Table of Contents
Essential Tips To Help You Build Good Bone Health
Overview
Bone health is important for everyone. Strong bone health can provide strength to your body, anchor muscles, protect organs, and maintain the structure of your body. We all know that building strong bones during childhood and adolescence is vital for healthy bones during adulthood. That is why, many health experts suggest exercise and an essential diet enriched with proteins, and vitamins for bones during childhood.
But do you know that you can take active steps to build your bone health during adulthood too? Yes, there are many easy and effective lifestyle and food habit-related hacks that can help you maintain good bone health and prevent bone damage, injury, or health problems related to bone weakness.
So, if you are suffering from bone problems or looking for ways to keep your bones healthy and strong, keep reading. Here, we will share some essential tips to help you boost your bone health and prevent future health problems related to bones.
Why is bone health important?
Before we discuss some essential ways to help you build strong bones, let’s begin with the basics and learn why bone health is so important. It will help to understand the concept better. Bone health is important. But have you ever wondered why? To understand the importance of bone health we have to dive deep into the matter.
The human body and cells are always changing and so do the bones. New bones develop in the place of old bones and old bone cells break down after a certain time. This cycle helps your body to attain more bone mass with time.
The new bone production rate reaches its peak at the age of 30. After 30s your body produces fewer bones than the percentage of bones it loses. So, it equation is simple, the more bone mass count you can build till 30 the better scope for you to prevent osteoporosis, a condition where your bone becomes weak.
Knowing the bone pain causes (a sign of bone weakness) and ways to prevent it is an essential step to have a healthy bone structure.
What affects bone health?
If you are curious about knowing how to keep your bones strong and healthy, you must understand what can affect your bone health first. It will help you prevent potential bone damage and build good bone health through exercising, consuming essential proteins and vitamins for bone health, etc.
Below, we will discuss a common condition that affects bone health-
- Physical activity – People with inactive lifestyles have a greater risk of developing bone disease than any physically active human being.
- Smoking and alcoholism – Smokers and alcoholic people have a higher tendency to develop bone problems than their non-smoker or non-alcoholic counterparts because tobacco, nicotine, and alcohol all are harmful to bone health.
- Amount of calcium in the regular diet – calcium is an essential element in bone mass production. Consuming less calcium than the actual requirement can put your bone health at risk. That is why consuming essential proteins and vitamins for bones in a regular diet is crucial
- Sex – If you are a woman, you are at a greater risk of developing bone problems. Because women have less bone tissue than men.
- Age – Bone problems mostly occur during old age. Because after the 30s human body rapidly loses bone tissue in younger people.
- Body structure – If you are too thin or have a poor/little body structure then you are at higher risk of developing bone problems than others. Because this condition may come from a thin and poor bone structure.
- Genetics – Race and genealogy can also affect bone health. For instance, a family history of osteoporosis can put you at risk of developing osteoporosis. Also, white people and Asians have a higher risk of osteoporosis than other races.
- Others – Certain medications, body hormone levels, eating disorders, etc., Can affect bone health.
Strong Bones for Life
Strong bones mean a healthy life. If you want to keep your bones healthy, you must focus on active lifestyle and proper diet. Taking sufficient amounts of calcium and vitamins for bones in a regular diet can strengthen your bones and keep them healthy for life. Let’s discuss this in more detail-
Calcium: Why You Need It
Calcium is one of the most important nutrients for bone health. Calcium helps to keep your bones dense and strong. And lack of calcium in a regular diet will lead to bone tissue loss (as your body will draw calcium from your bones). As a result, your bones become weak and prone to developing osteoporosis or Paget’s disease of bone.
Osteoporosis is one of the major bone pain causes most people to suffer from, while Paget’s is a chronic bone disorder that leads to abnormal growth of bone (and bones become too large or small).
Calcium: How to Get It
No wonder, calcium is an essential mineral for your bones and helps to keep your bones healthy. However, you can lack an adequate amount of calcium and vitamins for bones in your regular diet. Here, are a few ways you can get your calcium and help you maintain healthy bone structure-
- Incorporate tofu into your regular diet. It is a good source of calcium. You must take ½ cup or 200mg firm tofu with a high calcium count daily to keep your bones healthy.
- You can eat 1 cup or 300-milligram low-fat yogurt. It will deliver a good amount of calcium.
- 140 mg or 1 cup of baked beans regular for breakfast/lunch or dinner.
- 180 mg or one ounce canned salmons.
Vitamin D: Why You Need It
Vitamin D is one of the most important vitamins for bone health. Without vitamin D your body cannot absorb calcium from food properly. As a result, your body is forced to draw necessary calcium from your bones making them fragile day by day. Low levels of vitamin D can also prevent your body from developing new bone tissues easily. The normal count of vitamin D in an adult body is 20ng/mL, and if your vitamin D count is lower than 12ng/mL, you are suffering from vitamin D deficiency. You can learn about your body’s vitamin D level through a simple blood test.
Vitamin D: How to Get It
Vitamin D works in tandem with calcium and it is one of the must-have vitamins for bones. It helps to absorb calcium in your body and keep your bones healthy. Here, are a few ways to increase your body’s vitamin D level-
- Increase sun exposure time. Sunlight is the biggest source of vitamin D.
- Include oily fish such as tuna, salmon, and mackerel in your regular diet.
- Eat fortified cow milk and cereal
- Eggs, pork, soy, oats, and almonds are also good sources of vitamin D.
Best Exercises to Build Bones
Besides focusing on calcium and vitamins for bones, one must get active and exercise to strengthen their bones. Regular 30 minutes of workout can keep your bones healthy and strong.
Remember, you must practice common exercises such as running, jogging, jumping, and cycling with resistance training workouts like rowing, free weight, push-ups, etc., For overall bone strengthening.
Resistance training works on multiple bones while general exercise will benefit specific body bones such as arms or legs. So, when you incorporate both of them you can get optimal results.
Lifestyle changes
Various habits in our daily lives like smoking and drinking can cause bone degeneration. And some lifestyle changes can also help you maintain good bone health.
Along with making some changes in your lifestyle, you can consider taking vitamins for bones for better results. Here are some lifestyle changes that can contribute to better bone health.
1. Quit Smoking
Smoking can cause osteoporosis, a serious bone disease. And nowadays, most of the adults smoke. Various chemicals in Tobacco reduce the production of bone-forming cells. Blood flow to the bones is also hindered by these chemicals. Smoking can create fragile bones that are prone to breaking or getting fractures.
2. Cut Out Added Sugar
Added sugar in various processed foods is also dangerous for your bone health. Consuming too much-added sugar prevents your body from absorbing calcium from your diet. It also flushes magnesium and calcium from your system. That is why, you must cut out added sugar if you want strong bones.
Conclusion
Bone health is crucial for preventing bone injury, damage, or loss. Healthy bones are believed to be built during childhood and adolescence. But one can take essential steps in their adulthood to strengthen their bones and maintain good bone health. You can try to get active, practice specific exercises, and incorporate essential nutrients and vitamins for bone health in your daily diet.
Above, we have discussed everything you need to know about the ways to keep your bones healthy and factors or conditions that can affect bone health. So, save this article and begin building a lifestyle and food habits that promote bone health.
