What to eat for strong bones

“The views, opinions and recommendations expressed in this article are solely those of the author and intended as an educational aid. Please consult your doctor for professional advice concerning specific health/medical matters”

How do you know if you have bone loss? There are many signs. Receding gums, decreased grip strength, weak and brittle fingernails over time, consistent cramps and bone aches – all mean that perhaps your bones are less healthy than before. One of the risks of not having strong bones is osteoporosis, and ideally, you should eat healthy and work out to avoid that.

Ideally, bone health comes from a combination of calcium and Vitamin D. You need 700 mg of calcium as an adult woman. There are many good sources of calcium: dairy foods like milk, cheese, paneer, green vegetables like cabbage, okra and broccoli, soya products like beans, tofu and drinks, nuts, fish like sardines and pilchards, and most foods made with fortified flour.

Spinach appears to contain a lot of calcium, but it also has oxalic acid which prevents proper calcium absorption, and thus doesn’t make our list.

For Vitamin D, sunlight is the best source, with short periods in the sun without sunscreen on a daily basis in the early mornings help the body immensely. You could also take a daily Vitamin D supplement, but here are foods that help bones get stronger too. Oily fish like mackerel, salmon and sardines, eggs, fortified breakfast cereals and certain types of milk powders all get you closer to your Vitamin D requirement.

You can also stock up on Women’s Horlicks, a health drink designed for maintenance of healthy bones in women. It contains Calcium, Vitamin D and Vitamin K2, which are important nutrients for bone health.

“The views, opinions and recommendations expressed in this article are solely those of the author and intended as an educational aid. Please consult your doctor for professional advice concerning specific health/medical matters”

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