Bones are living tissue that responds to their environment. They have nerves, blood vessels and marrow, which is important for the production of blood cells. Bones are always tearing down and rebuilding themselves in a process known as remodeling. Below are the important ways to improve bone strength naturally.
Increase Physical Activity
Physical activity is one of the best ways to improve bone strength naturally. Your bone will become thicker and stronger when more physical demands are placed on them. Subsequently, if less physical demand is placed on a bone, it will lose bone mass and become weaker. So, bones last longer if you stress them. Weight bearing exercises such as resistance training are beneficial, as are activities such as walking and jogging. You should try to take part in sports like tennis and basketball, where you are moving in multiple directions.
Calcium In Your Diet
As stated earlier, bones are constantly being remodeled, that is new bone is being formed and old bone reabsorbed. Calcium plays an important part of this process. It is also important in muscle contraction and in blood clotting. Bones act as a storage container for calcium. Therefore, when you do not consume enough calcium from food, it can be taken from your bones to increase the amount in the bloodstream. Also, when you consume more calcium than your body needs, it can be deposited into the bones for later use. So, calcium intake is important. The recommended daily amount of calcium is 1000 milligrams per day. Food sources high in calcium include milk, milk products, broccoli, almonds and legumes.
Get Enough Vitamin D
Getting enough Vitamin D is one of the important ways to improve bone strength naturally. Vitamin D is important to bone health because it helps with the absorption of calcium. The recommended amount of Vitamin D is 600IU per day. Vitamin D can be produced naturally from sunlight exposure as UV rays induce the body to manufacture Vitamin D from cholesterol. Foods rich in Vitamin D include salmon, tuna, mushrooms, almond milk, orange juice, many cereals and oatmeal.
Maintain a Healthy Weight
Being overweight puts more stress on bones when performing everyday movements, which over time can lead to bone breaking down and fracturing. Being underweight can be harmful as well. Most people that are underweight have a much lower bone density, making bones more fragile and increasing the chances of fractures.
Avoid Alcohol
You must be aware that drinking too much alcohol is bad for your body. A lesser known ill effect of alcohol is that it is damaging to your bones as well. Drinking alcohol can impact bone nutrition and disrupt hormone regulators which are important for bone formation. It reduces this process by directly inhibiting bone forming cells.
Limit Coffee Intake
Studies have shown that caffeine consumption contributes to low-bone density. Caffeine takes away the calcium from bones which leads to a decline in its strength. In fact, you lose 6mg of calcium for every 100mg of caffeine intake.