Our bones go through a continuous process of bone remodeling cycle to maintain their strength however, as we age, they tend to lose density and to some, the end result may be osteoporosis. People who are having or at risk of having osteoporosis are often given bisphosphonates, which however have been getting a lot of bad news lately. Differing opinions held by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory members led to the recommendation of stronger warnings for such drugs including Fosamax.
Probably, if we can avoid from developing the disease then we would not have to go contemplating that far. Learning more about how vitamin D functions to maintain the health of our bones definitely matters. Our skeletal system serves as scaffold that protects organs and it also anchors muscles for motion, hence maintaining bone health is essential to our lives.
The movement of calcium within the body by and large rely upon vitamin D. Calcitriol, which is the active form of vitamin D, facilitates absorption of calcium in the intestine. Also, it increases the release of calcium into the blood from bone while decreasing the excretion of calcium to the urine by the kidney.
In the bone remodeling angle, vitamin D causes bone-forming cells known as osteoblasts to produce a certain molecule which triggers the production of osteoclasts – the bone cells responsible for bone resorption. This action ensures the maintenance of bone mineralization within normal range.
As simple as it sounds, vitamin D indeed can be synthesized in the skin with the aid of adequate sunlight. Vitamin D researchers concurred that by exposing oneself to sunlight for 5 to 30 minutes at least twice a week between 10 AM to 3 PM, you can already meet the required amount of vitamin D in your body. Moreover, the recommended daily vitamin D intake of a person can also be met by eating the flesh of a fatty fishes like salmon.
While the information about the benefits of vitamin D is somewhat a good news to us, bad news continue to pile up for Merck, a pharmaceutical company. The said company allegedly failed to properly warn its patients and doctors of the associated risks involved in taking the bisphosphonate drug Fosamax. A considerable number of harmed patients persistent in arranging a Fosamax lawsuit against the company.