Did you know that osteoporosis affects millions of Americans? More specifically, this disease will impact 1 out of every 3 women and 1 out of every 5 men who are over the age of 50. As your body begins to age, protecting your bones is one of the most important things to do. Osteoporosis is a condition where bones become weak and brittle over time, which can lead to easier bone fractures. In order to avoid this situation, it’s important to think about ways to protect your bones, which can be done through nutritional supplementation. Here are 4 health supplements for bone health:
1. Calcium
Calcium is one of the most abundant minerals in the body. It plays a major role in strengthening your bones, especially in your childhood and early adulthood years. It is recommended by experts that adults get between 1,000 and 1,500 mg of calcium a day. On average, people only consume between 500-600 mg of calcium from food and drink. Even those who focus on drinking milk every day are still likely to come up short on the recommended dosage. Therefore, you might have to add an additional calcium supplement to your daily vitamins.
2. Magnesium
Magnesium is the second most common mineral in the body. On top of that, it is an essential supplement for bone health. Studies have shown that people with higher intakes of magnesium have a higher bone mineral density. This is important because a higher bone density can reduce the risk of bone fractures and osteoporosis. There are a couple of different ways to increase your magnesium intake, through diet and additional supplements. Some foods that are high in magnesium include pumpkin seeds, almonds, spinach, cashews, soymilk, and oats. For a sweet treat, dark chocolate is also a great source of magnesium!
3. Vitamin D
If you think of calcium as the leading mineral for bone health, you can consider vitamin D as the conductor of the calcium train. Without an adequate amount of vitamin D, your body does not know how to deposit calcium into the bone. Therefore, no matter how much calcium you intake, without vitamin D it isn’t fully doing its job. In fact, too much calcium without absorption can lead to progressive thinning of bone density.
4. Vitamin K
As with some of the other vitamins on this list, low levels of vitamin K have been associated with an increased risk of bone fractures. While there is still research being done about the overall efficacy of vitamin K supplements when it comes to osteoporosis, it is still a good idea to eat foods that are high in vitamin K, such as leafy greens, broccoli, and Brussel sprouts.
Would you like to learn more ways to improve bone health? Visit our Indiana pharmacies today and we will be happy to answer any health questions that you may have. We look forward to speaking with you soon!
