What to do to have healthy and strong bones

Bone is a metabolically active tissue that undergoes constant renewal and continuous internal remodeling.

Many nutrients are involved in proper bone metabolism, including minerals (calcium, magnesium, zinc, copper, manganese, selenium, silicon, phosphorus), vitamins (vitamin D, K, B6, B12).

Sex hormones also play an important role in maintaining bone health. In women, these include estrogens, which keep osteoclasts (the cells responsible for bone resorption) at appropriate levels so that they remove only dead, demineralized bone, and progesterone, which helps activate osteoblasts, which build new bone.

On the other hand, in men, bone mass is maintained by androgens, which are involved in the development of osteoblasts, and a certain amount of testosterone, which is metabolized into estradiol (the most potent form of estrogen), which also plays an important role in bone remodeling.

In addition to the above substances and hormones, a number of genetic and lifestyle factors influence the ability to maintain an appropriate balance between bone resorption and repair. What influences bone health?

Physical activity

Numerous scientific studies have shown that a sedentary lifestyle (lack of exercise) leads to a very significant loss of bone minerals. But exercise can prevent this.

Regular exercise promotes bone growth, strengthens muscles and improves balance, thereby reducing the risk of falls that can lead to fractures.

Exercises that help bones should be: dynamic, non-static, exceed the "endurance threshold" (for example, very fast walking). It is also worth taking care of the right pace (it should be fast and should require movements that are not performed every day). It is worth taking care of the variety of exercises.

It is only important to adjust them to your capabilities and health (overweight people should not run, so as not to put additional stress on the joints; instead, you can exercise on an exercise bike).

Adequate diet

It is widely believed that the body needs calcium to have healthy bones. However, it will not do anything on its own. It needs partners. Proper bone metabolism is a complex process and requires the participation of more than twenty nutrients, including vitamins K, B6, B12, folate, vitamin D, and minerals such as boron, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, manganese, copper, silicon, molybdenum, selenium, calcium, and strontium. Therefore, your daily diet should be balanced and include the above-mentioned nutrients.

A healthy diet for bones is a Mediterranean-style diet. It should consist of lots of vegetables combined with beans, fish, eggs, low-fat dairy products, small amounts of animal protein, nuts, seeds, whole grains (brown rice, pasta or whole grain bread, oats), olives.

If for some reason it is not possible to use such a diet, it is worth considering the correct intake of supplements, but it is better to consult with a doctor or pharmacist about choosing the right drug.

Normal body weight

Improper body weight (either overweight or underweight) can contribute to poor bone density, which can lead to low-energy fractures, which can even occur spontaneously.

Being overweight is usually associated with other underlying medical conditions that can increase your risk of developing osteoporosis and also put stress on your joints.
Therefore, maintaining proper body weight is of paramount importance for proper joint function and bone health.

The following factors have a detrimental effect on the condition of bones:

• Smoking – The nicotine in cigarettes causes bone loss by increasing cortisol levels in the blood. This is why smokers have lower bone mass and a higher risk of fractures.
• Alcohol washes out many vitamins and microelements that are valuable for bones, including calcium, phosphorus, vitamin D, and therefore inhibits the production of bone and cartilage tissue and increases the risk of fractures.
• Caffeine is a substance found not only in coffee, but also in tea and carbonated drinks. It can lead to osteoporosis and delayed bone healing, which leads to an increased susceptibility to fractures. Caffeine also accelerates the removal of calcium and magnesium from the body, which negatively affects the metabolic processes in the bones. In addition, caffeine is part of carbonated drinks, which harm bones twice.

When you eat them too often, you absorb large amounts of phosphates. When your body has too much phosphate and too little calcium, it takes calcium from your bones to balance the ratios. This weakens your bones, increasing your risk of osteoporosis.

So, if you want to have healthy bones:

• ensure adequate physical activity and body weight,
• Make sure you eat a healthy diet rich in green vegetables and unprocessed whole grains,
• remember that your diet should not be deficient in vitamins D, K and calcium,
• Avoid alcohol and caffeine, quit smoking.

Earlier we wrote about what a strong craving for sweets indicates.