Nutrition Tips for Healthy Bones

The Importance of Calcium

Calcium is not only important for building and maintaining strong bones, it is also important to keep the heart, muscles, and nerves functioning well.

• The daily requirement of calcium for children (4-8 years) is 1000 mg, for adults (20-70 years) is 1000 mg, and after the age of 70, you should consume 1200 mg.
• Dairy products are the best source of calcium.
• A cup of milk contains about 300 mg, a cup of yogurt contains 400 mg, a cup of pudding contains 300 mg
• A cup of calcium-fortified soy milk contains between 250-300 mg
• One ounce (30 grams) of Swiss cheese contains 270 mg, one ounce of cheddar cheese contains 200 mg, and one ounce of mozzarella cheese contains 185 mg
• Three ounces (90 grams) of canned salmon with edible bones contains 200 mg, while the same serving of canned sardines with edible bones contains 270 mg. Tuna contains less calcium than canned sardines or salmon with edible bones.

Recommended daily milk requirement

In general, the recommended daily milk requirement is as follows:

• Three cups per day for children, adolescents up to age 20 years, non-pregnant and non-lactating women
• Four cups for pregnant and lactating women
• Three cups for anyone over 70 years of age
• Low fat and non-fat dairy products are preferred to limit your intake of saturated fat and cholesterol.

Ways to increase calcium

Ways to increase calcium include the following:

• Adding low-fat dairy products to meals and snacks
• Adding low-fat cheese, yogurt, sardines, or salmon to salads
• Preparing low-fat cheese or labneh sandwiches
• Making low-fat milk pudding or custard topped with nuts
• Consuming a milkshake or fruit yogurt as a snack
• Including fortified cereals with your breakfast.
• The added benefit is that most of these foods are also rich in Vitamin D.
• Excessive consumption of caffeine-containing beverages is not good for the bones as caffeine reduces calcium absorption.

Moreover, prescription calcium supplements should be taken between meals as calcium can hinder iron absorption if taken with meals.

Importance of Vitamin D

Vitamin D is important to bone health as it helps calcium deposit in the bones. The body produces Vitamin D when the sun shines directly on your skin. To enable your body to adequately produce Vitamin D, you need about 20-30 minutes of DIRECT sunlight two to three times per week, without applying sunblock. Sun shining in a window does not provide your body with Vitamin D. Importance of Exercise Performing regular exercise, especially strength training, benefits the entire body including the bones, heart, brain, muscles, lungs, and kidneys. Strength training includes brisk walking, stair climbing, running, jogging, and weight lifting. Swimming and cycling are excellent for health; however, they are not considered strength training.