How to Keep Bones and Joints Healthy?

Bones play many roles in the body — providing structure, protecting organs, anchoring muscles and storing calcium. While it’s important to build strong and healthy bones during childhood and adolescence, you can take steps during adulthood to protect bone health, too.

Why is bone health important?

Your bones are continuously changing — new bone is made and old bone is broken down. When you’re young, your body makes new bone faster than it breaks down old bone, and your bone mass increases. Most people reach their peak bone mass around age 30. After that, bone remodeling continues, but you lose slightly more bone mass than you gain.

How likely you are to develop osteoporosis — a condition that causes bones to become weak and brittle — depends on how much bone mass you attain by the time you reach age 30 and how rapidly you lose it after that. The higher your peak bone mass, the more bone you have “in the bank” and the less likely you are to develop osteoporosis as you age.

What affects bone health

A number of factors can affect bone health. For example:

• The amount of calcium in your diet. A diet low in calcium contributes to diminished bone density, early bone loss and an increased risk of fractures.
• Physical activity. People who are physically inactive have a higher risk of osteoporosis than do their more-active counterparts.
• Tobacco and alcohol use. Research suggests that tobacco use contributes to weak bones. Similarly, regularly having more than one alcoholic drink a day for women or two alcoholic drinks a day for men may increase the risk of osteoporosis.
• Sex. You’re at greater risk of osteoporosis if you’re a woman, because women have less bone tissue than do men.
• Size. You’re at risk if you are extremely thin (with a body mass index of 19 or less) or have a small body frame because you might have less bone mass to draw from as you age.
• Age. Your bones become thinner and weaker as you age.
• Race and family history. You’re at greatest risk of osteoporosis if you’re white or of Asian descent. In addition, having a parent or sibling who has osteoporosis puts you at greater risk — especially if you also have a family history of fractures.
• Hormone levels. Too much thyroid hormone can cause bone loss. In women, bone loss increases dramatically at menopause due to dropping estrogen levels. Prolonged absence of menstruation (amenorrhea) before menopause also increases the risk of osteoporosis. In men, low testosterone levels can cause a loss of bone mass.
• Eating disorders and other conditions. Severely restricting food intake and being underweight weakens bone in both men and women. In addition, weight-loss surgery and conditions such as celiac disease can affect your body’s ability to absorb calcium.
• Certain medications. Long-term use of corticosteroid medications, such as prednisone, cortisone, prednisolone and dexamethasone, is damaging to bone. Other drugs that might increase the risk of osteoporosis include aromatase inhibitors to treat breast cancer, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, methotrexate, some anti-seizure medications, such as phenytoin (Dilantin) and phenobarbital, and proton pump inhibitors.

What can I do to keep my bones healthy?

You can take a few simple steps to prevent or slow bone loss. For example:

• Include plenty of calcium in your diet. For adults ages 19 to 50 and men ages 51 to 70, the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) is 1,000 milligrams (mg) of calcium a day. The recommendation increases to 1,200 mg a day for women age 51 and older and for men age 71 and older.Good sources of calcium include dairy products, almonds, broccoli, kale, canned salmon with bones, sardines and soy products, such as tofu. If you find it difficult to get enough calcium from your diet, ask your doctor about supplements.
• Pay attention to vitamin D and vitamin K2. Your body needs vitamin D to absorb calcium. For adults ages 19 to 70, the RDA of vitamin D is 600 international units (IUs) a day. The recommendation increases to 800 IUs a day for adults age 71 and older.Good sources of vitamin D include oily fish, such as salmon, trout, whitefish and tuna. Additionally, mushrooms, eggs and fortified foods, such as milk and cereals, are good sources of vitamin D. Sunlight also contributes to the body’s production of vitamin D. If you’re worried about getting enough vitamin D, ask your doctor about supplements.Vitamin K2 supports bone health by modifying osteocalcin, a protein involved in bone formation. This modification enables osteocalcin to bind to minerals in bones and helps prevent the loss of calcium from bones.
• Include physical activity in your daily routine. Weight-bearing exercises, such as walking, jogging, and climbing stairs, can help you build strong bones and slow bone loss.
• Avoid substance abuse. Don’t smoke. If you are a woman, avoid drinking more than one alcoholic drink each day. If you are a man, avoid drinking more than two alcoholic drinks a day.

5 Foods That Weaken Bones

1. Alcohol

When you drink, alcohol acts like a calcium-blocker, preventing the bone-building minerals you eat from being absorbed. And heavy drinking disrupts the bone remodeling process by preventing osteoblasts, the bone-building cells, from doing their job. So not only do bones become weaker, but when you break a bone, alcohol can interfere with healing.

What to drink instead: Choose wines and beers that are lower in alcohol; they can taste just as good and aren’t as hard on bones. Limit yourself to one alcoholic drink a day, then switch to water, tea, or juice.

2. Soft Drinks

The fizziness in carbonated drinks often comes from phosphoric acid, which ups the rate at which calcium is excreted in the urine. At the same time, soft drinks fill you up and satisfy your thirst without providing any of the nutrients you might get from milk or juice.

