Is bone health even important?
The bones play a very crucial role in our existence. The human bones are what support us as we move and even allow us to move. Important minerals like calcium and phosphorous are stored and then absorbed into the body in times of need. Lack of sufficient minerals in our boners causes low bone density, referred to as Osteopenia. The body, which is made up of 50% water and the other 50%, which is solid matter, makes bones. The high percentage of bones in the body is the reason bone health is prudent.
How do you keep your bones healthy?
During childhood, adolescence and into early adulthood minerals can be absorbed into the bones. At the age of thirty, all the absorption of minerals is complete. Failure to absorb enough minerals into the bones leads to fragile bones that can easily break.
There are a variety of ways to ensure the maintenance of strong and healthy bones. Some of them are, consumption of lots of vegetables as they are rich in vitamin C. The production of cells responsible for bone formation is stimulated by vitamin C. The vegetables also protect the bone cells from damages as the vitamin C in them releases antioxidants.
Exercising is also a great way of preserving healthy bones. The exercise that should be considered most focuses on weight-bearing, which increases the formation of more new bones. The weight-bearing exercises help prevent bone loss as one gets older. The exercises are advisable to be done at an early age as they are less beneficial when one is older for the bones are already well-formed.
A high intake of calcium-loaded meals is encouraged. Calcium is the major component of healthy bones. The recommended consumption quantity of calcium daily is 1000g for most people. Teenagers need around 1300g while women about 1200g. Small consumption of calcium is encouraged compared to a large amount as the body readily absorbs the calcium easily if done in moderation.
Daily consumption of the right amount of calories is recommended. There is a fallacy that calories are not good for the body; hence some avoid calories. The very low consumption of a calorie-based diet has proven dangerous to the bones as it reduces bone density. The recommended calories intake in a day is 1200g that incorporates vitamins and proteins necessary for bone health.
What foods are good for bone health?
A balanced diet is a component for healthy bones and the body in general. Calcium and vitamin C foods are highly recommended in the diet as they maintain strong and healthy bones. Different foods can provide the needed nutrients for the development and maintaining healthy bones.
Foods rich in calcium include dairy foods, cheese and milk, green leafy vegetables with the exclusion of spinach. The vegetables include broccoli, okra and even cabbage: fortified flour and its products such as bread, nuts, and soya beans.
Vitamin D can be gotten from breakfast cereals and fat spreads, egg yolks, and fatty fish like mackerel and salmon.
White and brown bread, dried fruits such as raisins and figs, sesame seeds, calcium set tofu and pulses are some of the calcium-rich foods that the Vegans can cooperate in their diets.
Eating liver is recommended once a week for lovers of the liver.
What to do to strengthen bones
Strengthening the bones has been alluded to be hard, but several ways have proven that strengthening the bones is much easier than you think. Although strengthening and developing the bones is much effective at the younger ages before thirty years, there are some proven ways to protect and improve bone health in adulthood.
In addition to consuming enough calcium and vitamin C-rich foods, the bones can be strengthened through exercises such as walking, using the stairs, and jogging. The exercises fortify the bones, making them strong.
Avoiding drug and substance abuse is another way of strengthening the bones. The composition of the drugs, such as cigarettes, contains nicotine that hinders calcium absorption by the bones, making them delicate and prone to breaking under small pressures and minor accidents.
Osteoporosis
Failure of taking good care of the bones may lead to a person who has osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a condition whereby the bones are weak and easily broken. The most common bones that break are the wrist, hip, and spinal bones. Most people having weak bones are ignorant about it until they first experience a broken bone.
The risk factors of osteoporosis include a diet lacking enough calcium and vitamin C and D, lack of physical exercise, and body weight. The more you are slender, the higher your chances of having osteoporosis. Smoking takes calcium away and prevents the body from absorbing the little calcium it gets, alcohol drinking, and some medication such as glucocorticoids given to asthma and arthritis patients. The risk factors mentioned above for osteoporosis can be controlled.
The risk factors for osteoporosis that are out of human control include gender, and females are likely to suffer from it than men. Age, the older one gets the higher chances of having osteoporosis. Ethnicity, Asian and White women are at higher risk of osteoporosis than other women, such as Black American and Hispanic women. The family history as chances of having osteoporosis is hereditary.
Medication for osteoporosis is available, but it is not the recommended way. To maintain a lifetime of healthy bones, one should observe good eating habits, exercises, frequent check-ups with the doctor, a healthy lifestyle, and carefulness to prevent falls and injuries are the most preferred ways to maintain healthy bones.
A bone density test can also be done to help determine the density of the bones. The information is useful in knowing the chances and the risks posed to someone in case of an injury.
