The Importance of Strong, Healthy Bones
By Stephen R. Farris
Strong bones are essential for our muscles and joints. Remember when you were young and your mom told you to drink plenty of milk to help build strong bones? Milk contains calcium and Vitamin D, so that was probably good she told you that.
Our bones are continuously working, building new and tearing down the old. This process usually continues until about 30 years old, then it begins to decline and that's why it's necessary to keep your bones strong and in working order the older we get.
There are things that can affect our ability to ensure our bones stay healthy and strong, like not getting enough calcium in our diet and not staying physically active. There's a whole list of things that can have an adverse effect on bones, so let's take a quick look.
Using Tobacco and Drinking Alcohol
Overall, neither tobacco nor alcohol is good for your body, much less your bones. Tobacco use can weaken our bones the longer it's used, while more than a couple of drinks per day (men and women) can lead to osteoporosis.
When Hormones Factor In
An overabundance of thyroid hormones can lead to a loss in bone mass. Women who are low in estrogen can lose bone mass quickly, especially after menopause. And in guys, low testosterone is the culprit when it comes to losing bone mass.
Problems Eating Right
People with eating disorders or those who have had weight-loss surgeries and stomach surgeries, among other digestion and intestinal related diseases, are more prone to develop bone problems due to the ability to properly absorb calcium.
Other factors may be the medications you take, gender, age, race, family history and size, to name just a few more.
However, you can work to maintain good bones by making sure you are getting enough calcium and Vitamin D in your diet, exercising regularly and making it a point to decrease or cut out completely the use of tobacco and consumption of alcohol. The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of calcium for men between the ages of 19-70 is 1,000 milligrams and 1,200 mg for women over 50. That number is also recommended for men over the age of 70 as well. Vitamin D is needed to help your body absorb calcium.
When your back and joints are feeling pained, check out the chiropractors at The Joint Chiropractic, drop in any of their nearly 500 locations nationwide -- no appointment is necessary.
To learn more about your health, wellness and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Avon, Ohio.