Under The Scrutiny Are Sources of Bone Health

Bone health refers to strength in bones that comes right from an early age and maintained throughout life. A healthy balanced diet is a key to strong bones.

One needs sufficient calcium intake as it strengthens your body bones and vitamin D which is helpful in calcium absorption. Poor bone health may lead to conditions such as rickets or osteoporosis. Additionally, there is a risk of breaking bones with a fall.

Your diet should render all the nutrients needed for bone health. A good diet is building blocks for healthy bones and should be coupled with physical activities, avoiding certain risk factors that may lead to ailments.

By consuming a varied and balanced diet, a person can make up for calcium intake necessary for bone health. For this purpose, a diet should include listed below components:-

· Milk, cheese and various other dairy products

· Soybeans

· Tofu

· Soya drinks with calcium supplements

· Nuts and seeds

· Bread or anything made with fortified flour

· Fish

· Green leafy vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, okra excluding spinach

Although spinach appears to be a rich source of calcium, it also contains oxalic acid which is responsible for reduced calcium absorption. Hence, it is not a good source of calcium.

Vitamin D Source

It is very difficult to meet all the vitamin D requirements through our diet and hence most vitamin D is taken from the sun by our skin.

A small daily exposure to Sun without sunscreen during March and April to the end of September gives enough dose of vitamin D. However, a small daily dose of vitamin D is advisable for every individual.

Source Of Vitamin D Through Food Includes:

·  Oily fish such as Salman, sardines, and mackerel

·  Eggs

·  Powdered milk

·  Fortified breakfast cereals

·  Fat spreads fortified with vitamin D

When a person suffers from osteoporosis, a doctor prescribes vitamin D and calcium supplements along with the osteoporosis drug. This is because the calcium intake of the body has been low, leading to osteoporosis.

Menopause and Bone Health

Women tend to lose bone more rapidly due to several years after menopause when their ovaries almost stop producing estrogen, a positive effect producing chemical on bones, produced inside the body.

No specific calcium or vitamin D recommendations are available for menopause. However, a healthy balanced diet including ample calcium and vitamin D contents helps to slow down the rate of bone loss.

Natural Ways of Building Bone Health

Let us find out natural ways to build healthy bones. It is largely dependent on nutrient intake and lifestyle habits.

1) Eating Lots of Vegetables

Vegetables are the best source of vitamin C which stimulates the production of bone-forming cells in the body. Vitamin C is antioxidant enriched which protects bone cells from damage. Vegetables increase bone mineral density known as bone density.

2) Indulge In Strength Training and Weight-Bearing Exercises

Indulging in specific types of exercising patterns helps to build up, maintain strong bones and promote the formation of new bones.

Strength training exercises benefit muscle mass increment and protect bone loss in younger and older women including those with issues of breast cancer, osteopenia or osteoporosis.

3) Consuming a Protein-Rich Diet

Proteins are building blocks of the body and low protein intake decreases calcium absorption which leads to bond deformation and breakdown.

4) Consuming High Calcium Food throughout the Day

It is always advisable to spread your calcium intake throughout the day, rather than supplements, as this optimizes the calcium absorption in the body.

5) Focus on Taking Plenty of Vitamin D and Vitamin K

Vitamin D and vitamin K are extremely important for building bone strength. Consuming fish, liver, eggs, meats, cheese, sauerkraut and soybean helps make up for these vitamins.

6) Avoid Too-Low Calorie Diet

Low-calorie diet leads to slowing down the metabolism rate which creates panic hunger attacks and causes muscle mass loss which is harmful to bone health.

7) Taking Collagen Supplement

Collagen is the main protein found in bone and its supplement protects bone health. It contains the amino acid glycine, proline and lysine which help to build up bone, muscle, ligament, and other tissues.

8) Consuming Food Rich in Magnesium, Zinc and Omega 3 Fatty Acids

Magnesium converts vitamin D into an active form that promotes calcium absorption.

Zinc promotes the formation of bone-building cells and prevents excessive breakdowns of bone.

Omega 3 fatty acids found in fatty fish helps decrease bone breakdown and increases bone formation.

Plant source of Omega 3 fatty acids includes chia seeds, flax seeds, and walnuts.

Strong bones are something which people take for granted and its symptoms do not appear until the bone loss becomes quite evident. Changes in nutrition intake and lifestyle habits can help to build and maintains bone strength.

It's never too late to start!