<s>[INST] Why is Vitamin D important in preventing osteoporosis? [/INST] Vitamin D can be thought of as the "key" that unlocks the door to the body to let calcium in. Without Vitamin D, your body can’t use calcium very well, even if you get enough calcium in your diet.

The exact optimal daily dose of Vitamin D has not been determined, but most experts recommend that you get 400‐800 IU of Vitamin D each day. Less than 400 IU per day will keep you from getting full benefit from the calcium in your diet. More than 800 IU per day may be harmful.

There are two ways to get Vitamin D:

Vitamin D is formed naturally in your body after exposure to sunlight. About 15 minutes in the sun each day will make all the Vitamin D your body needs.
You can also get Vitamin D from the foods you eat. Food sources include Vitamin D fortified dairy products, egg yolks, saltwater fish and liver. Most standard multi‐vitamins contain adequate amounts of Vitamin D and many calcium supplements also contain Vitamin D.
If you are elderly, do not get outside often or you live in the North during the winter, you may need to consider a supplement if adequate Vitamin D cannot be obtained from the diet. If you are taking a multi‐vitamin or calcium supplement containing Vitamin D, make sure that your vitamin D intake from all sources does not exceed 800 IU. Source: Malaysian Osteoporosis Society. Link: https://www.osteoporosis.my/aboutOsteo/faq.asp#:~:text=Poor%20calcium%20intake%20at%20any,the%20presence%20of%20adequate%20calcium.. Field: Rheumatology. Disease: Ostoeporosis </s>