Learn which foods pack the most of the key nutrients you need for strong and healthy bones
Like all the cells in your body, bone cells are being replaced constantly. The trouble is, as you age the process of breaking down and rebuilding bone tissue stops working optimally due to hormonal changes. The result is osteoporosis, which is a loss of bone density that causes bones to become brittle, fragile, and prone to breaking.
As you age, it is extremely important to practice good nutrition to help support healthy bones. The number one nutrient for bone health is of course calcium. This is literally what bones are made of. However, this doesn’t mean you can just drink an extra glass of milk or add more yogurt, cheese, and other dairy products to your diet and call it a day. Bones need other nutrients too. Plus, dairy products can be high in calories and fat, so it’s smart to look for alternatives.
Best Foods for Bone Health—Besides Dairy
Dark Greens: Dark greens like kale, collard greens, and turnip greens are excellent non-dairy sources of calcium. One cup of cooked collard greens provides 358 mg of calcium, which is about 35 percent of your daily value. Plus, kale, collard greens, and turnip greens all contain vitamin K, which can help support bone density.
Salmon: Salmon contains four nutrients associated with bone health: calcium, Vitamin D, magnesium, and omega-3 fatty acids. Vitamin D is essential for helping your body absorb calcium and use it to build healthy bones, and magnesium helps convert vitamin D to its active form so it can do its good work. Omega-3 fatty acids are associated with improved bone density.
Sweet Potatoes: Sweet potatoes are rich in magnesium and potassium. Magnesium helps build bones through its interaction with vitamin D, while potassium helps protect against bone loss by neutralizing acids in the body that would otherwise leach calcium out of bones.
Figs: Fresh or dried, figs contain plenty of calcium, magnesium, and potassium, plus Vitamin K and phosphorous. Remember, more than half of all bone is made from phosphate, so getting enough phosphorous is extremely important.
Soy: Soy products like tofu and soy milk typically contain added calcium and vitamin D to make them valuable substitutes for dairy. As an added bonus, the isoflavones in soy can have a beneficial effect on certain chemical reactions in the body affecting bone health.
Need Help Getting Nutrients for Bone Health?
While whole foods are considered the best way to get the nutrients your body needs to support bone health, it’s not always easy or practical to get all your nutrition from your diet alone. You may want to consider supplementing some or all of the nutrients found in the above listed superfoods for bone health. Fortunately, Renew Youth™ can help. We offer a quality selection of guaranteed pure and potent supplements designed specifically for the needs of aging men and women. Visit our online store or call 800-859-7511 to learn more about our products.