Why Bone and Joint Health is Crucial
Developing osteoporosis reduces your quality of life. It’s hard to get excited about visiting friends, or going out to lunch if you’re worried about falling and possibly breaking a bone or fracturing your hip.
Fortunately, this dreaded bone disease isn’t a natural part of aging, and there are strategies we can use to prevent it from manifesting in our bodies. Eating a nutrient-dense diet, rich in vitamins and minerals, such as calcium and vitamin D, ensures the health of your skeletal system.
Calcium and Vitamin D – Critical Nutrients for Bone Health
Your body requires calcium to sustain optimal bone and joint health and vitamin D to process calcium into new bone cells. These nutrients are the foundation of skeletal health and deficiencies in these vital vitamins and minerals must be addressed to avoid the advent of bone disease.
Dietary guidelines form The Institute of Medicine recommend a calcium intake of 1,000 milligrams per day for healthy men and women. However, pregnant women should increase their intake to 1,200 mg per day. Pregnancy depletes the body of calcium to sustain fetal development in the womb, as well as breastfeeding after birth.
To achieve this calcium intake requires a minimum of three servings of dairy every day. Dietary sources of calcium aren’t limited to dairy products; you can find this essential mineral in dark, leafy, green vegetables such as Kale, broccoli, and spinach.
Research into the health of average Americans shows that many people don’t receive enough vitamin D in their diets. Vitamin D deficiency disrupts the absorption of calcium by the body. Since the human body doesn’t naturally synthesize vitamin D, you’ll need to expose your body to the sun for 10 to 15 minutes a day.
The skin absorbs UV light, converting it to vitamin D, if you live in a climate that doesn’t receive much intense sunlight, then you’ll need to supplement to achieve the necessary levels of vitamin D in the body. Adults require a minimum intake of 600 IU of vitamin D per day for optimal bone health.
Are Your Food Choices Nutritious?
Is your diet geared for bone health? Eating nutrient-dense sources of food is essential for a healthy skeletal system. However, even the most nutritious diet can be deficient in vitamins and minerals that are vital for skeletal health.
Drinking milk and eating dairy products used to be a viable way of increasing your intake of calcium. However, factory farming methods use hormones and antibiotics in their livestock. This practice results in modern dairy products containing low levels of nutrients and vitamins.
If you are relying on dairy products for your calcium intake, purchase raw (unpasteurized), hormone-free, dairy products from farms that practice sustainable and organic farming methods.
How Do You Know if You Need Supplements?
Visit your medical health professional for a bloodwork panel. Your physician will test your blood to see if you are experiencing any nutrient deficiencies that could impact the health of your skeletal system. If you are deficient in calcium or Vitamin D, and your diet is nutritious, consider supplementing with herbal formulas to boost your blood levels of these vital nutrients.
Cissus quadrangularis supplements enhance bone health and support the production of collagen, a critical protein that generates new bone cells. Add it to your diet to strengthen your bones and joints.
