Bone Health : How to Keep Your Bones and Joints Healthy and Strong?

Often overlooked, bone health is a cornerstone of overall well-being, significantly impacting our quality of life as we age. Bones and joints are essential for the entire support system of our body. Monitoring the health of your bones is crucial. They support your system and provide a proper structure, anchor the muscles, store calcium, and also protect the organs. Despite their importance, healthcare often overlooks them.

Yes, the bones need to be looked after from childhood itself. If proper care is taken during childhood and adolescence, it can lead to several bone and joint issues in the adulthood, like joint pain, arthritis, osteoporosis, etc.

Still thinking, why are the bones and joints essential for you? Let’s have a brief explanation of the same.

Did you know that the bones keep on changing continuously? Surprisingly, this is a fact. At a regular time period, the old bones get damaged and break down, and a new bone is formed. At a young age, the bones develop faster compared to old age. The bone’s mass also grows during this period. There are various people who are at the peak of their bone mass at the age of 30. After 30, the bone restoration process continues, but in this process, you might lose some bone mass. When the bone and joint health is good, it reduces the chances of developing any health issues like arthritis, osteoporosis, joint pain, etc.

Thus, the best way of caring about your joints is to keep the bones, joints, ligaments, and muscles in a strong, healthy, and stable condition.

Some Surprising Facts About Bones and Joints

• Babies have more bones compared to adults. Where the adults have around 206 bones in their bodies, the infants have around 300 components that are a mixture of cartilage and bones.
• The human body has bones in different sizes and shapes, which are not distributed evenly in the body. The feet and hands contain nearly half of the total bones in the body.
• The density levels in the bones can be gained naturally until the age of 30. After that, the density declines unless you practice proper exercises and take vitamin D and calcium.
• There are some people who have an additional rib in their bodies, which can lead to serious health issues.
• The femur, or thighbone, is the longest bone in the body.
• The skeletons of both men and women are very similar; however, the size, angle, and shape of the pelvis in women are different or geared particularly for childbirth.
• The collagen mentioned in the bones constantly keeps on refilling itself, and hence, you have a new skeleton after nearly every 7 years.
• When the bone is broken, the damaged surface knits itself together, forming a new bone that is sometimes stronger than the original one.

What are the different factors that affect bone health?

Before working on the different things that help maintain bone health, let’s first work on the factors that affect the health of the bones and joints.

1. Calcium Levels Impact Bone Health

The regular calcium level in the diet is essential for the health of the bones. When the diet contains low calcium content, it leads to a reduction in bone density, increases the risk of having fractures, and early loss of bone too.

2. Physical Activities

The people who are lazy and inactive physically have high chances of developing osteoporosis compared to the people who are active physically through regular exercises, walks, etc. A sedentary lifestyle leads to fewer movements of the body and bones. It leads to various problems like obesity and bone health issues, etc. On the contrary, people who lead an active life and perform regular exercise are less prone to excess weight gain and bone-related problems.

4. Gender Matters Too!

Surprisingly, gender also matters when you are counting on the health of the bones and joints. Women are more likely to suffer from osteoporosis compared to men. The reason behind this is because women have fewer bone tissues.

5. Say ‘No’ to Alcohol and Tobacco for Healthy Bones

The people who take in tobacco are more likely to have weak bones. Again, having alcohol would also have an impact on the bones, their density levels, and their health. Having more than 1 or 2 alcoholic drinks increases the risk of developing osteoporosis for both men and women.

6. Age and Size Impacts Bones Strength

Age is also one of the factors that affect the health of the bones. As you become old, the bones become weak and thin. Similarly, body size also affects the health of the bones. People who are too thin and have a body frame that is too small are likely to have reduced bone mass.

7. Family History Also Counts

Yes, if your family members are suffering from weak bones, muscles, or any other joint issues, you are likely to develop the same, particularly in the case of osteoporosis. If you are of Asian or Caucasian descent, you might be at higher risk for osteoporosis.

8. Diet and other Conditions

Are you suffering from bulimia or anorexia? If the answer is yes, you are at a higher risk of experiencing bone loss. Again, if you have gone through any situations like gastrectomy, stomach surgeries, celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, weight-loss surgeries, Cushing’s disease, etc., you are likely to suffer from the deficiency of calcium. Your bone health may get severely impacted due to these illnesses.

9. Hormone levels

Women can suffer from the loss of bone while facing situations like menopause, absence of menses, etc. due to the reduction in the levels of estrogens. Such women are more likely to suffer from osteoporosis. Men having reduced testosterone levels are also likely to suffer from reduced bone mass. Having high levels of thyroid hormones can also result in bone loss.

10. Medications

Yes, there are particular medications that come with an impact on the bones and the joints. Some corticosteroid medicines, which include cortisone, prednisone, dexamethasone, prednisolone, etc., can damage the bones. In the same way, medications for the treatment of particular cancers, like aromatase inhibitors, methotrexate, some serotonin reuptake inhibitors, and anti-seizure medicines like phenobarbital, Dilantin, proton pump inhibitors, etc., are also liable to cause osteoporosis.

Hence, these are some of the commonly found factors that have a mild to deep impact on the bones, joints, muscles, and calcium levels in the body.

How Can You Keep the Bones and Joints Healthy?

Worried about your bones and joints? Here are some of the effective ways of looking after the health of your bones to keep them healthy.

1. Be selective with your diet

The diet is vital for bone and joint health, as well as other health issues. There are various fruits and vegetables that are helpful in the protection of the joints and reduce their pain. Having inflammatory food items like dairy products, sugar, meat, and saturated fats can increase joint pain. So, look for anti-inflammatory vegetables and fruits, as well as whole grains that help work on the pain in the joints. Boost your calcium levels through your diet, like yellow and green veggies, which keep the bones strong and reduce the chances of developing osteoporosis. Indeed, a healthy diet is a must to follow if you want excellent bone health.

