Bone Health and the Way to Maintain It

Bones give shape and form to the physical body. They are an integral part of all our activities, ensuring the mobility and activity of the body. Apart from that, they protect and provide the base to muscles and organs. They also work as storage bags of calcium.
The health of bones determines the quality of life of a person. Protecting bone health is not a big task and it is much easier than you think. All it takes is understanding the diet and physical activity aspects in life, followed by a healthy lifestyle.

Why You Have to Keep an Eye on Bone Health?
Bones are on constant growth when you are a child and they attain the highest bone mass at the age of 30. After that, the strength of the bone will gradually get reduced in the form of deformation. The deformation is much higher than the formation of the bone.
The likeliness of getting osteoporosis, a condition that makes bone weak and brittle, depends on how faster you are losing the bone mass.

Influencing Factors of Bone Health
Like any other body part, bones to require sufficient attention to be in a healthy condition. Here are a few influencing factors of bone health.

• The Amount of Calcium in Diet - Calcium is the essential mineral that plays an important role in constructing bones. The diet low in calcium can diminish the bone strength.
• Inactivity - People who are inactive physically have the highest chances for excessive bone degeneration. Physical activity is an important factor that keeps your bones healthy.
• Tobacco Consumption - Tobacco consumption has been linked with excessive bone degeneration. Also, alcohol consumption needs to be moderated.
• Gender - Compared men, women have the hight chances of getting osteoporosis as bone tissue in women are less.
• Size of the Body - If your body mass index is below 19, you are at a greater risk of osteoporosis. Thin bones tend to lose the bone mass rapidly.
• Family and Origins - People from western and Asian descent are at a greater risk of osteoporosis. Also, having a family member with osteoporosis will increase your risk of osteoporosis.

Tips to Keep Bones Healthy and Avoid Osteoporosis
The techniques to keep bones healthy is simple. You have to concentrate on three important aspects of life such as diet, physical activity and lifestyle.

• Ensure you have included plenty of calcium in the diet. It is advisable for women to eat more calcium contented food than the men.
• The dairy products, broccoli, canned salmon, almonds, dry fruits serve as good sources for calcium. If you are experiencing difficulty to find the right food choices for you, consult your dietitian for better options.
• Vitamin D is instrumental in absorbing the calcium. There is the simplest way to increase the vitamin D levels. Just take a walk in the early morning sun and leave the rest to your skin.
• Apart from the morning and evening strolls under the sun, you should consume rich vitamin D foods such as egg yolks, fortified milk, tuna and sardines.
• Make physical activities such as jogging, walking and swimming etc., a must in your daily living and stay away from a sedentary lifestyle.
• Physical activity not only improves your bone strength but also improve your muscle strength, ultimately strengthening your joints.

Osteoporosis is a condition that could be avoided with a healthy diet and physical activities. Make sure you are consuming enough amount of calcium and vitamin D rich foods. Also, consult your doctor for the suggestions on the food choices.