When you consider constructing robust bones, a picture of somebody sipping on a tall glass of milk may come to thoughts. We’ve been educated since childhood to equate calcium with skeletal energy, and dairy milk is the darling of the calcium-containing meals world.
Whereas calcium is, undoubtedly, the reigning monarch of bone minerals, it doesn’t work alone. In actual fact, with out a supporting solid of different important vitamins, calcium can’t do its job successfully. Fortunately, vitamin D has been getting extra consideration in recent times, and many individuals now acknowledge simply how essential it’s for guaranteeing your physique can truly use the calcium you devour. However calcium and vitamin D are solely items of a broader dietary basis that’s important for constructing and sustaining robust, wholesome bones.
This dietary teamwork turns into much more vital as you age, significantly for girls. Throughout perimenopause and menopause, the decline in estrogen ranges accelerates bone loss, which might enhance the chance of osteoporosis, a situation that makes bones weak and extra prone to break. In actual fact, girls can lose as much as 20% of their bone density within the 5 to seven years following menopause, and roughly one in two girls over age 50 will break a bone due to osteoporosis.
As a registered dietitian with a powerful household historical past of osteoporosis, bone well being is greater than only a skilled focus. It’s private. I’ve spent years not solely serving to my sufferers shield their bones, but in addition studying methods to fortify my very own to scale back the chance of fractures (or worse) later in life. What I’ve realized is that this: Constructing a resilient skeleton takes extra than simply popping a complement or ingesting the occasional glass of milk. It requires quite a lot of key vitamins that work collectively to help your bones. And whereas weight loss plan is only one piece of the puzzle (motion, genetics, and life-style elements additionally play a task), what you place in your plate issues immensely.
So what else must you be searching for in a bone well being weight loss plan? Three underrated energy gamers: boron, vitamin Ok, and zinc. These vitamins work alongside calcium and vitamin D to maintain your bones robust and wholesome. Let’s dive into why they matter—and methods to get extra of them.
Boron
Boron doesn’t get a lot PR, however on the planet of bone metabolism, it’s a quiet powerhouse. It acts as a facilitator, serving to your physique make the most of different bone-building vitamins extra successfully.