2. Look for Vitamin D

Vitamin D is very helpful for absorbing the calcium in your body. For this, increase the intake of resources like oily fish, which includes trout, salmon, tuna, and whitefish, to get the required amount of vitamin D. Other resources for getting the required amount of vitamin D include eggs, mushrooms, cereals, milk, etc. Apart from these ingredients, sunlight is also the best way to increase vitamin D levels in the body through the absorption of calcium. In case you are suffering from its deficiency, you can look for supplements for vitamin D after consulting your doctor.

3. Protein—It is helpful too

Just as vitamin D and calcium are essential for the health of your joints and bones, protein is also helpful. Surprisingly, the bones contain 50% protein in them. Having low protein levels affects the absorption of calcium levels in the body, which also disturbs the formation of the bones and their breakdown. On the other hand, having too many proteins in the body can leach calcium from the bones and also increase the acid levels in the blood. So, look for protein sources like seafood, lean meat, legumes, beans, nuts, and soy products.

4. Keep a watch on your weight

Just as weight is the root of several health issues like diabetes, blood pressure, etc., it also comes with an impact on the health of the bones and joints. The people suffering from obesity or overweight are likely to have weak bones and joints, which results in pain in the joints like back pain, knee pain, hip pain, etc. Every pound of your weight pressurizes the bone or joints, which weakens them, leading to minor or even severe bone or joint issues. Such people are also likely to suffer from fractures.

5. Don’t miss exercises

Yes, exercises are also helpful in keeping the bones, muscles, and joints strong. Rather than sitting in a single position for long hours, one should keep on moving or have some physical exercises in their routine. This exercise circulates the synovial fluid that boosts the smooth movements of the bones. Again, exercising is a biological process known as autophagy that helps in removing the damaged cells inside the joints. So, look for walks, swimming, exercises, and even yoga, which would increase both flexibility and strength of the joints, muscles, and bones.

6. Boost the strength of your muscles

Muscles help the joints in carrying the weight of the body. Hence, if the muscles are weak, they would fail in supporting the body for carrying your weight, which would hinder your routine activities. So, look for simple exercises that boost the strength of your muscles rather than walking into a gym. Focus on exercises and yoga postures that would help in making the muscles of the knee and hip joints strong and support the entire weight of the body. Building strong muscles would also reduce knee and hip pain and keep you balanced.

7. Keep yourself hydrated

Yes, along with other ways of keeping the bones and joints healthy, drinking enough water is also essential. Cartilage is very helpful in lubricating the bones and joints through synovial fluid, which is around 60% water. Hence, when your body lacks required water levels, it also damages the joints and bones. Lack of required water levels would disturb the production of synovial fluid in the body and increase friction, leading to pain in joints as well as cartilage deterioration. Again, drinking the required water would improve the health of the bones and joints as well as help in avoiding conditions like osteoarthritis, gout, and rheumatoid arthritis.

8. Look for healthy postures

Yes, the posture you sit or work in also helps to make the bones and joints strong. Slumping is a posture that would pressurize the joints and result in neck pain, back pain, shoulder pain, etc. The position limits your working range, and it becomes difficult for the muscles to reduce the load from the joints. An unhealthy posture would also result in misalignment of the spinal cord, which can worsen the pain and stress levels of the joint. So, keep a watch on your posture and try to sit straight. Avoid hunching and slouching, as such habits may damage the joints and bones.

Apart from all these, the stress levels are also liable for damaging the bones and joints. The inflammatory levels of the body worsen when we are suffering from stress, which results in the swelling of the joints. This also reduces collagen production, which is essential for the health of the joints.

How to gain bone mass, or how do you increase bone density?

Gaining bone mass, also known as increasing bone density, is critical for maintaining general skeletal health as well as preventing osteoporosis and fractures. It is common for bone mass to reach its maximum during the early years of maturity; nevertheless, there are efficient methods to build and maintain bone strength throughout one’s lifetime.

Below are a few important diet and lifestyle changes you should adopt if you want to increase bone density –

1. Weight-Bearing and Resistance Exercise

Engage in weight-bearing activities such as brisk walking, jogging, dancing, stair climbing, tennis, and team sports. These exercises force your bones to work against gravity, stimulating bone formation and slowing bone loss. Incorporate resistance training (strength training) like lifting weights, using resistance bands, or bodyweight exercises (push-ups, squats, lunges). These activities stress the bones, encouraging them to grow stronger. Aim for at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week, including two sessions of strength training.

2. Nutrition to Gain Bone Mass

If you want to improve bone mass, then you must include the below-mentioned nutrients in your everyday diet.

• Calcium is essential for bone structure. Adults should aim for 1,000 mg per day, with increased needs (1,200 mg) for women over 50 and all adults over 70. Sources include dairy products, leafy greens, and fortified foods.
• Vitamin D is crucial for calcium absorption. Adults should get 1,000 IU daily (800 IU for those over 70). Sources include sunlight, fatty fish (salmon, sardines, mackerel), egg yolks, and fortified foods.
• Vitamin K2 helps bind minerals to bone. Found in cheese, eggs, sauerkraut, and natto.
• Protein: About 50% of bone is protein. Adequate intake supports bone formation and maintenance. Balance protein intake with calcium and plant foods for best results.
• Vegetables: Especially green and yellow varieties, provide vitamin C and antioxidants that support bone cell health and mineralization

Hence, making small changes in the lifestyle and adding required nutrients to your diet can help in keeping the bones and joints strong and healthy. You can also speak with your doctor about a proper diet, exercise, and supplement routine.

So, are you also suffering from minor issues regarding your bones and joints? It is never too late to start looking after it. Take your initiative today itself.