05 May The best nutrition for bone health
Have you thought about what you should be eating or drinking for your bones? In this blog we outline the key reasons why should be thinking about this and the best nutrition tips to look after your bone health.
Why you should be thinking about your bone nutrition at any age
It is worth considering your bone health and ways that you can optimise it at any stage in life. Conditions like osteoporosis, where your bones become very fragile and are more likely to break, can develop later in life, which puts your physical health at risk. The key time to build bone density is during years where rapid growth is occurring, such as childhood, adolescence and early adulthood. Those with higher peak bone mass when younger will be better protected from bone related conditions later in life. For most people, your bone mass (or the amount of bone tissue in your skeleton) peaks in late twenties. By the time we reach the age of 40, we slowly begin losing bone mass. This is another critical time to consider how you can influence your bone health to slow this process down.
What is the key nutrients to help your bones
There are a number of key nutrients that support healthy bone mass, whether that is developing it to reach the maximum it can, or reducing the rate it is being lost. Here are the two important nutrients for bone health:
Calcium
Calcium is the key nutrient related to bone health. The skeleton is the storage house of calcium, so when we have an insufficient intake we will need to remove calcium from our bones, causing them to become weaker.
The amount of calcium we need will vary based on the stage of life we are in. Generally, the Recommended Daily Intake of Calcium is between 1,000 – 1,300mg/day. The upper end of this is recommended during key times, such as adolescence, menopause and once over the age of 70 years old.
Dairy foods are our best source of calcium. A serve (or 200mL) of milk contains about 240mg of calcium. Fortified soy milk will contain a similar amount. Alternatives to these, such as oat, almond or rice contain very negligible amounts and are generally not suitable sources. A serve (or 150g) of yoghurt contains about 200mg of calcium. Again, soy alternatives are a great option as well. Lastly, cheeses are another dairy food containing calcium. Hard cheeses, such as cheddar, will have approximately 160mg per slice.
Variety of intake is important to reach various nutrition goals. Some other foods contain decent serves of calcium, which include tofu, broccoli, sardines, some canned fish, almonds, beans and lentils.
Vitamin D
Another important nutrient to consider is Vitamin D. This key nutrient helps us increase our absorption of calcium. Our key source of Vitamin D is exposure to sunlight. The amount of time in the sun to reach our requirements will vary based on the time of year. The map below outlines what is the recommended sun exposure we should be getting in Australia. While sunlight is our best and key source of Vitamin D, there are a range of foods that contain a small amount. In particular, egg yolks, oily fish and some fortified products, like milk, margarines and cereal, will also contain some to help support our requirements.
If this is a key area of concern, then consulting with a health profession is advisable for more tailored advice.
Alex Stone
Alex is currently the head Dietitian/Nutritionist for the Hawthorn Football Club (AFL and AFLW)
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References:
https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/staying-healthy/healthy-bones-at-every-age/