5 Health tips for stronger bones

Healthier bones contribute a great deal to a healthy body. Building strong bones now may protect you from osteoporosis later. Here are some quick tips for keeping your bones strong and healthy.

Vitamin D and Calcium: Lactose from the milk is important. For those with Lactose intolerance, Vitamin D and calcium can be obtained from soy milk that is fortified with 30% of the daily value of calcium and vitamin D. Fortified cereals, broccoli and fortified juices also are a good source of calcium.

Nuts and Seeds: Apart from dairy products, eating nuts and seeds is also beneficial as they are a good source of minerals. For example, one ounce of almonds contains 75mg of calcium while 1 ounce of sesame seeds contains 37mg of calcium.

Vegetables: Eating a variety of beta-carotene rich vegetables helps in meeting the bones vitamin A requirement. Beta-carotene rich vegetables include carrots, sweet potatoes and cantaloupe.

Vitamin-K: A serving of spinach or two servings of broccoli help meet the requirement. Vitamin K is also essential for healthier bones.

Exercise Regularly: Apart from eating well it is also important to exercise. Weight-bearing exercises such as walking, aerobics, basketball and weightlifting also help keep the bones strong.

Vital at every age for healthy bones, exercise is important for treating and preventing osteoporosis. Not only does exercise improve your bone health, it also increases muscle strength, coordination, and balance, and it leads to better overall health.

For those eating calcium supplements and suffer from gastrointestinal issues after starting supplements, first try eating more fibre and drinking more fluids.