Our bones are one of the most important components we are made of.  They support our body allowing us to move in addition to protecting vital organs such as our brain and heart from injury.  Throughout our lives, bone is a living, growing tissue made of mostly two materials – collagen, a protein providing a soft framework and calcium, a mineral that adds strength and hardness.  Together, this combination keeps our bones strong and flexible enough to hold up under stress.

During our childhood and through adolescence, new bone is added to our skeleton faster than old bone is removed.  It is during this time when our bones become larger, heavier, and denser.  Bone formation continues at this fast pace throughout our 20s but after the age of 30, our bones begin to slow down in the amount of new bone being added and instead there is more bone being lost. Over the years, if the loss of bone becomes too great, then the brittle bone disease of osteoporosis will take over. Osteoporosis is a disease in which bones become weak and brittle.  This makes a person more susceptible to fractures that are more likely to occur in the hip, spine, or wrist.

Even though osteoporosis is very common among older people, particularly women, it does not have to be an inevitable part of aging.  There are several things one can do to shield bones from this disease to help slow down or even prevent osteoporosis from developing.  Daily weight-bearing exercise like walking or lifting weights is one excellent way to keep your bones strong.  Another excellent method of preserving your bones is by getting enough of two critical nutrients – calcium and vitamin D.  This all-important due can help strengthen your bones protecting them from being overtaken by osteoporosis.

Calcium

Calcium is not just for kids.  Calcium is a necessary nutrient required throughout our entire lives with one of its main functions of building bone and slowing the pace of bone loss.  When we take in sufficient calcium through our diet, it can be a proven ally in keeping our bones strong and healthy.

Calcium is essential for maintaining the necessary level of bone mass to support the structures of the body.  Each day, our body is constantly using calcium for the heart, bloods, muscles, and nerves.  It is lost through normal bodily processes such as waste and the shedding of hair, fingernails, sweat, and skin. 

If a person’s diet is deficient in calcium, the body will take calcium away from bones which weakens them making them more likely to fracture.

How much calcium do we need?  The recommended daily intake for calcium is 1,000 milligrams (mg) each day for adults up through age 50 and 1,200 mg for people ages 51 and older, when bone loss accelerates.  With age, the intestines absorb less calcium from the diet, and the kidneys seem to be less efficient at conserving calcium. As a result, your body can steal calcium from bone for a variety of important metabolic functions.

Some research has suggested that high calcium intake may increase the risk of prostate cancer. Men should consult with their physician about the safety of taking calcium supplements or taking too many calcium-rich antacids.

By eating a diet that includes adequate amounts of the following foods, a person can maintain a healthy level of calcium in their diet without having to resort to using supplements:

·      Dairy products – yogurt, milk, cheese, and cottage cheese

·      Dark green leafy vegetables – spinach, broccoli and kale

·      Beans and peas – tofu, peanuts, peas, black beans

·      Some type of fish – salmon and sardines

·      Certain other foods with calcium – oranges, blackstrap molasses, and almonds

Vitamin D

Calcium’s assistant in building strong bones is vitamin D.  This vitamin known as the sunshine vitamin helps the body absorb calcium and some researchers believe that increasing vitamin D can help prevent osteoporosis.  Which they should as a person can be taking in all the calcium they need yet without sufficient vitamin D, they won’t absorb any of it.

There are two ways we can get our vitamin D – through our food and from the sun.

Unfortunately, natural food sources of vitamin are rather scant.  About the only natural food sources of vitamin D are egg yolk, beef liver, cheese, and fatty fish like tuna, mackerel, and salmon.

One of the main sources of it is milk which is fortified with vitamin D.  When a food package states “fortified” it means the food does not naturally contain the nutrient but that it has been added to it.  Other foods fortified with vitamin D include some yogurts, orange juice, soy milk and breakfast cereals.

Exposure to the sun is probably our best source of getting in vitamin D.  A small amount of sun exposure can help your body manufacture its own vitamin D – about five to 30 minutes of sunlight between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. twice a week to your face, arms, legs, or back without sunscreen will enable you to make enough of the vitamin.  People with fair skin that burns easily should protect themselves from skin cancer by limiting sun exposure to 10 minutes or less.

Generally when we take in sufficient food sources of vitamin D and have adequate exposure to sunlight, it should suffice.  If not, some physicians may advise a person to take 1,000 IU of vitamin D daily from a supplement.