5 Foods for Stronger Bones

People take immense care to maintain healthy skin and hair to enhance their looks and personality. Very often we overlook the necessity to maintain the strength of the bones, which provides the vital support to our body. The degenerative effects of the bones are not reflected in the young, but slowly the symptoms crop up with aging. Women are more prone to osteoporosis, a serious degenerative bone disease that manifests after menopause. Sometimes it may be too late to make up for the bone loss, so proper dietary habits should be adopted long before to keep the bones healthy and strong for a long time.
It is necessary for an individual to be aware of his/her calcium requirements per day, as this varies according to the age and sex. Obviously the calcium requirement for children, athletes, pregnant and post menopausal women would be more, compared to other individuals which may vary from 800mg – 1300mg of Calcium per day. It is always the best option to derive the calcium requirements through diet.

1. Milk

Milk is the most important dietary source of calcium, which is fortified with Vitamin D. Taking a glass of milk in the breakfast enables you to take in more calcium in a single serving. Other dairy products like cheese, yoghurt and ice cream do provide calcium but contain very little amount of Vitamin D. For overweight and obese persons, skimmed or low fat milk and yoghurt can be the ideal source of calcium. Avoid full cream milk to prevent cholesterol build up in the body.

2. Green Vegetables

You will be surprised to learn about the benefits of nutrient packed green vegetables. These are rich in calcium, magnesium and Vitamin K, which are the key elements in building strong bones. Vitamin K plays a vital role in forming the bone proteins. Studies have revealed that low intake of Vitamin K increases the risk of hip fracture. Regular intake of a cup of cooked green vegetables or green salads provides a good amount of dietary calcium.

3. Fish

Bones are largely constituted of calcium, but without Vitamin D the calcium absorption of the bones is impaired to a great extent. Fish provides a good source of Vitamin D that helps in effective calcium absorption. A single serving of salmon, tuna or sardines can provide 90% of the daily requirement of Vitamin D.

4. Pumpkin Seeds

We can’t disregard the necessity of magnesium, which is another important constituent of bones. Most of the magnesium requirement of our body is concentrated within the bones. Deficiency of this mineral leads to weak and fragile bones. Nuts and seeds provide a good source of dietary magnesium of which the pumpkin seeds are the best.

5. Walnuts

These are rich in essential fatty acids like alpha linolenic acid (ALA) and omega-3 fatty acids. These fatty acids help in the regeneration of new bone cells as the old cells wear out. They help in preserving the flexibility of the bones and prevent fragility and rigidity. Through constant regeneration of bone cells, they help in preserving the bone mass and bone density. Munching 2-3 walnuts daily will be beneficial to the bones in the future.