Healthy Bones – 3 Simple Ingredients
We tend to pay little attention to our bones until something goes wrong, such as in the case of an injury causing fracture or dislocation. Our skeleton is the scaffolding upon which our soft tissue is anchored to keep us upright, but our 207 bones are responsible for far more than just movement. Bones also provide other vital functions such as the housing of our bone marrow to produce the body’s circulating blood cells and antibodies, as well as the storage of minerals and essential proteins.
Strong bones enable us to endure a long, healthy and active life. By building the right foundation for strong bones early in life, and with careful maintenance, problems such as osteoporosis can be minimized or prevented.
Osteoporosis is a condition whereby one’s bones become fragile, analogous to porous honeycomb, becoming susceptible to fractures. It is a common misconception that osteoporosis is a female disease, as men account for ¼ of those affected. Risk factors for osteoporosis include; increasing age, family history of the condition, being post-menopausal, smoking, suffering with chronic disease and some medications. Unfortunately, osteoporosis is often not detected until a fracture has occurred, so PREVENTION is the key!
It is essential that from birth, strong and healthy bone development is promoted, continuing throughout childhood, adolescence and ongoing throughout adult life. Healthy bones help children reach their maximum height and by the early 20’s, bones reach their maximal strength. The stronger the bones are at this age, the less likely they are to weaken and break later in life. For adults, the focus is on maintaining bone density and strength, allowing us to live a healthy life and prevent pain and disability caused by poor bone health.
3 simple ingredients for creating and maintaining healthy bones at any age:
CALCIUM · SUNSHINE · EXERCISE
CALCIUM…More than half of all Australian adults do not consume sufficient calcium. Calcium is the major building block for laying down new bone, providing bone strength. Hence the importance of adhering to the recommended daily intake of calcium rich foods throughout life.
SUNSHINE…. We require activated Vitamin D in order to absorb calcium from the gut. However, the vitamin D in our skin requires exposure to the sun to become activated. While we also need to balance the risk of skin cancer, 15 minutes of sun exposure mid-morning or mid-afternoon is all that is needed to create sufficient levels of activated Vitamin D.
EXERCISE…Exercise helps increase bone density, in particular weight-bearing exercise, resistance training, balance training and high-impact exercise. When we exercise, muscles tug at our bones, which in turn leads to bones responding by becoming denser. Incidentally, whilst swimming and cycling are wonderful forms of cardiovascular exercise, these forms of exercise are the least helpful when it comes to building stronger bones.
The good news is that it is never too late to start caring for your bones. Even small increases in bone density over time can significantly reduce the risk of fractures. If you are concerned that you may be at risk of poor bone health or osteoporosis, speak to your doctor, and remember the 3 simple ingredients: Calcium, sunlight, and exercise.