About 10 million Americans have osteoporosis and another 44 million have osteopenia (low bone mass), which increase their risk for broken bones. Studies show that about 50% of women and about 25% of men over the age of 50 will break a bone in their lifetime due to osteoporosis.

You probably have black pepper in your kitchen right now. It adds flavor to many foods in your everyday cooking. But did you know that in addition to adding flavor to your food, black pepper has many benefits for your health? Black pepper is a spice that has been used for generations in many cuisines throughout the world. In fact, it is the most widely used spice in the world.

Your bones play many roles in your body. In addition to providing structure for your body, they protect your organs, store calcium and phosphorus, and support your muscles, tendons, and ligaments to help your body move.

Many vitamins and other nutrients don’t work alone in your body and depend on each other. Calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin K are like that. Calcium can’t get into your body well without vitamin D. And it can’t get into your bones without vitamin K.

Many vitamins and other nutrients don’t work alone in your body and depend on each other. Having a good intake of vitamin D and calcium can be dangerous if you don’t also get enough vitamin K. Vitamin K helps get calcium into the bones. If you are low in vitamin K, the calcium gets into your arteries instead of your bones, which contributes to heart disease. This leads to weak bones and hardened arteries.

Vitamin D is not in its active form when it enters your body. Your body has to convert it to the active form. You can develop a vitamin D deficiency if you don’t eat enough vitamin D, your skin is not able to make vitamin D from the sun, your intestines are not able to absorb the vitamin D, or your liver and kidneys aren’t able to convert vitamin D to its active form.

Depression causes feelings of sadness and/or a loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed. Other symptoms may include changes in appetite, not sleeping enough or sleeping too much, feeling tired, difficulty concentrating, and sometimes thoughts of suicide. Groups, such as the elderly, adolescents, the obese, and people with chronic illnesses, are at increased risk for vitamin D deficiency and depression. Research clearly shows a relationship between vitamin D and depression, but it’s not clear exactly how that relationship works.

Your immune system defends your body from invading germs. It’s your first line of defense against infections. If your immune system is strong, you have a better chance of fighting off infections and not getting sick. You may be wondering how vitamin D plays a part in your immune system. Many studies indicate that vitamin D is beneficial for your immune system, especially for protection against infections. Important parts of your immune system, such as T cells, B cells, and macrophages, need vitamin D to function properly.

Maintaining healthy bones is important from infancy through late adulthood. Until around age 30, your bone mass increases as you gain new bone faster than you break down old bone. Most people reach their peak bone mass around age 30. Then, you slowly break down bone faster than you make new bone. The key is slowing down this process as much as possible by giving your bones what they need to be healthy.

Many vitamins and other nutrients don’t work alone in your body and depend on each other. Having a good intake of vitamin D and calcium can be dangerous if you don’t also get enough vitamin K. Vitamin K helps get calcium into the bones. If you are low in vitamin K, the calcium gets into your arteries instead of your bones, which contributes to heart disease. This leads to weak bones and hardened arteries.