How to increase bone strength naturally

A bone is a living tissue made up of calcium, protein, other minerals, and water. Strong bones are essential for good health and wellbeing. This is because bones offer different benefits, including promoting coordination, improving balance, protecting internal organs, and supporting your muscles, thus helping form your shape. In this article, you’ll find out how to increase bone strength naturally, with tips on nutrition, exercise, and more that will not only help your bones stay healthy but also keep you feeling good.

Also see, How To Balance Cortisol Levels Naturally and How To Boost Metabolism Naturally.

The Process of Bone Formation

Bone development begins at about 10 weeks gestation and continues throughout childhood and puberty (13-18 years), with peak bone mass occurring between 25-30 years old. Research shows that building strong bone density early will lower your risk of developing osteoporosis later in life.

This is because, after 40 years, the body slowly begins to lose bone mass. This causes the bones to become weak, increasing the risk for easy fractures and osteoporosis.

However, you can easily slow bone loss by leading a healthy lifestyle like engaging in regular exercise and eating healthy diet.

How to Increase Bone Strength Naturally

1. Consume Adequate Amounts of Protein

Protein is an essential nutrient in promoting healthy bones. It helps increase bone mass during growth and preserves bone and muscle mass during aging. It offers a structural matrix of the bone and promotes intestinal calcium absorption, which increases bone density and protects against osteoporosis.

Protein makes up about 50 percent of the bone volume and one-third of its mass.

However, too much protein is believed to increase the acid load in the body, which causes calcium to leach out of the bones to neutralize it.

But not all proteins are the same, as some may have the ability to increase acid load levels. A diet rich in acid-ash protein such as meat, eggs, poultry, cheese, fish, and grains is known to increase acid load levels, while alkaline foods like fruits and vegetables do not affect it in any way..

Research suggests that combining acid-ash protein with alkaline foods like vegetables can help neutralize the effects.

On the other side, research has shown your acid load levels can stay low if consuming up to 100 grams of protein daily combined with other healthy calcium-rich plant foods.

2. Increase your fruit and vegetable intake

Fruits and vegetables are high in vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant protecting against cell damage and increasing bone cell formation.

Vitamin C is also essential for collagen formation. Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body, including bones, tendons, ligaments, cartilage, and skin.

Collagen gives structure to the bones and promotes their strength. Although the body can produce its own collagen, this decreases with age, hence the need for dietary supplementation. How To Eat More Vegetables.

Some vitamin C-rich foods include:

Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Kiwifruit
Bell peppers
Strawberries
Oranges
Papaya
Snow peas
Tomatoes
Kale

You can further increase your collagen levels by taking a collagen supplement.

3. Exercise regularly

Regular exercises, especially strength training and weight-bearing exercises have been shown to promote strong and healthy bones.

Weight-bearing exercises involve working against gravity, such as hiking, jogging, walking, dancing, playing tennis, and climbing the stairs. Strength training, on the other hand, works to improve strength and inductance. They include things like lifting weights.

In one study, older men and women doing weight-bearing exercises experienced increased bone mineral density, strength, and size with reduced bone inflammation.

Both strength training and resistance exercises have also been shown to increase bone mineral density in children with type 1 diabetes and those without. Benefits Of Exercise.

4. Increase dietary calcium intake

Calcium is the most essential and abundant mineral in the bone, with about 99% of total body calcium is found in the bones and teeth alone.

Calcium is essential for the development, growth, and maintenance of healthy bones.

A daily intake of 1000mg of calcium is sufficient for most people; however, teens and older women may require a slightly higher amount of 1300 mg and 1200 mg, respectively.

Calcium is, however, better absorbed when taken in smaller doses of not more than 500mg at a time. So spread your calcium-rich food or supplements throughout the day.

The best calcium-rich foods include:

Leafy greens like kale, spinach, turnips, and collard greens
Legumes
Dried fruit
Chia seeds
Almonds
Amaranth
Figs
Fortified foods

5. Get an adequate amount of vitamin D

Vitamin D is extremely important for the growth and development of strong bones.

It promotes phosphorus and calcium absorption, both of which are essential minerals for healthy bones.

Research shows that low vitamin D levels may reduce bone density and increase bone loss in adults and children compared to those with sufficient amounts.

Sunlight is the best source of vitamin D; however, one may take a supplement, especially if they don’t get enough sunlight or during the winter months. Benefits Of Sunlight.

6. Ensure enough intake of vitamin K

Vitamin K is an important nutrient for bone health. It helps the body to absorb calcium and phosphorus, two minerals that are essential for strong bones.

Vitamin K also helps to prevent bone loss and osteoporosis. And for those already with the condition, vitamin K can increase bone density in osteoporosis and lower the rate of fractures.

Vitamin K is found in leafy green vegetables, such as spinach and kale. It is also found in broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and other green vegetables.

Vitamin K is also found in fermented foods like sauerkraut, fermented foods, and soybean products like natto are the best to consume.

There are two forms of vitamin K: phylloquinone (also called vitamin K1) and menaquinone (also called vitamin K2). Both forms of vitamin K are important for bone health. Vitamin K2 is especially important for preventing osteoporosis.

