Osteopenia

Top Bone Health Essentials Shared by a Registered Dietitian

By Karan Naidoo

Approximately 206 bones and cartilages are found in the human body. Due to the fragility of the living bone, proper care for the bones is important. Failure to take care of your bones might lead to osteoporosis and fractures. On a more positive note, strengthening bones and preventing osteoporosis can be done through proactive measures. Carroll Reider, a Los Angeles-based registered dietitian, shared that we need to go beyond the available amount of calcium, diet and exercise to make our bones stronger and healthier. Our diet must also incorporate other key nutrients.

Reider shared five nutrients she considered as the most important in bone-building:
- Calcium. It helps in keeping our bones healthy and strong. If you also take a sufficient amount of calcium, you will also have less risk of suffering from osteoporosis.
- Vitamin D. So calcium can be absorbed easily, intake of Vitamin D is also necessary. For your bones and teeth to be normally developed and maintained, regular intake of Vitamin D is highly recommended.
- Vitamin K. Two important proteins found in all bones would highlight the importance of Vitamin K.
- Phosphorus. Phosphorus also plays an important role in maintaining the health of our bones.
- B vitamins. Regulating homocysteine levels is one of the benefits of taking B vitamins. The negative effect of high homocysteine levels on bone health has been emphasized in several studies.

Vitamins C and E, magnesium, zinc, copper, manganese, and boron are also some of the nutrients Reider cited as bone helpers. Reider also shared that although relying on food for all of these nutrients is more practical, following it spells several difficulties.