How To Improve Bone Health

How to improve bone health.

Bones are living tissue that respond to their environment. They have nerves, blood vessels and marrow, which are important for the production of blood cells. Bones are always tearing down and rebuilding themselves. So, how can you improve bone health?

1. If more physical demands are placed on a bone, it will become thicker and stronger, and if less and less physical demand is placed on a bone, it will lose bone mass and become weaker. So, bones last longer if you stress them. Weight bearing exercises such as resistance training are beneficial, as are activities such as walking, and jogging, as well as sports like tennis and basketball where you are moving in multiple directions.

2. Get plenty of calcium in your diet. Bones are constantly being remodelled, that is new bone is being formed and old bone reabsorbed. Calcium is an important part of this process. Calcium is also important in muscle contraction and in clotting of blood. Bones act as a storage container for calcium, so when you don’t consume enough calcium from food, it can be taken from bones to increase the amount in the bloodstream.

And when you consume more calcium than your body needs, it can be deposited into the bones for later use. So, calcium intake is important. The recommended daily amount of calcium is 1000 milligrams per day. Food sources of calcium include cow’s milk products, small fish with bones such as salmon, kale, broccoli, edamame, oranges, tofu, almonds, green leafy vegetables, and legumes.

3. Get enough vitamin D in your diet. Vitamin d is important to bone health because it helps with the absorption of calcium. The recommended amount of vitamin d is 600IU per day. Vitamin D can be produced naturally from sunlight exposure as the UV rays induce the body to manufacture Vitamin D from cholesterol. Foods rich in vitamin D include salmon, tuna, mushrooms, almond milk, soy milk, orange juice, many cereals and oatmeal, and dairy products.

4. Maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight puts more stress on bones when performing everyday movements, which over time can lead to bones breaking down and fracturing. Being underweight can be harmful as well. Most people that are underweight have a much lower bone density, making bones more fragile and increasing the chances of fractures.

And that be the 4 major ways to improve and maintain bone health.