What to drink instead: Milk or calcium- and vitamin D-fortified soy milk or orange juice. Fruit smoothies made with yogurt also contain some calcium and vitamin D. Or plain old water, as long as you’re getting enough calcium and vitamin D from your diet.

3. Salt

Over time, salt wakens bones by sapping calcium from the bone matrix. For every 2,300 milligrams of sodium you take in, you lose about 40 milligrams of calcium, dietitians say. Our American diet is unusually salt-heavy; many of us ingest 5,000 milligrams of salt a day, more than double the amount recommended. Where salt hides: In canned soup, canned and bottled sauces, deli meats, frozen meals, canned vegetables, store-bought baked goods, pizza, and fast food such as burgers and fries.

What to eat instead: Freshly prepared home-cooked food, so you can control the saltiness. Most of us get just 25 percent of our daily salt from table salt — all the rest comes from processed and prepackaged foods.

4.  Hydrogenated Oils

The process of hydrogenation, which turns liquid vegetable oil into the solid oils used in commercial baking, destroys the vitamin K naturally found in the oils. But vitamin K is essential for strong bones, and vegetable oils such as canola and olive oil are the second-best dietary source of this key nutrient, after green leafy vegetables.

What to eat instead: Popeye got it right; you get strong by eating greens. Dark green leafy vegetables such as kale, spinach, collard greens and Swiss chard are the best source of vitamin K so eat plenty of them to get the full benefit of this bone-boosting nutrient. Avoid hydrogenated fats by baking your own baked goods or buying bread and pastries from bakeries and bake shops that don’t use them. Keep in mind, though, that the amounts of vitamin K in healthy oils are still tiny — one tablespoon of canola oil has 20 micrograms. Meanwhile, one serving of spinach has 120 micrograms. So if you eat plenty of greens, you’re probably in the clear as far as vitamin K goes.

5. Vitamin A-Rich Foods

Recent research shows that while average amounts of vitamin A — found in eggs, full-fat dairy products, liver, and vitamin-fortified foods — are beneficial for vision and the immune system, you can get too much of a good thing. Postmenopausal women, in particular, seem to be susceptible to vitamin A overload; one study found that women whose intake was higher than 5,000 IUs had more than double the fracture rate of women whose intake was less than 1,600 IUs a day. The American diet is naturally high in vitamin A, and most multivitamins also contain vitamin A, so it’s possible to get much more than the recommended allotment of 5,000 IUs (international units) a day — which many experts think is too high anyway.

What to eat instead: Switch to low-fat or nonfat dairy products only, and eat egg whites rather than whole eggs (all the vitamin A is in the yolk). Also check your multivitamin, and if it’s high in vitamin A, consider switching to one that isn’t.

The best food for healthy Joint

Seeds and Nuts

Seeds and nuts are packed with healthy Omega-3 fatty acids known to fight inflammation and help reduce it in your connective tissue and joints. Great options include almonds, walnuts, pine nuts, flax seeds, and chia seeds.

Cold water Fish

Cold water fish offers an excellent source of Omega-3 fatty acids, too. Beyond reducing inflammation, these nutrients can lower the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and other health conditions. You can add fish such as halibut, tuna, salmon, or trout to your diet or a daily fish oil supplement.

Fruit

Many fruits have powerful antioxidants that reduce inflammation in the body which helps joint pain. Blueberries are one that have strong flavonoids that turn the inflammatory response in your body off. Pineapple also contains a strong element, bromelain, which is shown to relieve joint pain that comes with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. Tomatoes have the antioxidant lycopene that provides improvements for this physical health concern, too.

Cruciferous Veggies

Cruciferous veggies include brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and broccoli. These foods have been found to block enzymes that result in swelling of the joints. They’re also packed with a great dose of vitamins and minerals.

Beans and Lentils

Pinto beans, chickpeas, black beans, soybeans, and lentils all include anthocyanins, a flavonoid that helps reduce inflammation in your body. Beans and lentils also provide a great source of essential minerals, fiber, and protein.

Olive Oil

Oils such as peanut oil, vegetable oil, and sunflower oil can increase inflammation levels. Olive oil, however, is an excellent substitute for salad dressings or cooking. It’s a healthy fat and packed with those inflammation-fighting Omega-3s.

Whole Grains

While the proteins in refined grains can trigger the body’s inflammatory response, whole grains may help counteract it. Grains recommended for reduced inflammation and joint pain includes whole oats, rye, barley, and whole wheat.

Root Veggies and Garlic

The aromatic root vegetables such as onions, garlic, turmeric, and ginger are all known for their anti-inflammatory properties. They can treat joint pain and other symptoms of arthritis. Root veggies and garlic can be added to meals for additional flavor while boosting joint health.

Dark Chocolate

Dark chocolate is delicious and great for joint paint because cocoa contains antioxidants that counteract inflammation. The key is to choose chocolate with a high percentage of cocoa and to indulge in moderation.

Inflammatory Foods to Avoid

Along with knowing which foods to add to your diet for healthier joints, it’s also vital to know what to avoid. Certain foods can increase inflammation in your body and joint pain. Inflammatory foods you should limit or steer clear of include:

• Processed foods
• Fried foods
• Oils high in Omega-6 fatty acids or saturated fats
• Sugar and refined carbohydrates

Reference : mayoclinic.org