5 Ways To improve your bone health
Improving your bone health is generally important for your overall physical health. According to research, once you hit the age of 30, you attain peak body mass.
Over that period if you have not attained peak body mass, you are at the risk of developing fragile bones. Our bones play very important roles in our bodies. They protect our organs, provide structure for our bodies and anchor the muscles.
While minerals help in building our bones during our childhood and adolescent years, you must also work to keep these bones healthy during your adulthood. In this article, we talk about 5 ways you can build strong bones and maintain them as you age.
Include enough calcium in your daily diet
Calcium is the main mineral found in your bone, it is a very important mineral for strengthening the bone. Because calcium is important for your bones, it is best to include calcium in your daily diet. Old bone cells are constantly broken down and replaced by new ones, it’s important to consume calcium daily to protect bone structure and strength.
It is advised that adults between the ages 19 to 50 and men between ages 51 to 70 are to take up to 1000 milligrams(mg) of calcium a day, spread throughout the day. The recommendation increases to 1,200 mg a day for women after age 50 and for men after age 70.
Some sources of calcium are almonds, kale, broccoli, canned salmon with bones, sardines. Other sources like soy products can provide calcium too.
If you are finding it difficult to get enough calcium from these sources, you should visit your doctor to prescribe other supplements.
Pay attention to Vitamin D
Vitamin D plays a particular role in enabling your body to absorb calcium.
Research has shown that adults and children with low vitamin D tend to have lower bone density and are more at risk for bone loss than people who get enough vitamin D.
It is recommended that adults between ages 19 to 70 are to take up to 600 international units (IUs) of vitamin D a day. The recommendation increases to 800 IUs a day for adults age 71 and older.
You can get vitamin D through sun exposure and other sources such as oily fish, mushrooms, eggs, fortified foods like milk and cereals. Vitamin D deficiency is very common, affecting about one billion people worldwide, and the reason why many people need to supplement with up to 2,000 IU of vitamin D daily to maintain optimal levels.
Include Physical exercises in your daily routine
Performing strength training and weight-bearing exercises can go a long way in helping you maintain and build strong and healthy bones. These high-impact exercises improve bone health and also help in the formation of new bones.
Research has proven that men and women who performed these high-impact exercises increased bone mineral density, bone strength, and bone size, and also reduced markers of bone turnover and inflammation.
Weight-bearing exercises are not just useful for gaining muscle mass but are also useful for building healthy and strong bones. Some studies have shown that these exercises help protect bone loss in women with osteoporosis (Osteoporosis or thinning bones is a bone disease that occurs when the body loses too much bone, makes too little bone, or both. As a result, bones become weak and may break from a fall or, in serious cases, from sneezing or minor bumps).
Avoid Substance Abuse
Smoking and too much alcohol can go a long way in decreasing bone mass. For women, it is very important to avoid drinking more than one alcoholic drink per day or don’t drink at all. If you are a man, avoid drinking more than two alcoholic drinks a day.
Maintain a Consistent diet and Consistent Weight
Apart from having a nutritious diet, maintaining a stable and healthy weight can help support your bone health.
Research has shown that those who are underweight are at risk of osteopenia and osteoporosis. This is the case of menopausal women as they at risk of having several diseases including osteoporosis. This comes as a result of the loss of bone-protective effects of estrogen.
Low body weight does contribute to reduced bone density and bone loss.
However, research has also shown that those who are obese are at risk of having impaired bones and are at risk of fractures due to the stress of excess weight.
Repeatedly losing and gaining weight can be detrimental to your physical health as bone loss that occurs when you lose weight is not reversed when you regained weight.
It is, therefore, necessary for you to maintain a healthy weight balance. It can help protect your bone health.
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