Building and maintaining healthy bones is of course an issue that is important to all of us.I often see patients in my clinic who are in the early stages of osteoporosis, and who ask how the process can be slowed down or stopped...
From the moment we begin to grow until we reach our mid-twenties, we build our bone strength. After this we must maintain the strength we have built up, and slow down as much as possible the rate of bone thinning. In postmenopausal women, the rate of bone depletion increases significantly, which increases the risk of women suffering from osteoporosis.
So what can be done? Well, first keep in mind that it is essential to do weight-bearing exercise: such as walking, running, tennis, football, or any other activities that you can persevere with. Nutritionally, it is important to pay attention to eating a balanced diet that includes an abundance of bone-building components - throughout life. In childhood it helps to build bone strength, and in adulthood it helps us maintain bone health.
What are these components? Calcium, vitamin D, magnesium, potassium, zinc, essential fatty acids, vitamin C, and B vitamins. Vitamin D can be absorbed also through exposure to sunlight and not just through diet.
The average adult should aim to eat about 700 mg of calcium a day. How do you get there? Let's see!
Fruits and vegetables
Whole grains
Nuts and seeds
Protein
It is important to include the entire list above in your diet on a daily basis, depending on your needs and personal requirements of course. But that's not all. There are also things that are better to reduce or avoid:
Processed foods and beverages (which contain a high amount of sugar, fat and salt)
Oxalic acid
Smoking and caffeine and alcohol consumption
Other than that, you should know that there is controversy regarding the consumption of animal-based products. Some argue that these are good sources of calcium, but there are others who disagree, due to the fact that animal-based products often contain high amounts of phosphorus, which impairs calcium absorption, and that high amounts of protein can lead to loss of bone mass.
For the full information, please head over to www.mayanaturopthy.co.uk!
Maya x
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