Selasa, 09 Maret 2010

5 Amazing Foods That Will Help Strengthen Your Bones

5 Amazing Foods That Will Help Strengthen Your BonesWithout our bones we wouldn’t be able to sit, stand, walk or do any other sort of movement. Even though our bones allow us to move, keeping them healthy so as to avoid breakage or shrinkage is really important in order to maintain a certain level of activity. Exercise is a great way to keep your bones healthy, but the truth is, many people don’t have the time, let alone the motivation required for daily exercise. Another way to keep your bones healthy is by changing your diet.

Calcium is the number one way to keep your bones healthy. Because our bones continually break down, and build up, they need a continual supply of calcium, one of the basic building blocks of strong and healthy bones. Just one 8 ounce glass of milk contains 300 milligrams of calcium. It doesn’t even matter if it’s skim, low fat or whole milk either. They all contain calcium. There are other great sources of calcium also. Here are 5 amazing foods that will help strengthen your bones.

Yogurt – Yogurt is a great alternate source of calcium for people who don’t like milk. One cup of yogurt has the same amount of calcium found in an 8 ounce glass of milk. Because the amount of calcium isn’t reduced when lactose is removed from yogurt, if you don’t drink milk because you are lactose-intolerant, you can try lactose-free or lactose-reduced yogurt and still reap all the calcium benefits.

Vegetables – Vegetables are loaded with all sorts of nutrients that are excellent for your bones. Two of the best sources of calcium-rich vegetables are spinach and broccoli. Of course, fresh is always better. When any food is processed, the amount of vital nutrients and vitamins they contain are reduced, so always reach for fresh when it’s available. And try not to over-cook them either, because this can reduce the levels even more.

Fish – Fish is a great source of calcium and vitamin D. In case you didn’t know, your body can’t absorb calcium on its own. It needs vitamin D in order to be able to absorb the calcium. Fish is a great source of both. The fatty oils found in fish have been known to reduce bone loss. It’s important to avoid fish that contains high levels of mercury which can be extremely harmful to the heart, brain, and kidneys. Mercury will also weaken the immune system.

Nuts and Seeds – Nuts and seeds are great because they not only help to keep your bones healthy by providing calcium, certain ones like almonds and peanuts contain potassium which helps to prevent the loss of calcium.

Fortified Foods – Fortified foods are foods that are enhances with essential vitamins and minerals that are great for overall health; this includes calcium for healthy bones. By adding additional nutrients and minerals to the existing levels already present in food, the benefits you get from them are greater.

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