5 top tips on how to improve bone & joint health?
Making sure we keep our bones and joints healthy is vital for our overall health as a reduction in bone density can increase our risk of both osteopenia and osteoporosis. This can increase our risk of fractures and injuries leading to a reduction in simply our ability to move. About 200 million people are estimated to have osteoporosis throughout the world. In the U.S., the figure is about 54 million people. Although osteoporosis occurs in both men and women, women are four times more likely to develop the disease than men. Osteoporosis is responsible for more than two million fractures each year, and this number continues to grow.
So what can we do?
Resistance/Strength training: Weight training helps build and preserve bone, no matter your age. Research on premenopausal women shows that even just six months of heavy resistance training improves bone mineral density of the femoral neck and lumbar vertebrae. Strength training also can help maintain bone mineral density in postmenopausal women and increase bone mineral density of the spine and hip in women with low bone mineral density and osteoporosis.
Eat enough protein: I’m sure your brain usually links protein to muscle building and you aren’t wrong but protein is also essential for our bone health. Low protein intake decreases calcium absorption and may negatively affect rates of bone formation and breakdown. In a large, six-year observational study of over 144,000 postmenopausal women, higher protein intake was linked to a lower risk of forearm fractures and significantly higher bone density in the hip, spine and total body.
Don’t smoke and limit alcohol: Unfortunately when it comes to bone health these two are not your friends. Smoking affects the body’s ability to absorb calcium, leading to lower bone density and weaker bones. Nicotine also slows the production of the bone-forming cells that are so crucial to healing. Alcohol also impacts how the body absorbs calcium and vitamin D.
Eat your fruit and veg: Fruit and vegetables are one of the best sources of vitamin C in our diet. Vitamin C stimulates the production of bone-forming cells and, some studies suggest that vitamin C’s antioxidant effects may protect bone cells from damage. In a three-month study, women who consumed more than nine servings of broccoli, cabbage, parsley or other plants high in bone-protective antioxidants had a decrease in bone turnover. So get your fruit and veg in.
Finally make sure you are getting enough calcium and vitamin D in your diet. These two are essential for bone health however the average daily intake is below the recommended amount in up to 70% of the population. Try spreading out your calcium intake throughout the day as your body tends to absorb it better in smaller amounts more frequently rather than one large dose. Also aim to get it from food sources rather than a supplement. Dairy products are obviously a great source of calcium but a lot of dairy free alternatives made of soy, almond, coconut have added calcium to them. Otherwise chia seeds, sardines, almonds, whey protein, kale and collard greens. Vitamin D helps the body to absorb calcium so is also just as important, although it is a lot harder to obtain via your diet (Salmon, liver meats, herring, eggs) and so supplementation might be required.
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