Our skeleton is made up of bones upon which the whole body is erected. Bones strengthen your body and allow free movement. They ensure that all the different parts of your body are protected. But do you know how to keep your bones healthy? Bone is a living and developing tissue. It is generally made of two materials – Collagen, a protein that gives a delicate structure and Calcium, a mineral that provides hardness to the bones. The combination of these two materials makes the bone solid and enables it to adapt to any kind of tension.
Bone discharges calcium and different minerals into the body when you require them for different functions. They help to support the body. This makes it important to keep them healthy. Brittle bones may be something that you expect to encounter when you are in your 60s. However, it is essential to know how to keep your bones healthy & strong right from the beginning.
Bones continue to build until the age of 30 and this is when they break down and rebuild faster. But the rebuilding process slows down after the age of 30. Following this, osteoporosis sets in. This causes bones to become weak and they may fracture with ease. Some may be more prone to develop osteoporosis and weak bones.
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Have a look at how to keep your bones healthy and few ways to pump up your bone mass.
How To Keep Your Bones Healthy?
1. To Know Your Family Background
Family history is an important measure of bone health. Those with a family background of osteoporosis, have more chances of getting it. Asking your family might be awkward, but it’s important to know. Keep yourself informed and make sure your diet is healthy. Weak bones can only be prevented if you take care of it from as early as possible.
2. Make Calcium an Important Part of Your Diet
This is very important for the development of bones and teeth. It also helps to improve your muscle functioning and nerve signaling too. It is important to eat calcium-rich food help in developing your bone strength.
3. Intake of Vitamin D
Calcium and vitamin D go hand in hand. They help in the absorption of calcium and build bone mass. Having shrimps, sardines, cereals and orange juice will give you the adequate amount of vitamin D your body requires. Sunlight is another important source of vitamin D. It is found that older people experience loss in bone mass during winter mainly because of lack of exposure to sunlight.
4. Intake of Vitamin K
It is mainly known for the significant role it plays in the process of blood clotting. It also helps in building bone density. Just like how vitamin D absorbs calcium, vitamin K helps the body bring down calcium excretion. Kale, broccoli and spinach are rich in vitamin K.
5. Pump the Potassium
It’s normally important for the communication of nerves but it also helps bones to save up on their calcium by neutralizing acids that remove it from the body. High potassium intake shows the significant increase in bone density. Sweet potatoes and white potatoes help load up on potassium.
6. Make Exercise a Daily Routine
Regular exercise helps keep the doctor away. Running, walking, skipping and stair climbing help keeps bones strong. Resistance training enables you to build bone mass. Taking a few reps of dumbbells after going for a jog will definitely help you. Give your body a regular workout and make sure you don’t sit idle. The more you exercise the more healthy you will remain. Make it a daily routine and do not skip.
7. Have Less Coffee
Intake of caffeine does not work in your body’s favor. Too much of it interferes with the ability of your bones to absorb calcium. Having more than two cups of coffee accelerates bone loss. Consuming more than 18 ounces of coffee also has the same effect due to the interaction of vitamin D. This is why, in case you have the habit of drinking a cup or two of coffee, it is important to balance it out by consuming calcium as well.
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8. Reduce Alcohol Consumption
You need to make sure you do not consume too much of alcohol. Too much of anything isn’t good. Heavy alcohol consumption results in bone loss. However, having one or two drinks may work in your favor as it may slow down bone loss.
9. Quit Smoking
This is one major reason for brittle and weak bones. Smoking leads to reduced calcium absorption in your body. Even if you consume a large portion of calcium rich food, smoking eventually kills the absorption capacity, and you!
Astronauts often suffer from osteoporosis because of hours of weightlessness and calcium deficient diet. They lose up to 1-2% of bone weight in a year. Think about your bones as a “bank” where you “credit” and “debit” bone tissues. During your youth and high school years, new bones are added to the skeleton quicker than old bones are expelled. Subsequently, your bones wind up noticeably bigger, heavier, and denser.
In case you don’t do as well as you can now, to make your bones solid, you may get osteoporosis when you are older. Many individuals have osteoporosis and do not know about it. This is because bone related issues happen over a prolonged stretch of time, and it has no side effects. The primary symptom of osteoporosis might be a softened bone up the spine, the hip, or the wrist. This condition can be extremely painful and will make it troublesome for a person to walk or do the things they have to do each day.
Calcium is included in your diet from the time you’re a baby because it is essential to have strong bones. Always make sure that you eat the right food and follow the right workout plan in order to maintain a healthy body. Do not neglect any discomfort, pain or other such symptoms. Consult a doctor and follow the required medication as and when needed. Your health must always be your primary concern. So do not prioritize any other luxury or habit for that matter over your health.
As we have seen here how to keep your bones healthy. So, Stay healthy and take good care of your bone health!
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