Bones play a crucial role in the body. Aside from providing structure, it also helps protect the organs while anchoring the muscles and storing calcium. While it’s essential to keep your bones healthy and strong during your younger years, it’s equally important to take the necessary steps to protect your bone even during your adulthood, too.
Keep in mind that your bones continue to grow even as you age. Although your bones grow faster during your younger years, it continues to grow in mass. But how can you ensure that you keep your bones healthy?
Include plenty of calcium
As you age, Mayo Clinic says that it’s essential to consume plenty of calcium every day. For adults between 19 to 50 and men between 51 to 70, it’s vital to consume 1,000 mg of calcium daily. Meanwhile, women who are 51 and above and men who are 71 and older need to consume 1,200 mg of calcium per day.
Eat plenty of greens
Vegetables are abundant with essential nutrients that our body needs to stimulate bone-forming cell production, especially vitamin C. That’s why it’s highly advisable to consume many greens to increase your body’s bone density. Healthline says that an increase in bone turnover is one of the primary reasons older adults develop osteoporosis. That’s why every scoliosis clinic and online sources such as scoliosissos.com advise everyone to consume a diet that is high in vegetables to protect bone mass.
Do strength training exercises
Another way to help improve your bone health is by engaging in weight-bearing or high-impact exercises to promote and build strong bones. Remember that strength-training practices aren’t only effective in boosting bone mass, but they can also help protect younger and older women against bone loss.
Consume protein
Consuming the right amount of protein can also help promote better bone health. Studies show that inadequate protein consumption can lead to bone loss, while high protein intake can help protect a person’s bone health during weight and aging weight loss.
Get enough vitamin D and vitamin K
Both vitamin K and vitamin D are essential in building healthy bone growth. Studies show that Vitamin D plays a crucial role in bone health, particularly in calcium absorption. Unfortunately, vitamin D deficiency is common and even affects at least one billion people globally. A few ways to get vitamin D is through sun exposure during the morning and consuming foods rich in vitamin D, such as liver, fatty fish, and cheese.
Meanwhile, vitamin K2 helps promote better bone health by modifying osteocalcin, a protein responsible for bone formation. This process allows the osteocalcin to combine with other bone minerals to protect the bones from calcium loss.
Be careful with their diet
Remember that not all diets are good for your health. That’s why reducing caloric consumption isn’t always advisable. Doing low-calorie diets slows down your metabolism, which creates rebound hunger and causes muscle loss. So, to help you lose weight while maintaining excellent bone health, it’s best to follow a well-balanced meal of at least 1,200 caloric intakes daily. Also, ensure that you consume rich protein and other vitamins and minerals to promote strong bones.
Take collagen supplement
Although there aren’t many studies on the topic yet, evidence shows the benefits of taking collagen supplements in promoting better bone health. Collagen is the primary protein found in bones. Aside from containing amino acids, it also contains lysine and proline, promoting healthy bone, muscles, and ligament growth. A few emerging pieces of evidence suggest that consuming collagen may help protect a person from bone degeneration and collagen breakdown.
Maintain a healthy weight
Aside from consuming the proper meals, keeping a healthy and stable weight can also help promote better bone health. For instance, those who are underweight are often prone to osteoporosis and osteopenia. Meanwhile, people diagnosed with obesity often suffer from a poor bone quality and an increased risk of bone fracture. That’s why it’s essential to maintain an average weight to protect your bones from any potential damages.
Eat magnesium and zinc-rich foods
Calcium isn’t the only one that’s crucial for healthier bone health. Consuming magnesium and Zinc can help, too. Although magnesium comes in tiny amounts in most foods, consuming magnesium citrate, glycinate, or carbonate supplements can be helpful. Studies show that consuming zinc supplements also helps promote better bone growth.
These are only a few of the things you need to remember to ensure better bone health. It’s always best to speak to a doctor if you have any concerns about your treatment plan. Doing so can help you find the proper treatment that’ll suit your lifestyle.
