Osteoporosis is one of the most common bone diseases in the world, affecting about 75 million people in Europe, the US, and Japan. According to the Organization of Osteoporosis, osteoporosis causes more than 8.9 million fractures every year. It is because of osteoporosis breaks in just 3 seconds. ” How to build stronger bones?” If you belong to one of the groups of people at high risk for bone diseases, you should consider your health better.
Gender: The study proves that women (50 years old) have a four times higher rate of osteoporosis than men of the same age.
Age: We begin to lose bone mass after we turn 30. Although this is a continuous process that takes time, this is probably the best time to have a healthy lifestyle and recognize your health. Critical of regular physical activity.
Family history: Unfortunately, if your parents have been diagnosed with osteoporosis, it means you may also be at risk.
To have a strong skeleton, you need to pay attention to three factors: your diet, physical activity, and lifestyle. Before consulting some exciting tips to help you own a healthy skeleton, you should learn about your bones.
Here are some guidelines you should follow when you’re in your 20s and 30s to help you build stronger bones and flexible when you’re in your 60s. However, make sure you know all your health conditions. And consult a doctor first.
Bone function to the body
You may think that bones are just moving, but your bones have many essential functions. The bones shape your body structure and protect your brain, nervous system, and other organs from injury. Bones are also a storehouse of minerals like calcium and phosphorus and release them when the body needs them. These are minerals that keep our bones healthy.
If as a child, we do everything we can to make our bones grow strong, then as we get older, we need to learn how to protect our bones. With age, bones often become brittle and break. Pain is difficult to control when the bone is injured, and it may take a long time for the bone to recover.
Tips to keep bones strong!
Here are some straightforward and practical tips to build stronger bones:
Make sure you absorb enough calcium.
Our bones make up 99.5% of our body’s calcium, so to avoid osteoporosis, the first thing to do is make sure you get enough of this nutrient.
Recommendation: According to the National Osteoporosis Organization (NOF), the amount of calcium needed (both from foods and supplements) depends on your gender and age.
Women: Under 50 years of age need 1,000 mg per day, 51 and older need 1,200 mg per day.
Men: Under 70 years of age need 1,000 mg per day, 71 and older need 1,200 mg per day.
Eat Vegetables
Vegetables are great for your bones. They are one of the best sources of vitamin C, which stimulates the production of bone-forming cells. Besides, some studies suggest that vitamin C’s antioxidant effects may protect bone cells from damage. Also, vegetables seem to increase bone mineral density, also known as bone density.
And, a high intake of green and yellow vegetables has been linked to increased bone mineralization during childhood or the maintenance of bone mass in young adults.
Eating a lot of vegetables has also been found to benefit older women. Also, a study in women over 50 found those who consumed onions most frequently had a 20 percent lower risk of osteoporosis, compared to women who rarely ate them.
In a three-month study, many women who consumed more than nine servings of broccoli, parsley, cabbage, or other plants high in bone-protective antioxidants had a decrease in bone turnover.
Eating a diet high in vegetables has been shown to help build healthy bones during childhood. Also, It helps protect bone mass in young adults and older women.
Include plenty of calcium and vitamin D at meals
Do you still remember when you were young, your mother always reminded you to drink milk to keep your bones healthy? Your mother said it very accurately. Milk is a rich source of calcium and vitamin D.
Adults (19-50 years) and men aged 51-70 should get 1,000 mg of calcium daily. Women over 50 and men over 70 should take 1,200 mg of calcium daily.
However, your body will not be able to absorb calcium without vitamin D. Therefore, vitamin D is essential for maintaining a healthy skeleton. The recommended daily intake of vitamin D for adults aged 19-70 is 600 international units (IU), and for those aged 71 and older is 800 IU.
You can find calcium and vitamin D in the following foods:
- Dairy products, milk supplemented with calcium and vitamin D;
- Egg yolk;
- Nuts like almonds, white beans;
- Broccoli, kale;
- Fish like salmon, tuna, sardines;
- Cheese: just 42.5g of cheddar cheese (a thick cheese) will provide you with more than 30% of your daily calcium requirement. However, avoid eating as much as cheese causes weight gain, which will be detrimental to your joints. Most cheeses contain small amounts of vitamin D, but not enough to meet your daily needs
- Soy products such as tofu, soy milk, etc.
Sunshine is an inexhaustible source of vitamin D, but avoid sun exposure at noon and use sunscreen to protect your skin. If your diet does not guarantee an adequate intake of calcium and vitamin D, you can use supplements. You should consult your doctor or pharmacist for appropriate dosages and possible side effects of supplements before use.
Take the right kind of vitamin A
Vitamin A comes in two forms. Type 1 is retinol found in animal products like the liver. The second type is beta carotene found in plants, especially orange vegetables like carrots, sweet potatoes, and pumpkins. Studies show that consuming too much vitamin A retinol harms bones while beta carotene is safer for bones.
Strengthen the skeletal system with vitamin K
Vitamin K enhances the activity of three essential proteins necessary for a healthy skeletal system. Like calcium, vitamin K can also be obtained from green vegetables. Regularly eating green vegetables every day will provide the requisite amount of calcium for you.