7. Increase your magnesium and zinc intake

Magnesium is another essential mineral for healthy bones. It helps in the conversion of vitamin D to its active form that promotes calcium absorption.

In an observational study, consuming 400mg of magnesium daily recorded a 2-3% increase in bone density than those who consumed half the amount.

Adequate intake of magnesium may help reduce your risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures. However, it’s more beneficial to consume enough magnesium when the bones are still developing.

Magnesium deficiency contributes to osteoporosis and bone fractures. However, it’s important to get enough.

8. Include omega 3 rich foods in your diet

Omega 3 fatty acids promote dietary calcium absorption, enhance calcium utilization within the bones, and inhibit bone breakdown, especially in old age.

Furthermore, omega 3 plant sources have been shown to increase bone formation and decrease bone breakdown.

The best plant sources for omega 3 include walnuts, flaxseed, chia seeds, and avocado.

Omega 3 also helps balance out omega 6 fatty acids. Your omega 6:omega 3 ratios should be 4:1 or less.

9. Incorporate zinc-rich food

Zinc is a mineral that is important for many aspects of health, including bone health. It plays an important role in the formation and maintenance of bone tissue. It also helps the body to absorb calcium, which is another important mineral for bone health.

It also promotes the synthesis of collagen, which further improves bone health. Research shows that zinc may promote bone growth in children and increase bone density in old age.

Best plant sources of zinc include pumpkin seeds, flaxseed, and spinach. Are You Zinc Deficient?

In addition to eating zinc-rich foods, you can also take zinc supplements. Zinc supplements are available in both pill and liquid form. Talk to your doctor about whether taking a zinc supplement is right for you.

10. Quit smoking

There are many benefits to quitting smoking, including for your bones. Smoking is a major risk factor for osteoporosis, a condition that causes bones to become weak and brittle. Quitting smoking can help to reduce your risk of developing osteoporosis.

Smoking also increases your risk of fractures. This is because smoking decreases the amount of blood flow to the bones, which makes them more likely to break. Quitting smoking can help to improve blood flow to the bones and reduce your risk of fractures.

In addition, quitting smoking can also help to improve bone density. Bone density declines with age, but smoking accelerates this process. Quitting smoking can help to slow down the loss of bone density and keep your bones healthy as you age.

Overall, quitting smoking has many benefits for your bones. It can help to reduce your risk of osteoporosis, improve bone density, and reduce your risk of fractures. If you are a smoker, quitting is one of the best things you can do for your bone health.

11. Quit alcohol

Alcohol consumption can lead to many problems, including bone loss. When you drink alcohol, it interferes with calcium and vitamin D absorption in your gut. This can lead to a decrease in bone density and an increased risk of fractures.

Drinking alcohol also decreases the amount of estrogen in your body. Estrogen helps to keep bones strong and is important for general bone health. A decrease in estrogen can lead to osteoporosis, causing your bones to become weak and fragile.

If you are someone who is concerned about their bone health, then quitting alcohol may be a good option for you. Not only will it help to improve your overall health, but you will also be doing your bones a favor in the long run.

Talk to your doctor about ways to reduce your alcohol intake. Cutting back on alcohol can be difficult, but it is worth it for the sake of your health. There are many resources available to help you quit drinking, so there is no need to go through this process alone.

12. Manage your stress

Stress is a relatively recent addition to the list of factors that can lead to bone health problems. Stress can have many negative effects on an individual’s body, but its effect on bone density may be one of the most commonly overlooked.

When a person experiences stress, their body releases the hormone cortisol. Cortisol is a hormone that has different effects on the body, one of which is to break down bone tissue. This can lead to a decrease in bone density and an increased risk of fractures.

Stress can also

worsen the symptoms of osteoporosis
Delay in healing of fractures
Make it more difficult to build new bone tissue.
Interfere with the absorption of calcium and other minerals necessary for healthy bones.
Contribute to unhealthy lifestyle choices that further damage bone health, such as smoking, drinking too much alcohol, and eating a poor diet.

Tips for Managing Stress in Your Daily Life

Get regular exercise: Exercise is a great way to reduce stress levels. It can help to improve your mood and give you more energy.
Make time for yourself: Make sure to schedule some time each day for yourself. This can be used for relaxation, hobbies, or anything else that you enjoy.
Eat healthy: Eating a healthy diet can help to reduce stress levels. Make sure to eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Avoid processed foods and sugary drinks.
Get enough sleep: Sleep is important for overall health and well-being. Make sure to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep each night.
Talk to someone: If you’re feeling overwhelmed by stress, talk to someone who can help. This could be a friend, family member, therapist, or counselor.

Final Thoughts

Bone health is an essential aspect of health that you should never ignore, regardless of age or health status. That being said, there are healthy practices that can help you enhance bone health or improve your strength and density.

These include consuming enough protein, increasing your vegetable intake, exercising regularly, increasing calcium intake, improving your weight, getting enough vitamin D, consuming omega 3 rich foods, and increasing your magnesium and zinc intake.

How to increase bone strength naturally

The Process of Bone Formation