The Way to Maintain Good Bone Health

The bones in our body serve many essential functions. They support our bodies and allow us to move. They protect our brain, heart, and other organs from injury. Bones also store minerals such as calcium and phosphorous, which help keep our bones strong, and release them into the body when we need them for other uses.

Exercise

It is especially important to have appropriate nutrition and get enough exercise since otherwise our bones can become weak and even break. Like muscles, bones become stronger with exercise. The best exercises for healthy bones are strength-building and weight-bearing. These include: walking, hiking, jogging, climbing stairs, tennis, lifting weights, and dancing. Ideally everyone should attempt to get 30 minutes of exercise each day. Conversely, not exercising and not being active for long periods of time can increase your chances of getting osteoporosis. It is also useful to keep in mind that while swimming and bicycling are excellent activities that help to build and maintain strong muscles and improve your cardiovascular system, they are not the best way to exercise your bones.

Calcium

Calcium is needed for our heart, muscles, and nerves to function properly and for blood to clot. Low levels of calcium significantly contribute to the development of osteoporosis. Many published studies show that low calcium intake throughout life is associated with low bone mass and high fracture rates. Many people in the United States consume much less than the recommended amount of calcium in their diets. 

Good sources of calcium include low-fat dairy products; dark green leafy vegetables (e.g., broccoli, Brussels sprouts, bok choy, mustard and turnip greens, kale), sardines and salmon with bones; shrimp, soy beans, legumes, egg yolks, nuts like almonds, tofu, and other soy products (like calcium-fortified soy milk); yogurt, and calcium-fortified foods such as orange juice, cereals, and breads. Individuals who have difficulty in obtaining enough calcium from their diet may need to take a calcium supplement such as calcium carbonate, calcium phosphate, or calcium citrate. People who are between the ages of 19 and 50 should have a daily calcium intake that should not exceed 2,500 mg because too much calcium can cause problems such as kidney stones. After age 50, intakes should not exceed 2,000 mg per day. Calcium coming from food sources provides better protection from kidney stones. Parenthetically, people who have had a kidney stone should increase their dietary calcium and decrease the amount from supplements as well as increase fluid intake. 

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is required for proper absorption of calcium from the intestine. It is made in the skin after exposure to sunlight. Relatively few foods naturally contain significant amounts of vitamin D. These include fatty fish and fish oils. Foods fortified with vitamin D, such as milk and cereals, are a major dietary source of vitamin D. Studies have show that vitamin D production decreases in older adults, in people who are housebound, and during the winter—especially in northern latitudes where the sun angle is low. Individuals at risk for vitamin D deficiency can take multivitamins or calcium supplements that contain vitamin D to meet the recommended daily intake of 600 International Units (IU) for men and women up to the age of 70 and 800 IU for people over 70. Doses of more than 2,000 IU per day are not advised unless under the supervision of a doctor. Larger doses (given via injection or via large dose capsules) can be given initially to people who are deficient as a way to replenish stores of vitamin D. 

Vitamin K

Recent epidemiologic studies and clinical trials have indicated that vitamin K has a positive effect on bone mineral density and decreases fracture risk. However, most dietary intakes of vitamin K are less than the levels that are associated with increased bone mineral density and reduced fracture risk. Vitamin K is well know for playing a key role in blood coagulation. More recently, it has also been shown to have a function in bone metabolism.

Vitamin K helps calcium become incorporated into the bone matrix. A number of studies have indicated that low dietary vitamin K intake is associated with low bone mineral density or increased fractures. Conversely, vitamin K supplementation has been shown to improve bone metabolism and bone health. Vitamin K may also slow down bone loss after menopause in women and decrease or limit the risk of fractures in people suffering from osteoporosis. Results from the Nurses’ Health Study indicate that women who get at least 110 micrograms of vitamin K a day are 30% less likely to break a hip than women who get less than that amount. For example, eating one serving of green leafy vegetables a day cut the risk of hip fracture in half when compared with eating one serving a week. Another study showed that eating 100 g of prunes (8-10 pieces) daily for one year, was associated with increased bone mineral density at the spine and forearm in young postmenopausal women with osteopenia (i.e., those with low bone density) compared to those who were eating 75 g of dried apple.

Vitamin K is present in a range of foods that include: green leafy vegetables, (e.g. kale, spinach, turnip greens, collards, parsley, romaine, and green leaf lettuce), vegetables such as Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage, prunes, kiwi, avocado, blackberries, figs, rhubarb, fish, liver, meat, eggs, and cereals and Natto (a Japanese dish made of fermented soybean).

Vitamin A

Vitamin A is essential for good health because it promotes growth, and has benefits for the immune system, reproduction, and vision. However, recent research studies suggest that too much vitamin A, particularly in the form of retinol, may be bad for your bones.

About Steve Hausman

I’m a top-ranked professional speaker and futurist who specializes in emerging technologies that include robotics, 3D printing, nanotechnology, cybersecurity, bionics (artificial limbs and organs), brain-machine interactions, future trends, the Internet of Things, innovation and biomedical topics such as aging and nutrition.

If there is a topic you would like me to write about or if you would like me to speak at your event please contact me via my website at www.HausmanTech.com.