Green tea
Scientists at the University of Hong Kong (China) said that drinking green tea can help you to build stronger bones. Studies show that green tea contains many compounds that can stimulate bone formation while also helping to delay bone loss.
Experts also said that with the above properties, green tea could be considered as a potential treatment for osteoporosis and many other bone diseases. To reach this conclusion, the team exposed bone-forming cells to three main components of green tea, EGC, GC, and GCG, for several days.
The scientists found that EGC enhances the activity of an important enzyme that stimulates bone growth by about 80%. Research also shows that high levels of EGC also help prevent the operation of a type of cell that breaks down or weakens bones.
Maintain a healthy weight.
A strict diet can help you lose a few pounds, but he’s not right. Weight loss, especially in the early premenopausal period, puts your bones at risk of being damaged. And, it is causing osteoporosis. On the other hand, obesity also has the potential to cause fractures.
Recommendation: Maintain a reasonable weight, never abrupt diet or low-calorie diet. Try not to gain weight fast shortly. Make healthy lifestyle choices and eat a well-balanced diet while staying physically active.
Daily exercise
Being sedentary and not exercising for long periods is terrible for your bones. Being inactive can cause osteoporosis, which makes bones brittle and brittle due to low bone density. Exercise not only makes bones strong but also helps your whole body feel energized. You can practice yoga, jog, and play tennis. Or if you don’t have the time, do small activities like climbing stairs or walking to work.
Strength-training exercise is not only helpful for increasing muscle mass. It might also help protect against bone loss in younger and older women, including those with osteoporosis, osteopenia, or breast cancer.
Performing weight-bearing and resistance training exercises could help increase bone formation during bone growth. It also protects bone health in older adults, including those with low bone density.
This is a good way to build stronger bones!
Avoid smoking and drinking alcohol
Smoking is very harmful to health. Try to give up smoking. Smoking cigarettes can prevent the body from absorbing calcium. This means that you are wasting your body’s calcium and causing the bones not to function correctly. Also, female smokers are at higher risk for postmenopausal health problems than those who do not smoke. Alcohol is also bad for your bones. There is evidence that people who drink a lot are at a higher risk of osteoporosis than ordinary people.
Consider the amount of caffeine consumed.
You may not know it, but excess caffeine in the body is especially harmful to bones. Studies suggest that caffeine (when consumed in large amounts) can reduce bone mass and increase fracture because caffeine hurts calcium absorption.
Recommendation: An adult should only consume, on average, 400 mg of caffeine (4 cups of brewed coffee) per day. So if you drink less than 4 cups, then there’s nothing to worry about this. If you drink more than that, your bones may be damaged.
Bones need Omega-3s
Combined with moderate physical activity, Omega-3 fatty acids have a significant effect on bone mineral density. They promote the production of osteoblasts called osteoblasts. Also, polyunsaturated fatty acids can help reduce joint pain.
Recommendation: According to the National Institutes of Health, the average adult (18 years) needs 1.6 g (men) and 1.1 g (women) Omega-3 per day.
Food sources of omega-3: Fatty fish like mackerel, seafood, walnuts, chia seeds,
Consider collagen supplements
Did you know that 90% of your organic bones are collagen? As you get older, in addition to losing bone density, your collagen decreases significantly, eventually leading to fractures.
Recommendation: You need to obtain natural collagen, including fish, bone broth, and bell peppers in the diet. But because it is difficult for your body to absorb the necessary amount of collagen from these products, you can take supplements and follow the intake guidelines. Before trying supplements, consult a doctor.
Some foods: Bone broth, gelatin, bell peppers, citrus fruits, eggs, and pumpkin seeds.
Consume enough protein
Many studies have shown that protein intake is directly related to bone density index. Calcium and protein work together to maintain bone health.
Recommendation: According to Harvard Health, the recommended dietary allowance for protein is 0.8 grams per 1 kg of body weight. But before starting a high-protein diet, consult your doctor because if your body has too much calcium, it can lead to serious health problems.
Some foods: Seafood, poultry, white meat, milk, cheese, eggs, and beans.
Limit salt intake
Japanese scientists say the excess of sodium puts bone health at risk. Most of us get sodium from regular table salt, which is quite unfortunate because salt can lead to a calcium deficiency. It can eventually lead to weak, brittle bones. So, to prevent osteoporosis, Try to review your diet and your sodium intake in particular.
Recommendation: The American Heart Association recommends no more than 2,300 mg a day and the ideal limit of no more than 1,500 mg per day for most adults.
Maintaining a healthy skeleton is essential. By making small lifestyle changes and adding the necessary nutrients to your daily diet, you can keep a sturdy frame and prevent osteoporosis. Also, you should have regular bone health check-up and see a doctor as soon as your bones show signs of weakening or are suspected of having osteoporosis.
Bones are very literally the support system of the body, so it is super important to keep them active and healthy. Though weak bones might seem like an old person problem, there is plenty we can do early in life to ensure bones stay healthy later on down the line.
Hopefully, you will find useful tips and quick and effective to build stronger bones! Good luck!
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