KEEPING YOUR BONES STRONG AND HEALTHY
As we age our bones become brittle and weak, leading to multiple fractures at the slightest trauma.
The bone mass reaches a maximum between 20 to 30 and after that the bones gradually start becoming thinner and more brittle.
There are certain elements in our diet and life style that can help us maintain good bone mass as we age.
CALCIUM – Calcium is a very important ingredient of the bones and having a proper calcium level in the body is extremely important for the bone health.
The diet should have adequate amount of calcium. This can be obtained from Dairy foods such as yogurt and cheeses.
One should also be aware that the CALCIUM METABOLISM is fine and working efficiently. For checking the calcium metabolism one must get the levels of
CALCIUM/PHOSPHOROUS AND SERUM ALKALINE PHOSPHATE done so as the assess if the bone formation and the bone degradation is optimal.
VITAMIN D is very important for bone formation. The Vitamin D is formed by exposure to sunlight . Almost 80 percent of the population is deficient in Vitamin D and one may need to take supplements to maintain the levels
Regular levels of VITAMIN D must be estimated to ensure that the proper levels are maintained.
LIFE STYLE AND ACTIVITY – To have proper bone health it is important to have an active lifestyle along with optimal weight . The more active a person is the more healthy the bones are.
EXERCISE – Along with running and walking , muscle strengthening exercises are must. Resistance exercises and weights are important for proper bone health.
