It hardly needs to be mentioned that bone mass and health are affected by a number of factors including your diet, physical exercise, and other lifestyle-related aspects. When it comes to health and wellness, the skeletal system, though of prime importance, is often ignored. It is imperative to give bone health its due share of concern and attention until at a later stage of your lives when perhaps it is too late.
Bones lend shape to your body, produce red blood cells, store crucial minerals, protect vital organs, as well as enable the movement of our body. As one age, the body constantly breaks down and regenerates bone tissue. The following tips should be followed strictly in order to maintain bone health:
1. Include plenty of calcium in your diet: the most abundant mineral in the body, calcium is well-known for the integral role it plays in bone health. Besides being the major factor in building a strong skeletal system, calcium also contributes significantly to muscle contraction, blood clotting, and signaling between cells.
Most reliable sources of calcium include milk, kale, spinach, soya beans, broccoli, besides many bowls of cereal, slices of bread, juices, etc. Bone health supplements rich in calcium can also prevent potential deficiency.
2. Take ample vitamin D rich foods: good sources of vitamin D include oily fish, such as salmon, trout, whitefish, and tuna. Other sources such as mushrooms, eggs and fortified foods, such as milk and cereals, can also be consumed. It is also interesting to note that sunlight adds on to the body’s production of vitamin D.
3. Indulge in more of physical activity: If you want to build strong bones and ensure a slower bone loss, incorporate weight-bearing exercises in your daily routines, such as walking, jogging, and climbing stairs.
4. Avoid substance abuse: the usual culprits like heavy alcohol use, smoking, and excessive caffeine consumption should be kept in check as they all interfere with calcium intake, thus, leading to poor bone health.
5. Magnesium is undoubtedly the unsung hero: as an essential mineral for the overall health of the body, magnesium, though known to few, aids the body in regulating calcium levels. Approximately 50-605 of the body’s magnesium is stored in the skeletal system.
It supports the functions performed by calcium; specifically speaking, it plays an instrumental role in transporting calcium across cell membranes. Additionally, it supports the structural development of new bone tissue. Magnesium can be found in nuts, leafy green vegetables, beans, etc.
If you have of late been concerned about your bone health, you simply cannot overlook the importance of glucosamine tablets which play a crucial role in building cartilage. In fact, many people take it as a supplement to treat arthritis and osteoarthritis. Glucosamine tablets, normally taken orally, can be found in different forms, including glucosamine sulfate, glucosamine hydrochloride, and N-acetyl-glucosamine. Although similar, these variants might have different effects when used as dietary bone health supplements. Make sure that you buy them from reputed outlets.
