Did you know, by the age of 30, new bone formation begins to slow down, resulting in thinning of bone and stiffness in the joints? Our bones are living tissues that are constantly changing their structure and composition.
Keeping Your Bones Strong and Healthy
As our bodies grow, old bone is constantly being reabsorbed and new bones are being created. As we get older, it takes a lot more effort to keep our bones stronger than it did when we were younger. Regular exercise and a healthy diet can go a very long way towards helping to keep our bones strong and the rest of our body healthy. In order to make sure your bones and your joints are able to remain strong, it is important to get the right nutrition in your diet. Here are some of the best foods around to help make sure your body has all the nutrients it needs to stay as strong as possible.
Support Healthy Joints
As exercise has always been said to help strengthen your body, it can also provide stimulus for the bone formation process, but you also need to keep in mind nutrition is just as important as exercise so your body has the necessary raw materials to build strong bones and joints. In order to have areas to rebuild, your body needs to be actively used. That is where the exercise comes in. Then, the nutritional side comes in, as your body takes the nutrients from what you eat, and creates the new cells that fill in the areas that exercise creates.
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Our Atlanta orthopedic doctors have compiled a list of foods that will provide the right kind of nutrition for your joints. Here are some of the best items to try and include in your diet on a regular basis:
- Fish: Certain types of fatty fish, such as tuna, salmon, herring, and mackerel are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Adding about 3-4 ounces, twice a week, can significantly benefit those suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. The fatty acids reduce inflammation and help to cushion your joints, making them less painful to move.
- Soy-Based Foods: Soy-based foods are high in protein and fiber, are low in fat, plus have many anti-inflammatory benefits, can help reduce some joint pain. Examples of these foods include tofu and edamame.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Olive oil, even in its pure form, has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. By adding this oil into your diet, your body produces an increase in levels that create bone formation markers like osteocalcin. Even using olive oil as the base for anything you cook on the stove can give you some of these benefits.
- Cherries: If gout is a problem you currently have to manage, according to research studies, the anthocyanins found in cherries can help reduce gout attacks! Try adding them into your diet one or two times per week and see if your gout pain is decreased.
- Dairy Products: Cheese and yogurt, which are low-fat milk products, are packed with plenty of calcium and vitamin D. When these two nutrients combine, they can help increase bone strength. Implementing these dairy products into your diet are best for those with osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. You should make sure to get at least two or three servings of dairy on a daily basis.
- Dark Green Vegetables: Calcium is one of the most important minerals for strong bones and is found in large quantities in dark, green leafy vegetables such as kale, collard greens, spinach, and Chinese cabbage. These should be a big part of your vegetable intake of four or more servings per day.
- Sweet Potatoes: Sweet Potatoes provide a rich source of potassium and magnesium, which can help boost bone health.
- Grapefruit: Not only is this fruit packed in a high amount of vitamin C, an important vitamin that helps prevent bone loss. Ideally, you should have one of these at least 3-4 days per week, if not on a daily basis.
- Broccoli: Besides containing a high amount of vitamins C and K, broccoli also contains the compound sulforaphane, which helps slow down the progression of osteoarthritis.
- Green Tea: This is a great tea to implement into your diet as studies have shown that green tea is packed with antioxidants that reduce inflammation and minimizes the destruction of cartilage. Green tea could be the main beverage you have every day, and it could help your body feel better in many facets, from helping decrease inflammation to balancing your hormones and metabolism.
Avoid Joint Pain with Help from AICA Orthopedics
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By incorporating as many of the foods from the above-mentioned list into your diet as you can, you will be optimizing joint nutrition and reducing your risk of developing osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and other bone and joint conditions. Fill your diet with as many unprocessed, natural foods as you can, so that you can get as many of the natural nutrients out of everything you eat as possible.
Contact AICA For More Information and Help
Contact our Atlanta orthopedic doctors today for more information on how important nutrition is for your health as well as your bone health. Contact us today for more information at (404) 855-2141!
