Calcium is one of the most important nutrients in your body. Luckily, your bones are made of calcium, so there is always a ready supply. Unfortunately, the body can sometimes take too much calcium from the bones if there is not enough in the diet. Vitamin D is one of the hormones involved in regulating calcium. It is part of a family of hormones that are tasked with the complex and important job of keeping your calcium levels correct.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D has a distinctive standing in the world of supplements. It is a vitamin that is also considered a hormone. Calcium is absorbed from the intestine when vitamin D is activated by the body. According to the National Institutes of Health, it is present in few foods. Vitamin D is created by absorbing sunlight through the skin. It is essential to the regulation of calcium in the body and can also play a role in managing how much calcium is leached from the bones.
Parathyroid Hormone
Parathyroid hormone is closely related to vitamin D. This hormone is also responsible for calcium management. According to "Endocrine Control of Calcium and Phosphate Homeostasis," parathyroid hormone signals the kidney to convert vitamin D into a bio-available hormone. It does this in response to low calcium levels in the bloodstream. It also mobilizes calcium from the bones and tells the kidneys to hang on to calcium to keep the blood levels high.
Calcitonin
Calcitonin works against vitamin D and parathyroid hormone. It reacts when the body senses that there is too much calcium in the bloodstream. This hormone tells the kidneys to urinate calcium to help lower the levels, and it tells the bones to reabsorb calcium back into the structure. When calcitonin is secreted, the secretion of parathyroid hormone and creation of vitamin D decrease. This helps the body lower the level of calcium in the blood.
Estrogen
Calcium, vitamin D and estrogen are linked to osteoporosis. This is because of estrogen's role in bone remodeling. According to the National Institutes of Health, the onset of menopause causes more bone to be absorbed than remade. Taking vitamin D with your calcium after menopause is recommended to help with the absorption of the mineral from the intestines. Since they are often taken together, it is difficult to know how effective vitamin D is by itself for treating osteoporosis.
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