Strong bones food

Table of content

• Why is Bone Health Important?

• Factors Affecting Bone Health

• How to Keep Your Bones Healthy?

• Tips for Strong and Healthy Bones

• Take-Home Points

• FAQ on Strong bones food

Introduction

Bones are primary centres for the stability of the body – they provide a framework to the body, support the muscles, protect vital organs, and store calcium. Due to their important role in the body, it is very necessary to take care of their health. Good foods for bones and joints along with a nutrient-dense balanced diet would do a good job in that. In this article, you would know the importance of diet and lifestyle in maintaining good bone strength.

Why is Bone Health Important?

Bones are continuously regenerating and changing – the old bone is destroyed and new bone is formed. After the age of 30 years, the rate of the new bone formation slows down and the bone mass starts reducing.

As you age, you become more vulnerable to get osteoporosis – a condition where bone mass erodes and bones become brittle. To have better bone health in your later stages of life, you must develop good bone density in your early stages through a good diet and regular physical activity. Food for strong bones is plenty that should be present in your diet for keeping your bones resilient and healthy. 

Factors Affecting Bone Health

While talking about bone health, several factors affect the strength and density of bones. 

Calcium Rich Diet

A diet with less calcium rich foods can prove detrimental to bone health. Sources of calcium are essential for the strength and vitality of the bones. Some of the calcium rich foods include, 

• Almond 

• Oranges 

• Yoghurt 

• Broccoli 

• Milk 

• Figs 

• Soy milk

• Leafy vegetables 

• Spinach 

• Cheese

• Sesame 

• Chia seeds 

• Soybeans 

• Lentils

Including these calcium rich foods in your diet will ensure your bone health. 

Regular Exercises 

Physical activity in the form of strength training and regular exercises are very essential to prevent the probability of fractures and the formation of osteoporosis. 

Substance Abuse

Substances like tobacco and alcohol can reduce blood supply to the bones, thereby weakening. These substances can speed up the rate of deformation in bones. 

Gender Factors 

Women are highly vulnerable to osteoporosis than men because they have very less bone tissue. 

Body Frame

People with very less Body Mass Index (BMI) or very thin people suffer from a greater chance of catching bone disorders. 

Age

With ageing, bones lose their ability to regenerate themselves. That's why the bone density becomes lower as you age. 

Family History

Research shows that whites and Asians are at greater risk of osteoporosis than other ethnic communities. Also having a family member with osteoporosis increases your risk of getting it. 

Hormonal Interactions

Both in men and women, high thyroid hormone levels can lessen bone density. In men, less testosterone can cause a bone mass reduction. Bone mass reduction is more prevalent in women due to the reduction of oestrogen after menopause. 

Eating Disorders

Severely reduced calories and being underweight can affect bone health. Also, some medical conditions like celiac disease can reduce the absorption of calcium.

Medications

Regular use of corticosteroids and anti-seizure medicines can cause the loss of bone density.

How to Keep Your Bones Healthy?

Keeping your bones healthy is important to leading a happy and healthy life. Bones aren't just about diet - it's also about the lifestyle. You need to maintain good lifestyle activities along with proper food for strong bones. Here are some of the effective ways, 

Add Calcium-Rich Foods to Diet

The Recommended Dietary Allowance for calcium for adults and men from 51 to 70 is 1000 milligrams of calcium per day. But the recommendation increases to 1200 mg a day for women aged 51 and for men who are above 71 years of age.

For ensuring good bone health, have a calcium rich diet because calcium is the key ingredient in improving bones. Some good sources of calcium are dairy products, almonds, broccoli, kale, canned salmon with bones, sardines and soy products, such as tofu. If you find it difficult to get calcium from your diet, you can consult your doctor for intake of supplements. But have calcium supplements only after medical advice!

Eat more Vitamin D

• Like calcium, Vitamin D is an important member of bone health. This key vitamin increases the absorption of calcium into the bones, thus making them resilient and strong.

• The recommended dietary allowance of vitamin D for adults aged 19 to 70 is 600 international units (IU) and for older people, it is 800 International Units (IU). You should have a diet rich in vitamin D to ensure good bone health.

• Some good sources of vitamin D include salmon, trout, white fish, tuna, mushrooms, eggs, fortified fish and milk. 

• Along with diet, make yourself exposed to the sunlight at least 10 minutes a day to increase the vitamin D production in your body. Vitamin D is such a surprise vitamin that it is produced by your body on its own if exposed to the radiation of the sunlight. 

Have More Omega 3 Fatty Acids 

Omega 3 fatty acids prevent bone breaking down, increase calcium intake and improve the strength of your bones. 

Some of the omega 3 fatty acids rich foods are mackerel, salmon, cod liver oil, herring, oysters and sardines. Include some nuts like almonds and walnuts, and fruits like mangoes and muskmelons further increase the omega 3 in your diet. 

Make Physical Activity Your Priority

Physical activities make you stronger. They increase bone strength and add to resilience. You need to include exercises in your daily schedule if you want to boost bone strength. By increasing the strength of your bones, you can lessen the risk of fractures.

Walking, jogging, climbing stairs and other weight lifting activities would do a great deal of work in building strong bones and reducing bone loss. 

Stay Away from Substance

Smoking and Drinking are the worst enemies of bone health. You should refrain from smoking if you want your bones to remain strong. Smoking and Drinking usually reduce the blood supply to the bones and make them weak. So, totally refraining from smoking is very good for your bone health. 

If you are engaged in drinking, women shouldn’t have more than one alcoholic drink and men shouldn’t have more than two alcoholic drinks a day. The limits are essential to ensure good bond strength.

Tips for Strong and Healthy Bones

• Consider eating lots of vegetables as it's shown in increased bone mass of both adults and children. 

• Do high-intensity strength training exercises for better and more effective bone formation. 

• Having lots of pulses and legumes in your diet plan will protect bone health during ageing. 

• Load your diet with high Vitamin K, Vitamin D and calcium rich foods. 

• Consider taking collagen supplements.

• Maintain a stable and healthy weight. 

• Include foods that are high in zinc and magnesium as they both increase calcium absorption. 

• Consume foods that are high in omega 3 fatty acids like chia seeds, flax seeds and walnuts. 

Take-Home Points

• Bone density decreases as you age and that's why it is very important to preserve home health from the early stages of life. 

• Many factors affect bone health - which is mainly diet and physical activity. 

• Including calcium rich foods, vegetables, magnesium, omega 3 fatty acids and zinc can greatly improve bone health. 

• Restricted physical activities, less calcium in the diet, family history of bone disorders, smoking, drinking, hormonal interferences and being underweight are the key factors involved in the reduced bone mass.

• Lifestyle changes like regular exercise and abstention from substances are an important part of bone health. 

References

• Vitamin K on Bone Health

• Calcium Intake in Bone Health