate for older adults, especially women.
See your doctor for a simple blood test. You might help your heart as well as your bones!
Is yogurt really good for you?
Yogurt has a reputation of being good for your digestion. Th at’s because it often contains live cultures, or “probiotics,” which are bacteria that may have a healthy effect on your digestive tract.
Some of the most common cultures you’ll fi nd in yogurt are lactobacillus acidophilus, L. casei, L. reuteri, and Bifi dobacterium bifidum. Research has shown possible benefits of probiotics in certain instances. Probiotics may decrease gas, bloating, and diarrhea associated with irritable bowel syndrome. Some probiotics may help constipation. A 2003 study showed that older adults who ate yogurt while being treated with antibiotics were less likely to develop diarrhea as a side eff ect of the medication.