Our bone health is an absolute must-have for leading a satisfying life. We sometimes underestimate the importance of taking care of our bones, but much like every other aspect of our bodies, they require TLC as well. Caring for our bone health begins with the foods we eat.
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Prioritizing Your Bone Health
Our bones are continually undergoing an evolution of sorts from the time we are born. Beginning around the age of 30, our bone mass peaks and slowly after that, we slowly start to lose that mass. As a result, conditions like osteoporosis emerge, signaling the loss of bone mass –especially in women.
Diet and Bone Health
Your bones rely heavily on a diet that has high nutritional value. Poor bone health is often due to neglecting proper nutrition which provides vitamins for the bone like calcium and vitamin D.
Calcium
Calcium is a vital mineral that enables our cells, muscles, and nerves to function at optimal levels. Additionally, our body needs calcium to make healthy bones. Unfortunately, our bodies only manage to absorb 15 to 20 percent of the calcium we consume in our diet which can make securing a healthy level of calcium difficult. For this reason, we are often encouraged to eat foods that contain vitamin D and in some instances, take vitamin D supplements.
Foods that are rich in calcium include milk, cheese, tofu, yogurt, and leafy green vegetables.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is a hormone that enables the gut to absorb more calcium. Foods that contain vitamin D include egg yolks, beef liver, fatty fish including salmon, mackerel and tuna, and cereals.
Ideally, you should aim to get a minimum of 1200 milligrams per day.
Bones
Without an in-depth knowledge, it’s easy to believe bones are rigid structures in our bodies that don’t do much. But the truth is bones are living, dynamic tissues. They change and rebuild themselves to fit your body growth, causing you to get a whole new skeletal system every ten years. They also consist of mineral, proteins, connective tissues, blood vessels, nerves, and the marrow.
Foods Which Can Cause Poor Bone Health
Some of your lifestyle choices and dietary selections can contribute to poor bone health.
For example:
• Salty foods contain a lot of sodium which leads to loss of calcium in the body. Loss of calcium causes bone loss. To avoid this outcome, reduce the amount of salt you put into your daily meals and how much can and processed food you eat. Try to ingest no more than 2,000 to 2,300 mg of salt daily.
• Caffeine can be harmful to the bones when taken in excess. Ensure that if you indulge in caffeine daily that you also manage to consume foods that contain the daily recommended levels of calcium to reduce the risk of any direct impact on your bone health.
• Alcohol has some properties which are not suitable for bones like silicon, polyphenols and some B vitamins. Although drinking alcohol is not entirely wrong, taking more than one or two bottles daily is bad for bone health.
• Protein is excellent for the body, but too much of a good thing may damage your bone health. Meals that contain too much protein daily can cause a person to lose calcium. You can tackle this side effect by eating food that provides calcium.
• Tobacco and Alcohol use may weaken your bones – mainly if you partake in more than two alcoholic drinks in a day.
Tips for Improving Your Bone Health
There are a few steps you can take to improve your bone health, and it begins with choosing a healthy bone diet.
Fruits, Vegetables, and Nuts
Including fruits, vegetables and nuts in your diet can put you on the path towards achieving healthy bones. These foods can provide enough calcium and vitamin D to keep your bones fully functional. Not sure where to begin? Opt for green leafy vegetables.
Dairy
Dairy sometimes gets a bad wrap in the world of ketogenic and Paleo diets, but these foods to contain a lot of magnesium, calcium, and potassium. Try drinking a glass of milk daily, eating eggs, cheese, and butter to support your bone health.
Exercise
Exercises that are weight bearing like jogging and walking can improve your bone health.
Summary
In conclusion, you must take steps to protect your bone health as after the age of thirty, we are at our greatest risk to lose bone mass. Engaging in weight-bearing exercise and consuming foods that are rich in vitamin D and calcium are a must-have for bone health.
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