With age comes weakening bones and deteriorating health, but there are actions that you can begin to take to avoid this possibility. By following proper nutrition and healthy lifestyle habits, you can maintain or develop strong bones throughout your life. You may be wondering, how exactly do I influence a part of my body that I can’t even see? Well, bone health starts with having a healthy balanced diet and proper acquisition of Vitamin D, which helps absorb sufficient amounts of calcium, thus helping bones stay strong.
A Regular Intake of Vegetables
Consuming a sufficient amount of vegetables is essential because these foods are extremely rich in calcium. Dark leafy greens such as chinese cabbage, collard, and turnip have an abundance of Vitamin K, which is known for reducing the risk of Osteoporosis, a disease that one acquires when too much bone is lost, too little is made, or both. Furthermore, a regular intake of green and yellow vegetables increases bone mineralization during childhood and maintains bone mass in adulthood.
Dairy Products
Milk is the known and obvious provider of calcium for most of us. Consuming an adequate amount of milk daily satisfies 30% of your daily calcium requirement. Moreover, milk products such as yogurt and cheese are highly rich in Vitamin D as well, meaning that the consumption of them gives a good percentage of calcium to our bones.
Proteins
50% of our bones are made of protein, making it necessary to get enough protein to keep them healthy. A lower intake of protein results in decreased calcium absorption, which negatively affects the rate of bone breakdown and reformation. It is advised to consume the proper amount of protein every day, because as research suggests, a high intake of protein is continuously linked to a lower risk of forearm fractures and a higher density of bones in the hip and spine.
Obtain Enough Calcium and Vitamin D
Calcium and Vitamin D actually work very closely together, with the vitamin helping to absorb calcium in the food we eat every day. Vitamin D can be found in fish, soy, egg yolk, and rice beverages, making it not only essential to obtain, but also very simple to receive. Adults need 700mg of calcium per day and many are not receiving the proper amount, partially due to Vitamin D deficiencies. Nowadays, this deficiency is becoming very common and very serious, with children and adults with low Vitamin D levels tending to have lower bone density. Though this is a frightening issue, it can be easily avoided through the acquisition of Vitamin D from sun exposure and food sources.
Beverages
Calcium can also be obtained through everyone’s favorite task, drinking coffee! Drinking this beverage helps to increase the level of calcium we absorb into our bodies, and therefore reduces bone loss. Soy drinks are also excellent at adding calcium to our bones, along with other plant-based drinks that boost bone strength. In addition, orange juice and green tea are rich in anti-inflammatory compounds and drinking beetroot juice provides a large boost of muscle performance.
Not all beverages are beneficial for bone health, however. The intake of heavy alcohol, soft drinks, and soda is known to lead to bone loss, which is why overconsumption of them should be avoided as much as possible.
Dry Fruits & Nuts
Dry fruits and nuts are an excellent and easily-acquired source of healthy fat and nutrients. They improve the internal calcium and vitamin D levels for growing kids, the elderly, and pregnant women. Furthermore, nuts like almond and sunflower seeds help immensely in the prevention of osteoporosis and the daily consumption of dry fruits slows the breakdown of bones, making it essential to incorporate both into your diet. Foods like sprouts, blackberries, and dried apricot are known to improve bone strength as well, so pick them up the next time you see them in a grocery store!
If you have digestive or malabsorption issues preventing you from obtaining the correct nutrients and vitamins, consider using magnesium chloride oil to resolve the issue!
Meat
Salmon is another rich source of Vitamin D, the fish having a large amount of heart-healthy omega 3-fatty acids. Tuna, another fatty fish, contains 154 IU, meaning that it helps in increasing the absorption of the sunshine vitamin. Other types of meat that contain vitamins and calcium, and stimulate bone growth are sardines and goat.