This is the Year of Prevention and Maintenance. : Do You Know if You Have Healthy Bones?

Health Tip - Bone Health

What is Bone health?

What is Bone? there are two types of bone found in the body -

Cortical and Trabecular

Cortical bone is dense and compact. It forms the outer layer of the bone.

Trabecular bone makes up the inner layer of the bone and has a spongy, honeycomb-like structure.

Bone Facts:

Did you know that the body stops building Bone around age 30.

Did you know that consuming soda (colas) seven or more times a week can weaken your Bones?

Did you know that extreme or rapid weight loss can cause harm to the Bones?

Did you know that some medications can be bad on the Bones?

Do you know how many Bones are in your body?

There are 206 Bones in the adult body and 350 Bones in infants (bones are fused together as you grow).

The Axial Skeleton:

Cranial Bones - 8
Facial Bones -14
Ossicles - 6
Hyoid bone - 1
Vertebral column (cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacrum, and coccyx) - 26
Bones of the thorax (sternum and ribs) - 25

The Appendicular Skeleton:

Shoulder girdles (clavicles and scapulae) - 4
Upper limbs: arms (humerus), forearms (clavicles and scapulae), and hands (carpus, digits, and metacarpus) - 60
Hip girdle - 2
Lower limbs: (femur, patella, tibia, fibula, tarsus, digits, and metatarsus) - 60

Total: 206

All the Bones support and maintain our body making the adult human skeleton.

Foods to avoid for Healthy Bones:

High sodium foods - reduces calcium in the bone
Sugary snacks - inhibits calcium in the body
Carbonated beverage "Cola" - reduces bone minerals (7 or more a week)
Caffeinated foods and drinks - leaches calcium from the bones
Alcohol - reduces bone mass and decrease bone formation increase fractures and slow healing
Cigarette smoking - nicotine, carbon monoxide and tar restrains the secretion of hormones
Legumes - contributes to preventing calcium absorption in the body
Inflammation foods (nightshades vegetables-white potatoes, mushrooms, tomatoes, sweet and hot peppers, egg plants, etc.)- cause bone inflammation
Raw spinach & Swiss chard - contain oxalic acid which can bind up the calcium and make it unavailable to the body

How to maintain Healthy Bones:

Dairy (rich in calcium and easy to digest)

Milk, Dairy and Fish promotes strong bones.

How much Calcium do you really need? According to the Institute of Medicine we need:

0-6 months - 210mg a day
7-12 months - 270mg a day
1-3 years - 500mg a day
4-8 years - 800mg a day
9-18 years - 1,300mg a day
19-50 years - 1,000mg a day
50+ years - 1,200mg a day

The question is how does your body get the Calcium it needs?

One or two ways through foods you eat or supplement's you can take.

Sunlight Vitamin D
Helps Build Strong Bones

Hangout in the Sun, no more than 15 minutes at a time.

Vitamin D is another critical nutrient that helps the body absorb calcium and regulates calcium in the blood.

Good sources of Vitamin D:

Fortified milk
Eggs
Cheese
Fortified cereal
Butter
Margarine
Cream
Fish
Shrimp
Oysters

The best source of Calcium is through food. The body is able to absorb more calcium from food than it can from supplements.

Fish/Omega oils & calcium

Seeds (calcium/magnesium)

Nuts (rich in alpha linolenic acid/omega-3 fatty acid)

Spinach

Turnip Mustard Kale
Cabbage
Leafy greens (calcium, magnesium and vitamin K)

Tap water (fluoride)

Beans

Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

Exercise (for lifelong bone health is the Key)

Exercise promotes Bone growth and strengthens the Bone but it can also, have a negative effect on the Bones and joints if too vigorous, it can destroy cartridge.

Information is Power!

More to come on the effects of Bad Bone Health...

For more information go to www.webMD.com, www.ask.com. www.livestrong.com, www.niams.nih.gov, www.everydayhealth.com, www.1howmany.com,
www.prime.preta.org, www.helpguide.org, or www.lifescript.com