Is it OK to take a calcium supplement without vitamin D?

Taking a calcium supplement is important for anyone who suffers from calcium deficiency through diet or health. While there are many types of calcium supplement available to the public without prescription, the important part about taking them is making sure you team it with vitamin D.

Vitamin D is found in sunshine, and therefore for those who live in warmer countries, there is an abundant supply. However, those who live in places like the UK, where long, dark winters can easily last five months of the year – access to sunshine is difficult.

In fact, a large part of the population of the UK is vitamin D deficient because of the poor weather from October through to the end of February. Which makes relying on a supplement very important.

What makes access to vitamin D even more important is that it is vital to consuming calcium. Without vitamin D, calcium has much reduced chance of being absorbed by the body. Vitamin D set off a chain of reactions in the body which release hormones and prevent the loss of calcium through the urine.

Without vitamin D, an approximate 10 to 15 per cent of calcium would be able to be absorbed by the body. This means, the body is receiving well below the calcium amount it needs, and then has to draw on calcium supplies within the bones in order to function. This in turn weakens the bones and increases the chance of developing osteoporosis or bone fractures.

So, to answer the question, if you have a warm yellow ball in the sky giving you heat all year round, you’ll be OK taking a calcium supplement on its own. If, however, you’re like us and wrapped up against the biting cold for half the year, it might pay good dividends to buy a calcium supplement with added vitamin D.