The Role of Nutrition in Strong Bones and Joint Health

Healthy bones and joints are so much of a requirement- if you want to be able to move freely, have good mobility and still be able to get around by yourself, long after you've retired and taken some time away from the chaos of everyday life. Whereas this is a want that each of us will have, not every one of us wishes to make the correct type of effort in order to reach this ultimate goal. No need to spend money on costly supplements or concentrate on exercising in particular ways or purchase gym memberships when concentrating on the most fundamental element – your diet, can assist you in making the same or perhaps better gains, in terms of strengthening and maintaining joint and bone health. Food For Strong Bones And Joints

Your bones form the primary structure upon which all other connective tissues exist.

It is also protective in nature primarily and is required to provide structure and strength to your body. With increasing age, it is possible to impact the way all organs and tissues function in your body and the skeletal system and the joints are not an exception. With age, these are the primary tissues that get worn out, resulting in pain, loss of flexibility and range of motion and loss of independence. Contrary to popular belief, bones are not “dead” tissue. They may seem hard on the outside, but they have a thriving population of cells within them, which is how your bones heal after an injury or how they can remineralise in the long term. Bone density is simply how thick and strong your bones are for your age and it can be measured with simple tests or scans. For bones to remain in optimal health, you have to take a sufficient amount of vitamins and minerals daily- so that the bone cells or osteoblasts produce more bone, and bone loss through osteoclasts is minimized.  Best Vitamins And MInerals For Strong Bones And Joints These vitamins and minerals are not optional and deficiency in any one of them can bring trouble to you

Vitamin D- This vitamin can be synthesized by the skin, provided you take some sun each day.

This vitamin regulates the amount of calcium which can be absorbed by your bones from blood and thus has a direct impact on bone density- positive in nature.

This vitamin can be found in fortified milk products, fatty fish, breakfast cereals and in mushrooms which have been exposed to the sun for some hours. Animal foods such as egg yolks are also healthy. Vitamin K- Vitamin K assists in mobilizing calcium stores from your blood and pushes them towards bone mineralization. It occurs in very low amounts in green leaf vegetables and in some fermented food. The majority of the Vitamin K2 we require is produced by gut bacteria, utilizing K1 as a material. Therefore, healthy guts are required for healthy bones and joints. Vitamin C- This vitamin is essential for the manufacture of collagen- which is the primary protein of cartilage and joints. It is also a very good antioxidant and prevents oxidative damage to cells, thereby lowering wear and tear caused by ageing.   Phosphorus and calcium are highly essential minerals for bone development and maintenance.

Magnesium – It assists Vitamin D in converting it to the active form – how calcium absorption is promoted in the body. Therefore, consuming foods such as nuts, whole grains, seeds, legumes and green leafy vegetables will assist you in obtaining sufficient magnesium- which then will assist in maintaining bone density.

Phosphorus– This mineral contributes to strengthening bones by attaching to calcium and creating a matrix. It is also required for the development of strong teeth. It is easily available in animal meat, nuts, fish and seeds.

Other parts that support bones and joints' health are- proteins such as collagen or gelatin. These assist in preserving and maintaining joint health – which is how you can stay flexible and mobile life long. Another compound to consider is good fats- omega 3 fatty acids of fish, seeds and nuts support in lowering inflammation connected bone and joint damage.

Conclusion– Diet for healthy bones and supple joints must be carefully thought through.

We get most foods to contain these minerals and vitamins, so if you eat a range of foods, you will probably get most that you need.

However, if you are over a certain age or have gut-related disorders and cannot absorb nutrients from food properly, then supplements can be extremely useful.

Your physician will likely test your blood for vitamin and mineral levels, prior to recommending them. Keep in mind that while these vitamins and minerals are really healthy for you, they are only necessary in certain quantities. Too much is also not good and can produce other unwanted side effects.