When a bone is fractured or damaged it is able to naturally heal itself. At the fracture sight or damaged area of the bone new cells and blood vessels are generated so that the bone can be rebuilt. The body repairs most fractures in less than six weeks, notes Mediniche. Nutrition is one of the most important influences on bone repair and the time fractures take to heal can be impacted by the availability of key nutrients like vitamins.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is an important nutrient in bone repair because it facilitates the absorption of calcium from the intestinal track into the bloodstream, notes Life Research Universal. Calcium is essential for building strong bones and teeth, according to New Age Directory, and vitamin D can increase calcium absorption by 65 percent notes Mediniche. Good food sources of vitamin D include fish-liver oils, mushrooms, sprouted seeds, sunflower seeds, according to Life Research Universal. Vitamin D is also synthesized in the skin by sunlight, which accounts for the reason that systemic vitamin D decreases in people who are house bound and during the winter when people spend less time in the sun, notes Mediniche. The importance of vitamin D and bone health is emphasized in the face of the fact that 40 percent of people admitted to hospital for a hip fracture have a vitamin D deficiency, says Mediniche.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is essential in the maintenance of skin, mucous membranes, bones, teeth and hair, notes Life Research Universal. It is also important in the vision and reproductive systems. Vitamin A plays a role in promoting bone growth, notes Mediniche, and vitamin A deficiency is associated with longer wound healing times. Vitamin A can be found in food in green leafy vegetables, carrots, melon, squash, yams, and tomatoes, notes Life Research Universal.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is essential for healthy bones, gums and teeth, notes Life Research Universal, and it is necessary for the proper functioning of the adrenal and thyroid glands. Vitamin C's role in bone and connective tissue repair comes from its role as a collagen manufacturer. Collagen is makes up a large portion of the connective tissue in bones, skin, teeth, ligaments and cartilage, notes Mediniche. A vitamin C deficiency may result in insufficient collagen production, which could lead to an improperly healed fracture, notes Mediniche. Good food sources of vitamin C include all fresh fruits and vegetables, with abundant amounts being found in citrus fruits, rose hips, strawberries, green bell peppers, apples, cabbage, tomatoes and turnip greens, notes Life Research Universal.
Vitamin K
Vitamin K is most noted for its role in blood clotting, normal liver function, notes Life Research Universal. However, vitamin K is key in the synthesis of an important bone protein called osteocalcin which facilitates bone remodeling, a very important process in bone repair, notes Mediniche. Life Research Universal notes that good food sources of vitamin K include kelp, soybean oil and alfalfa. Decreased levels of vitamin K have been found in women with hip fractures, notes Mediniche, and multiple studies indicate that vitamin K can help prevent osteoporosis.
