Healthy Bones
Osteoporosis is a condition in which the bones become spongy and lose some of their density. It’s becoming very common in Australia, mainly because we’re living so much longer. Half the women and almost a third of the men in this country develop osteoporotic bone changes after age 60. Although the symptoms of osteoporosis are not obvious until late in life, the foundations of strong healthy bones are laid down when we’re young.
Bones have to last a lifetime
Calcium is vitally important for strong bones. You can obtain it from dairy products, or low fat dairy products if you’re worried about your weight. People who can’t eat dairy foods can choose soy drinks with added calcium, or fish, almonds and green vegetables, especially Asian greens. In order for the calcium to be absorbed into your bones, you need vitamin D, which comes from sunlight. However be very careful not to eat too much salt, because salt actually increases the amount of calcium that’s lost from the body.
Physical activities like gardening and weight bearing exercise strengthen bones, and studies show that soy beans and the kind of fats that you get in fish and linseeds help bone density. Recent research also indicates that the potassium, magnesium and even the boron in fruits and vegetables could be very important for healthy bones.
To keep your bones strong, you need to:
get plenty of exercise spend time in the sun – not sunbaking, just getting outdoors will do get plenty of calcium in your diet eat fruit and vegetables eat some soy beans, fish or linseeds go easy on the salt