Minerals For Strong Bones: Bone health is becoming increasingly important to adults and children due to changes in eating habits and the use of more packaged and processed foods. These are the nutrients that will help you have strong bones.
Our body needs both vitamins and minerals for proper growth and functioning. The minerals which are required essentially by the body are termed essential minerals. Based on the amount they are needed, essential minerals are divided into macrominerals and trace minerals (microminerals).
| Sodium | Proper fluid balance, nerve transmission, and muscle contraction |
| Chloride | Proper fluid balance, stomach acid |
| Potassium | Proper fluid balance, nerve transmission, and muscle contraction |
| Calcium | Healthy bones and teeth, muscles relaxation and contraction, nerve functioning, blood clotting, blood pressure regulation |
| Phosphorus | Healthy bones and teeth, maintains acid-base balance |
| Magnesium | Making protein, muscle contraction, nerve transmission |
Trace minerals (microminerals):
| Iron | Part of a molecule (hemoglobin) found in red blood cells that carries oxygen in the body, needed for energy metabolism |
| Zinc | Needed for making protein and genetic material, taste perception, wound healing, normal fetal development, production of sperm, normal growth and sexual maturation, immune system health |
| Iodine | Helps to regulate growth, development, and metabolism |
| Selenium | Antioxidant |
| Copper | Needed for iron metabolism |
| Manganese | Part of many enzymes |
| Fluoride | Involved in the formation of bones and teeth, preventing tooth decay |
| Chromium | Regulates blood sugar (glucose) levels |
| Molybdenum | Part of some enzymes |
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Therefore, Nmami Agarwal suggests the following three vital nutrients for stronger bones:
Calcium
You are all probably aware of how important calcium is for your bones. A low calcium diet can result in reduced bone density and put you at higher risk of bone fractures. Calcium is also an important mineral required for the proper functioning of cells. Calcium cannot be synthesized by the body. So, in the case of a calcium-deficit diet, your body takes calcium from bones.
It is thus important to get your daily dose of calcium from your diet. Dairy products are a rich source of calcium. Try and include milk, yogurt, curd, cottage cheese, cheese, etc in your diet. In case you are lactose intolerant, you can switch to non-dairy sources of calcium like soy, tofu, almonds, spinach, and sesame seeds to name a few.
Vitamin D
Strong bones require vitamin D from sunshine. When the body is exposed to sunshine, it is synthesized. A lack of vitamin D will impair your body’s ability to absorb calcium, which can lead to osteoporosis in adults and rickets in children. For your body to obtain enough vitamin D Minerals For Strong Bones, you should also expose it to sunlight and include foods such as milk, egg yolks, mushrooms, and fatty fish like mackerel, tuna, and salmon in your diet.
Vitamin K
Minerals For Strong Bones Maintaining strong bones and lowering the incidence of fractures require vitamin K. Calcium from building up in the lining of arterial walls and artery hardening are both prevented by vitamin K. The protein osteocalcin is activated with the aid of vitamin K. Osteocalcin fortifies bone structure and aids in the absorption of calcium by bones. For stronger bones, include foods high in vitamin K to your diet, such as avocado, yogurt, kale, spinach, and kiwis.
