Bones are the support system of your body.
Literally!
Apart from providing structure, they protect organs, anchor muscles and store calcium.
So it is very important to keep them strong and healthy.
When you are young, you tend to gain more bone mass than lose.
But once you turn 30, your body starts to lose more bone mass than it can gain.
According to recent statistics 1 in 3 women over the age of 50 years,
and 1 in 5 men will experience bone fractures in their lifetime.
Don’t worry, it’s not as bad as it sounds.
If you take good care of your bones and keep them healthy,
they will likely remain dense enough even when you are older without causing any problems.
However, if your bones are thin and unhealthy, then they might start deteriorating quickly.
This can lead to weak, brittle bones and diseases like rickets and osteoporosis.
It can be expensive and difficult to get back to healthy bones after that.
So no matter what your age is, keep watching today’s video where we will
tell you about the natural ways in which you can build healthy bones.
Increase Calcium Intake
The first thing that usually comes to mind when you hear about bones is Calcium.
Maintaining a proper calcium intake can make them stronger.
The recommended amount of calcium per day is 1,000 mg for most people,
although teens need 1,300 and older women require 1,200.
Foods such as cheese, yoghurt, beans, salmon and sardines are rich in calcium.
We would suggest filling your calcium needs through diet rather than supplements and tablets.
Exercise Regularly
Regular exercise is key to keeping a number of health issues at bay, and bones are no exception.
Your bones respond to exercise by becoming stronger.
Exercising can also help you maintain muscle strength, coordination,
and balance, which in turn helps to prevent falls and related fractures.
A sedentary lifestyle is considered a risk factor for osteoporosis.
One study found that athletes who exercise regularly have the highest
bone density showing exercise has a positive effect on bone health.
Weight-bearing and resistance exercises are the best for strengthening your bones.
Weight-bearing exercises can be anything from hiking, walking,
jogging and climbing while resistance exercises include lifting weights.
You can pick your choice or do both of these!
Get Enough Vitamin D
Just like Calcium, Vitamin D is also vital for good bone health.
It protects your bones by helping your body absorb calcium.
Vitamin D also helps supporting muscles needed to avoid falls.
Children need vitamin D to build strong bones,
and adults need it to keep their bones strong and healthy.
If you don’t get enough vitamin D, you’re more likely to break bones as you age.
Some good sources of Vitamin D are sunlight, foods like salmon, tuna, orange juice and soy milk.
Just keep in mind, Vitamin D is found in very few foods.
Avoid Alcohol
You must be aware that drinking too much alcohol is bad for your body.
A lesser known ill effect of alcohol is that it is damaging to your bones as well.
Drinking alcohol can impact bone nutrition and
disrupt hormone regulators which are important for bone formation.
It reduces this process by directly inhibiting bone forming cells.
But you don’t have to throw out those liquor bottles right away.
You can drink no more than one alcoholic beverage a day if you are a woman,
and men can consume no more than two to avoid health problems.
More Potassium
Potassium helps maintain a healthy acid-alkaline balance in the body,
leading to reduced calcium loss.
Potassium also plays a buffering role in your blood, keeping the bone-strengthening
materials like calcium and phosphorus from being lost from the bones and kidneys.
Researchers found that people with high potassium intake have
8% greater bone-mineral density than those with the lower intake.
You can eat potassium through foods like legumes, bananas, spinach, broccoli and potatoes.
Cut down on Coffee
We understand this can be a tough one, given the dependency that we have on caffeine.
But studies have shown that caffeine consumption contributes to low-bone density.
Caffeine takes away the calcium from bones which leads to a decline in its strength.
In fact you lose 6 mg of calcium for every 100 mg of caffeine intake.
So if you are finding it difficult to curb your caffeine addictions,
you can go for decaf coffees and still be satisfied!
Olives
Yes! These little green or black fruits, as well as olive oil,
are rich in powerful antioxidants that reduce oxidative stress and inflammation.
They also promote bone cell formation increasing bone density and making them stronger.
You can make it an ingredient in your favourite dish, salad or sandwich.
Remember, they are quite bitter when coming straight off the tree, so be careful!
Quit Smoking
What a surprise, smoking isn’t good for you!
Among the many harmful effects of smoking, damage to bones is one of them.
Smoking reduces the blood supply to the bones making them weaker.
The nicotine in cigarettes slows production of bone-producing cells.
It also decreases the body’s absorption of calcium,
which is necessary for vital cellular functions and bone health.
Smoking affects the balance of hormones, including estrogen,
which is needed to build and maintain a strong skeleton.
What more can we say?
It’s better late than never to kick the habit.
Eat Lots of Leafy green vegetables
Eating lots of leafy green vegetables is very good for bone health.
They are high in calcium and are easily absorbed by the body.
They are also a good source of folic acid which helps in reducing the number of homocysteine.
High levels of homocysteine can lead to poor bone health and increased fracture risk.
Some green leafy vegetables that you can turn to are spinach, kale, collard and turnip.
Nuts
You must be used to having nuts as snacks, or as an addition to your salad.
You will be surprised to hear that nuts are
loaded with minerals which are essential to build strong bones.
Nuts are rich in alpha linolenic acid which decreases the rate of
bone breakdown and keeps bone formation constant.
They are also a good source of Magnesium which
helps in the absorption and metabolism of calcium in turn promoting bone health.
Some nuts that you can eat are Walnuts, Almonds and Cashew.
Tap Water
Last but not least is one of the simplest ways to improve bone health.
It’s drinking tap water.
Tap water contains fluoride which helps prevent cavities.
Cavities are a part of your bones and fluoride
adds to their density making them healthier and stronger.
Researchers found that drinking fluoridated tap
water improves bone density and reduces the risk of hip and spine fractures.
So drinking bottled water may be the trendy thing to do but nothing
is better for your bones than the old tap water!
Are you someone who gets a hairline fracture at
the drop of a hat because because your bones are weak and brittle?
Let us know in the comments section below!