You do not need to be an expert in the medical world or the vitamin and supplement community to know that calcium is one of the most important minerals for healthy bones. You have been hearing how important it is to �drink your milk�, most likely, since you were a young child. It really is nothing to sneeze at or take lightly, however. Most people do not pay enough mind to the fact that eventually, decrease in bone density can lead to osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis is a serious bone disease that can actually lead to bone breakage if it progresses long enough for the bones to be very weak. Because it is a progressive disease and not one that causes alarm right away, sometimes people don’t believe osteoporosis to be �serious’ since it has a gradual onset of symptoms. While there is no immediate life-threatening situation when someone is diagnosed with osteoporosis, it can really hamper the quality of a person’s life. There are so many things that can be done to prevent the development of this disease, including proper supplementation, so that one’s bones stay healthy and strong even later in life. Even if you are not a likely candidate for osteoporosis, it makes good sense to care for your bones properly early on so that you keep them strong and healthy for life.
Calcium supports bone density and promotes healing. While it is true that milk and other dairy products contain a significant amount of calcium, you may not be able to get all of the calcium you need from dairy products alone. Especially the case if you are a vegetarian, you may need to look to other healthy foods such as broccoli and fortified orange juice to get your dietary sources of calcium. However, it will still be especially important for you to take a calcium supplement if you fall into this category. Broccoli and fortified orange juice may contain good amounts of calcium, but you will likely not be able to eat enough broccoli or drink enough O.J. to get your recommended daily allowance of calcium.
Vitamin D is another very important vitamin for healthy and strong bones. It occurs naturally with sunshine, so spending plenty of time outdoors will help provide you with the vitamin D you need for healthy bones. While outside activity in the sun can be a wonderful and fun source of Vitamin D, you will likely not get enough of it without supplementation. Vitamin D supplements can easily be incorporated into your routine. Luckily, many foods are often fortified with Vitamin D as well, so it is more difficult to fall short of the RDA with this particular vitamin. Again, dairy products contain a significant amount and milk-drinkers tend to get more vitamin D naturally than others, but a supplement is always a good alternative to consider.
Keeping up your protein consumption, and also increasing your Vitamin C and Vitamin K intake, can also help keep your bones stronger and stave off the onset of osteoporosis. Because the body loses vitamin C quite easily with the amount of free radicals in the environment today, a supplement is a very good idea here. It is also good to supplement with vitamin K, which helps with blood coagulation among other things. Many people are uncertain as to whether their diet provides sufficient amounts of this important vitamin. It is very rare to be deficient in vitamin K; however, the main source of it in the diet comes from green leafy vegetables. If you don’t eat a lot of greens, make sure to look into supplementation.
Another important, although secondary supplement for bones, is called glucosamine and chondroitin. These are actually two different supplements that are generally sold in a compound as one. While they do not promote bone health and healing directly, they are very helpful with joint pain associated with age and increased activity level. Because they help to support the surrounding joints and ligaments, it is useful to supplement with glucosamine and chondroitin, especially if you are an active individual. A 1500 mg daily supplement is all you need, and you should be able to feel the difference in a couple short months.
All of these supplements can help with bone density and healing. The best thing you can do to help yourself is to take a healthy approach to your lifestyle and not expect supplementation to �magically’ transform you. Supplements can do a great deal to help an already healthy body, or to correct slight problems with your regimen. However, if you start with a �clean slate’, so to speak, you will be that much better off with your supplementation. Make sure you exercise � including activities with impact and weight-bearing routines � and eat well. You will be on your way to strong, healthy bones in no time.
