Vitamin D “A Must” for Adolescent Girls
June 30, 2009 by Elizabeth Donovan, M. A.
Filed under Health & Body
Occasionally, I’ve been known to dive into research and toss around a few statistics. When I stumbled across this study, I simply had to share it with Parenting Pink readers. And, as usual, I’ve added my own witty commentary:
According to a new study in The Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM), Vitamin D is significantly associated with muscle power and force in adolescent girls. Yep – that’s right, if you want your daughter to grow up strong, then it will take more than milk and broccoli.
Vitamin D deficiency has been shown to have a significant negative impact on muscle and bone health, and can lead to conditions including osteoporosis and rickets. Yuck – rickets…please, PLEASE give your daughter some Vitamin D!
“We know vitamin D deficiency can weaken the muscular and skeletal systems, but until now, little was known about the relationship of vitamin D with muscle power and force,” said Dr. Kate Ward, Ph.D., of the University of Manchester in the U.K., and lead author of the study. “Our study found that vitamin D is positively related to muscle power, force, velocity and jump height in adolescent girls.” Not gonna mess with the doc’s advice. She’s way smarter than I am.
Now that you know it’s imperative for your teen daughter to get her fill of Vitamin D, I’ve collected some foods you might be interested in to help ward off the rickets:
Help your daughter “get her fill” of Vitamin D in these foods:
Cod liver oil, 1 tablespoon
Salmon, cooked, 3.5 ounces
Mackerel, cooked, 3.5 ounces 345
Tuna fish, canned in oil, 3 ounces
Sardines, canned in oil, drained, 1.75 ounces
Milk, nonfat, reduced fat, and whole, vitamin D-fortified, 1 cup
Margarine, fortified, 1 tablespoon
Ready-to-eat cereal, fortified with 10% of the DV for vitamin D, 0.75-1 cup (more heavily fortified cereals might provide more of the DV)
Egg, 1 whole (vitamin D is found in yolk)
Liver, beef, cooked, 3.5 ounces
Cheese, Swiss, 1 ounce
Happy eating parents & teen girls!
**Info. courtesy of Physorg.com
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Hi Elizabeth. Thanks for stopping by my blog, today. I appreciate the stop by and comments.
This is a great little post about Vitamin D. That is good info. My daughter just turned two and her pediatrician encouraged me to start giving a multivitamin to her. He sited the importance for Vitamin D as well.
Thanks again.
Thanks for this post! I don’t have any adolescent girls, but I’ve heard that breastfeeding mamas need more vitamin D too, so I appreciate the foods list.
I didn’t know this! Great information! I tweeted it too.
Oh boy…I better get some more supplements! I ran out and just have not wanted to spend the money. I know it is so worth it though! I need to get some more for me for sure! THanks
smilinggreenmom
This brings up the sunscreen debate. The big message right now is sunscreen all the time, every time. But really, a little sun is good for you! At least, it’s a lot more fun than liver and mackerel!
My girls get their D in the pool. While in the sun. While wearing SPF 50. It’s more fun than cod liver oil.
This was an informative read–I feel so smart after having been here today. Seriously! Thanks!
Sardines!!! I think I’d just stick with a nice glass of milk! LOL!
Elizabeth,
This is great information, some of which I was not aware of! I recently found your blog and so I am giving you an award! Go to the following to collect:
http://www.thetamom.com