Healthy Bones – how to keep them and importance ?

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Healthy Bones – How to Keep Them ?

Healthy bones refer to bones that are strong and dense. The bones are a living part of the body and even though they are high in strength, they can be extremely flexible. They can heal on their own when broken and are renewed by the body constantly.

The bones are growing constantly throughout childhood and adolescence, and bone renewal or remodeling continues throughout one’s life.

The important components of bones are calcium, bone marrow, and collagen. 

The bones are impacted by your general lifestyle and the foods that you consume. Having good general health will help in keeping the bones healthy.

In this article, we will be discussing the different ways in which you can keep your bones healthy.

• Why is it important to have good bone health?
• What are the risk factors for poor bone health?
• What are the symptoms indicating poor bone health?
• How to keep the healthy bones ?

Why is it important to have good bone health?

Having healthy bones is important as the bones perform the following important functions in your body:

• Support your body

• Help in moving around 

• Protect sensitive and important organs like lungs and heart

As one gets older, the bone strength gradually reduces and can lead to a condition known as osteoporosis, which is a chronic condition in which the bones become fragile and hollow to the extent that even a fall or a minor injury can cause a broken bone. It is, therefore, important to maintain good bone health to prevent or delay the weakening of the bones.

What are the risk factors for poor bone health?

Some factors could increase the risk of having poor bone health. These factors include the following:

• Increase in age
• Low-calcium diet
• Vitamin D deficiency ( Know more about- What is Vitamin D ? )
• Physical inactivity 
• Smoking and alcohol consumption 
• Conditions like osteoporosis are more common in women than men
• White and Asian race 
• Family history of fractures
• Being underweight
• Hormonal disorders, like excessive thyroid hormone, menopause, amenorrhea (prolonged absence of menstrual cycles before menopause) ( Know more about- What is Thyroid Disorders ?)
• Eating disorders
• Certain medical conditions like celiac disease (inflammation in the lining of the small intestine due to consumption of gluten)
• Weight-loss surgery 
• Use of certain medications like corticosteroids

What are the symptoms indicating poor bone health?

The following symptoms could indicate poor bone health, which prevent healthy bones:

• Stooped posture
• Loss of height
• Unexplained back pain
• Broken bones due to a small injury or minor fall ( Know more about- What is Bone Fracture ? )
• Fractured or damaged bones due to everyday movement and pressure on the bones

How to keep the bones healthy?

The following tips can help in keeping your healthy bones: 

Have a calcium-rich diet:

• Calcium is considered to be an important nutrient for bone health and one must include calcium-rich food items into their daily diet.
• Some common food items that are rich in calcium are milk, yogurt, cheese, seeds, nuts, green leafy vegetables, and fortified plant-based milk. 
• Adults need approximately 700 mg of calcium every day. If your daily recommended dose of calcium is not obtained from your diet, you may have to take a calcium supplement recommended by a doctor. ( Know more about- Causes of Calcium Deficiency )

Go out in the sun:

• Exposure to natural sunlight helps the body in the production of vitamin D, which helps the body in absorb calcium and in the mineralization of the bones. Vitamin D helps the bones become stronger and healthier.
• It is recommended to go out in the sun for at least 20 minutes every day to get the daily recommended dose of vitamin D. 
• Always put on sunscreen before stepping out in direct sunlight to avoid any type of skin damage.
• Consumption of vitamin D-rich foods like fortified cereals and fatty fish also helps in maintaining optimal vitamin D levels.

Stay physically active:

• You need to do any form of regular physical activity to help you build and maintain the strength of your healthy bones.
• Weight-beating activities such as walking, jogging, dancing, and weightlifting help stimulate bone growth and also prevent bone loss due to aging.
• It is recommended to do a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercises such as brisk walking or 75 minutes of high-intensity exercises such as running per week to maintain healthy bones.

Get sufficient rest and manage stress:

• You need to take adequate rest and take out time to relax. The mental health of a person can impact his or her physical well-being, which includes the assessment bone health of a person.
• Insufficient rest and other factors could lead to stress build-up in the body. Stress could lead to the production of a hormone called cortisol. This hormone could be responsible for the loss of bone. It is, therefore, important to manage stress using techniques like yoga and meditation for healthy bones. ( Know more about- Yoga for digestive system )

Eat a well-balanced diet:

• Eating a healthy, well-balanced diet helps in maintaining good bone health.
• The diet should include calcium-rich foods, vitamin D-rich foods, and foods rich in minerals, vitamins, and protein.

Regular bone density testing:

• Bone density tests such as DXA or dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scan can help the doctor in checking the bone health of a person and diagnosis of low bone density conditions such as osteoporosis.
• The doctor will let you know how frequently you need to undergo bone density testing based on your age, risk factors, and medical history.
• Regular testing can help in the early detection and treatment of low bone density conditions.

Avoid smoking and alcohol consumption:

• Smoking can lead to a decrease in bone density, while excessive consumption of alcohol can result in weak bones.
• Quitting smoking and alcohol consumption or doing it in moderation helps maintain good bone health.

Maintain a healthy weight:

• Maintenance of healthy body weight is important for healthy bones.
• Being underweight or extreme loss of weight can increase the risk of fractures and bone loss.
• If you are trying to lose weight, do so with a slow and healthy approach, as crash diets can cause muscle and bone loss.

Prevention of falls:

• You should take preventive measures to prevent falls as fractures resulting from falls, especially in the elderly, can affect bone health negatively.
• Make your house free from tripping hazards, install handrails wherever possible, and secure any loose rugs.
• Wearing non-slip shoes and performing balance exercises can help improve stability and decrease the risk of falling. (Also know more about- Cost of Knee Replacement Surgery in Bangalore )

Medications and supplements:

• Your doctor may recommend certain medications or supplements to optimize your bone health.
• These may include hormone therapy, calcium supplements, and vitamin D supplements.

We hope that we were able to answer all your questions regarding how to keep healthy bones through this article.

If you want more information about how to keep your bones healthy, you can contact a good orthopedic surgeon.

We only aim to give you information through the article and do not recommend any medication or treatment in any way. Only a qualified doctor can give you the best advice.