Boning Up On Bone Health

id you know that bone is living tissue, not inert dead material? Calcium is constantly being removed and replaced throughout your lifecycle, and your diet and exercise habits can influence bone health. Your genes and the hormones you produce (and don't produce) affect your bones as well. Over 10 million Americans over the age of 50 already have osteoporosis, and another 34 million are at risk for developing the condition. Despite what most people believe, it isn't a disease of old age; it is actually a disease that develops in our teens, twenties, and thirties, though it does not surface until later in life. However, no matter what your age, there are many things you can do to save your bones.

Your bones reflect the quality of your diet and eating a wide variety of nutritious foods helps to fortify them. Calcium helps build bone mass up to age 35. After age 35, calcium helps to slow bone loss. If you don't consume enough calcium regularly before 35, then your bones will not be as dense as they should be and bone loss after age 35 will be more devastating, especially if your calcium intake remains inadequate. Adult women need 1,000-1,500 milligrams per day, and men need 1,000-1,200 milligrams of calcium per day.

Surprisingly, calcium is not the only mineral or vitamin that is vital to a healthy skeleton. The following are other nutrients important for maintaining bone health

Vitamin D

Calcium could not be absorbed and used by the body without vitamin D. Our bodies produce vitamin D as a result of moderate sun exposure. Although the sun is our best source of vitamin D, most of us avoid it or use sunscreen. Therefore, aim to include milk, oily fish (especially wild salmon and sardines), fortified soy milk, orange juice, and cereal in your diet. A multivitamin or calcium supplement typically contains some, too. Vitamin D from all sources should total 400-1,000 IU per day for men and women.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C helps form connective tissue called collagen, which helps keep bone tissue together. As an antioxidant, it may help protect bones from damaging free radical reactions. Most fruits and vegetables contain vitamin C. Aim for at least 60 milligrams per day.

Vitamin B12

Very recently, researchers have confirmed an association between low vitamin B12 levels in the blood and low bone density in both men and women. With age, it becomes more difficult to absorb B12 from foods that contain it naturally, such as dairy products, lean meat, fish, chicken, and eggs. If you're over age 55, look for a breakfast cereal fortified with high quantities of B12 or a multivitamin that contains B12. The recommended daily value of the vitamin is 2.4 micrograms per day for adults.

Magnesium and Phosphorus

Both magnesium and phosphorus are needed for bone and teeth formation. Nuts, legumes and soybeans contain both minerals. Soy beans and soy foods may help protect bones and prevent bone loss.

Boron, copper, manganese, and zinc

All these trace minerals help build strong bones and form collagen. Boron is found in apples, pears, grapes, dairy products, and legumes. Copper and manganese are in shellfish, nuts, legumes, and whole grains. Zinc comes from animal protein sources like fish, poultry, and meat.

If you have a very limited or restricted calorie diet, you may want to consider supplementing your diet with a pill of up to 500 mg of calcium citrate plus vitamin D, but in quantities that would make up the difference between what you eat and what you need. Avoid coral calcium and calcium made from oyster shell. A multivitamin can help you make up for any other vitamins or minerals that may be deficient, but don't go overboard on large doses. Too much of a good nutrient can turn out to have the opposite effect than the one desired. For instance, vitamin A helps build bone, but too much causes bone loss.

Finally, exercise is crucial for preventing bone loss and possibly even reversing it. Weight-bearing exercise, like walking, strengthens bones, strength training promotes stability and flexibility exercises improve balance, coordination, and agility. All these daily activities can help prevent falls and keep your bones strong for life.

Eating well and exercising are important for preventing osteoporosis. These healthy lifestyle choices are also the keys to living long, healthy lives. Separately, exercise and a healthy diet are not enough to prevent osteoporosis and other diseases, but together they offer powerful health protection.

Some Top Sources of Calcium