We tell you how important it is for your bone health and how to acquire it
When it comes to bone health , most of us are aware of the importance of calcium intake, and we are not wrong. Calcium is essential to have strong bones, although it should be noted that there are other nutrients involved, and without a good contribution of all of them we can not enjoy good bone health and prevent a disease as widespread and silent as osteoporosis .
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Nutrients needed to prevent osteoporosis
On the one hand, calcium, phosphorus and vitamin D are necessary for bone development at a structural and functional level . On the other hand, magnesium, vitamin K and zinc are involved in its formation . Consuming sufficient amounts of all of them is important throughout life, both in the growing season, when the bone is developing, and in adulthood, to avoid excessive loss of bone mass that can end in osteoporosis .
The importance of Vitamin D for our bone health
After calcium, the most important nutrient for bone health is Vitamin D. This vitamin, which is found in the fat fraction of foods, has the function of facilitating the absorption of calcium and phosphorus from the diet , that is, consuming calcium along with Vitamin D favors the calcium that we are ingesting into the bloodstream .
For this reason, the calcium that dairy products contain is so good, because when accompanied by Vitamin D we can take better advantage of it. In addition, Vitamin D also causes less calcium to be eliminated and therefore also decreases its loss.
How can I get Vitamin D?
Vitamin D can be obtained through food , by eating fatty animal foods such as blue fish, mushrooms, egg yolks, fortified foods and dairy (if you take skimmed you will be losing part of this vitamin) .
There is another way to obtain Vitamin D without food intake, an alternative that is also our main source of this nutrient: the sun. The contact of sunlight with our skin stimulates the synthesis of Vitamin D. For this reason deficiencies of this type of vitamin usually occur in the winter months or in countries where they have fewer hours of sunshine.
It is estimated that in winter we would need around 130 daily minutes of sun exposure, with at least 10% of the body uncovered and in the central hours of the day and with 25% of the body exposed, to synthesize enough Vitamin D. Instead, in summer with 10 minutes (without protective cream) we would have enough.
Keep in mind that as we get older, our ability to synthesize Vitamin D through sunlight is lost and we will require more contact, in addition to strengthening our diet .
In summary, to provide a sufficient amount of Vitamin D, we advise you to take:
- 3 times a week blue fish (salmon, tuna, sardine, trout, bonito, jack mackerel, anchovy, mackerel, carp, anchovy, turbot ...).
- 2 or 3 times a serving of eggs.
- Dairy daily or enriched vegetable drinks.
And do not forget to take a daily walk to facilitate sun exposure!
How can I prevent osteoporosis?
What is osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis is an alteration in the bone density that usually appears during the Third Age, but its origin is usually the cause of nutritional deficiencies that can begin in childhood. It is considered a silent disease, because it does not cause symptoms until fractures appear.
Characteristics of osteoporosis
By definition, osteoporosis is a decrease and deterioration of the bone mass , that is, the mineral density of the bone is reduced and a change in its structure is produced, converting it into a more porous tissue. The bone with osteoporosis , therefore, is more fragile and more susceptible to injury due to not being able to withstand normal stresses.
The incidence of osteoporosis is very high in women from the age of 50 , doubling between 50 and 60 years, and tripling from 60. In fact, it is estimated that half of women 50 years will suffer a fracture due to osteoporosis at some point in his life. The most frequent fractures are those of the ulna, vertebrae and ribs.
Classification
Primary osteoporosis . It is due to physiological factors, without any associated disease . There are two kinds:
- a) Due to low estrogen levels , especially in postmenopausal women.
- b) Because of advanced age , both in men and women, from 70 years old.
Secondary osteoporosis . There is a pathology or external cause that originates it . Four causes:
- a) For diseases of the endocrine system.
- b) For drugs.
- c) For digestive diseases.
- d) Due to nutritional deficit.
How does the formation and maintenance of bones work?
99% of calcium is stored in the bones, and only the remaining 1% circulates through the blood. The calcium in the blood will fulfill different functions, such as muscle contraction, coagulation or bone mineralization.
The body is responsible for maintaining the concentration of calcium in regular blood, controlling the absorption of calcium from the diet and its elimination from the body. If the body detects that the concentration of calcium in blood is low, activate mechanisms to increase it. These mechanisms involve, among others, obtaining the calcium from the bones, so that if it is not corrected, the mineral density of the bone decreases.
Bone remodeling is the process by which bone is formed and destroyed. During the growth the balance is positive (more is created than the one that is destroyed), during the adult phase there is usually a 0 balance and, after 40 years, the regulation mechanisms begin to fail and a negative balance is produced, that is, the bone is destroyed.
It is important to understand that with our habits we can improve the calcium accumulation and avoid excessive loss.
How to improve bone health?
To enjoy good bone health, we must begin to take care of young people and continue to do so throughout our lives. In the stages of bone formation we can achieve the maximum possible mineralization and in the adult phase minimize losses.
The factors most involved in bone health are:
Calcium
It is essential for the structural and functional development of bone. The best source of calcium that we have in the diet is that from dairy products. Throughout life is recommended to take between 2 and 4 servings of dairy every day to meet the needs of calcium. A dairy serving equals 1 glass of milk, 2 yogurts or 40 g of cheese.
Calcium also contributes pulses, nuts, broccoli or cabbage , and some enriched vegetable drinks, although its use is less.
The stages of life in which the requirements are greatest are childhood and adolescence, pregnancy and lactation, and also during the Third Age.
Vitamin D
Along with calcium, Vitamin D is essential for bone formation. Its role is to help the calcium in the diet absorb better. We can synthesize it when the sun hits us on the skin (10 minutes a day) or food: blue fish, mushrooms, cow's milk or eggs.
Physical activity
It has been observed that exercise has a protective role of bone health. The tensions that the skeleton receives when we practice exercise favor the quality of the bone. Exercises with impact are most stimulating and are especially important during puberty. In addition, there is a direct relationship between muscle mass and bone mass, so that maintaining a good muscle mass is preventive for bone health.
In summary, both to prevent and treat osteoporosis a balanced diet is recommended that covers all the needs of nutrients, especially calcium and vitamin D, and exercise on a regular basis.