Did you know that your bones contain living cells? Your body constantly replaces old bones with new ones during your lifetime. Your bone mass increases when you are younger because you build new bone faster than your body breaks it down. But at around thirty, your bone mass peaks; your body loses more than it produces.
As people age, they lose bone density. But some have osteoporosis, a disease that causes their bones to thin and become brittle, putting them at risk for fractures. The quality of your bones can also change as you age, so it’s vital to maintain them. So, in this post, you’ll learn seven simple but effective ways to strengthen your bone as you age.
Why is it Important to Make Your Bone Stronger?
Maintaining strong bones is crucial to overall health and well-being. Weakened bones can lead to serious health problems like osteoporosis. Your healthcare provider may suggest a bone density test to assess your bone health and mass as you age. The results of this test will show if you have low bone density, which can increase your risk of developing osteoporosis.
If you have osteoporosis, your bones may become extremely fragile and prone to breaking easily. For instance, women who have reached menopause risk losing up to 20% of bone density within a decade, which can be highly detrimental to their overall health. Therefore, it’s essential to prioritize the health and strength of your bones throughout your entire life by following these tips.
7 Major Tips to Make Your Bone Stronger
You can keep your bones healthy by following these seven essential tips.
Eat High-Calcium Foods Throughout the Day
Calcium is the most important for bone health among the minerals in your bones. Therefore, a daily calcium intake is crucial for maintaining bone strength and structure since new bone cells continually replace old ones. For most people, the recommended daily allowance for calcium is 1,000 milligrams, although teens need 1,300 milligrams, and older women require 1,200 milligrams.
Getting calcium from foods is always better than getting it from supplements. One of the most common calcium-rich foods is soybean. Furthermore, for example, several studies have proven that soy helps make your bone stronger. Click here to learn more about soy nutrition.
Get the Right Vitamins
It can be tricky to know which vitamins are best for which parts of your body. So, listed below are a few essentials to make your bones stronger:
- Vitamin C in fruits and vegetables prevents bone cells from deteriorating and stimulates bone cell production.
- Vitamin D, found in sunlight, fatty fish, some dairy products, and supplements, are essential for your body to absorb calcium.
- Vitamin K2, a nutrient found in fermented foods, liver, eggs, and meat, helps form a protein responsible for bone formation. Additionally, it prevents bones from losing calcium.
Eat More Vegetables
Besides providing vitamins, minerals, and fiber, vegetables are low in calories. A study found that vitamin C could help protect bones. So, most people can benefit from eating yellow and green vegetables. And as children grow, these vegetables help maintain bone density and strength in adults.
A 3-month study also showed lower bone turnover and calcium losses in postmenopausal participants who ate cabbage, broccoli, and other vegetables and herbs. Researchers attribute the improvements to polyphenols — plant-based compounds that lower disease risk — and potassium found in vegetables.
Quit Smoking
Smoking has many health risks, including lung cancer and stroke. As a result, your body produces fewer bone-forming cells, which increases your risk of osteoporosis. You can also experience blood flow problems in your bones when you smoke.
Smokers are also more likely to have poor diets and insufficient physical activity, two additional risks for osteoporosis. Therefore, it would be best to quit smoking for stronger bones
Exercise the Right Way
Exercise plays a specific role in bone health in two ways. It is vital to perform weight-bearing and strength-training exercises to promote bone formation and maintain bone strength. By exercising under stress, your bones become more robust.
The following exercises can help promote your bone growth:
- Jumping jacks
- Dancing
- Step aerobics
- Weight training
- Walking
Limit Your Alcohol Consumption
Alcohol weakens your bones by interfering with osteoblasts — cells that help them grow. Furthermore, excessive drinking can increase the risk of falls, resulting in fractures if your bone density is low. So, it’s important to drink alcohol in moderation.
CDC guidelines recommend moderate drinking for women and up to two daily drinks for men. One standard drink constitutes an ounce of beer, five ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of liquor.
Improve Your Vitamin D Intake
Your body cannot absorb calcium without vitamin D, which is essential for bone health. Vitamin D deficiency weakens your bones by removing calcium from them. Vitamin D deficiency can also inhibit the formation of new bones in your body.
A daily vitamin D intake of 600 international units (IU) is ideal. It will help to aim for 800 IU if you’re older than 71. Among the vitamin D foods are fish, such as mackerel, tuna, salmon, liver, eggs, pork, fortified milk, and cereal. Sun exposure can also boost vitamin D production.
Summary
Consuming plenty of calcium, vitamin D, and the above tips is essential for strengthening your bones. Following them throughout adulthood can strengthen your bones and help you achieve optimum health.