Jan 2, 20234 min read

Conquer Your Fear of Bone Health with 3 key nutrients

Maintain a well-balanced diet, paying specific attention to calcium, vitamin D, and magnesium.

Calcium, vitamin D, protein, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium are just a few important nutrients for bone health. Your bones can stay strong and healthy if you stick to a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, and lean meats. To make sure you're getting enough of certain nutrients as you get older, however, you may need to make some adjustments. It's important to pay extra attention to your calcium, vitamin D, and magnesium intake to ensure your bones are getting the minerals they need.

Calcium, Ca

Calcium is a key component of bone and is required for cell, muscle, heart, and nerve function. Calcium is obtained via food sources (which are the safest and most effective) or calcium supplements. When there is insufficient calcium in the bloodstream, the body exploits the bones for resources, causing bone loss.

In order to excrete calcium from the body, the parathyroid gland signals cells called osteoclasts to gnaw on the bone. If that’s how calcium levels are sustained, it's not good for the bones. Therefore, dietary Calcium should be seen less as something that adds to bone and more as something that keeps calcium in the bone.

Plenty of foods include some calcium, but dairy products have the most per serving. Fortified beverages may have calcium settle to the bottom if not shaken properly before consumption. Calcium needs change with age, so non-dairy eaters may want to put in extra effort or consider a supplement if they are concerned about not getting enough of the nutrient each day. The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of calcium for people ages 51 or older is 1,200 milligrams (mg) per day for women, and 1,000 to 1,200 mg per day for men.

About 300 milligrams [mg] of calcium may be found in one cup of milk, yoghurt, calcium-fortified orange juice, almonds, beans, or certain greens [kale, spinach, broccoli].

Calcium is added to several juices and nut milks to make them more nutritious. Comparatively, a cup of plain orange juice only has 27 mg of calcium, whereas fortified orange juice has roughly 300 mg. There is 450 milligrams of calcium in one cup of almond milk.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D has a wide range of vital functions, but it is particularly crucial for bone health. Vitamin D aids in the absorption of calcium (in the intestines, where it is then transported to the bloodstream) and in the maintenance of normal calcium and phosphorus levels in the blood (which are needed to build bone). Our bodies make vitamin D when sunlight turns a chemical in the skin into vitamin D3, which the body then transforms into an active form of vitamin D. Vitamin D has a wide range of vital functions, but it is particularly crucial for bone health. Vitamin D aids in the absorption of calcium (in the intestines, where it is then transported to the bloodstream) and in the maintenance of normal calcium and phosphorus levels in the blood (which are needed to build bone). Sunlight converts a molecule in the skin into vitamin D3, which is subsequently converted into the active form of vitamin D by the body. However, take precautions while out in the sun; exposing your skin for more than a few minutes calls for the use of sunscreen to lessen the likelihood of developing skin cancer.

Though there are food sources of vitamin D, it is difficult to get adequate amounts from food alone; therefore, many people benefit from a supplement.

Magnesium, Mg

There are seven macrominerals crucial to human health, and magnesium is one of them. The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for these macrominerals is 100 milligrams (mg), therefore it's important to have enough of them in your diet. Iron and zinc, two examples of microminerals, are equally as vital, although in lower quantities, to human health.

The mineral magnesium is important since it participates in more than 300 different enzyme processes in the human body. It aids in muscle and nerve function, controls blood pressure, and strengthens the immune system, among many other things.

The skeletal system accounts for around 50-60% of the approximately 25 g of magnesium found in an adult body. The remainder is located in skeletal muscle, adipose tissue, and blood.

According to studies, women who consume an appropriate amount of magnesium had greater bone density, better bone crystal production, and decreased risks of developing osteoporosis, after menopause.

Magnesium loss in the urine may be exacerbated in those who drink even modest quantities of alcohol or use proton pump inhibitors; thus, they may benefit from taking a supplement (about 200-250 mg/day).

Final word

In addition to a good diet, other important factors in preserving bone health include regular weight-bearing activity (such as brisk walking and weight training), moderate alcohol use, and abstinence from tobacco use. Another advantage of these lifestyle choices is reduced risk of developing chronic illness.