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Tasty and nutritious! As we get older, bone density and strength decreases and the risk of fractures increases. However, that doesn’t mean it’s too late to improve your bone health It’s easy to forget about your bones when they’re hidden away under layers of skin, tissue and muscles. Bones are the support system of our body and strong bones can carry you through busy work days and enable you to participate in any social or physical activities you love. Throughout the earlier years of our lives, bones are continuously being broken down and rebuilt in small amounts. However, as we get older the bone building balance starts to shift and more bone is lost than gained. This means taking good care of your bones is even more important the older you get – here are five ways to ensure you do.
Calcium boost
According to the Irish Osteoporosis Society, approximately one-third of women in Ireland are not getting enough calcium in their diet. This may cause bones to become brittle on the inside and break very easily, when on the outside a person may look perfectly fine. Calcium is essential for a healthy skeleton in order to help provide strength and rigidity and is particularly important during the menopause, when calcium absorption in the body slows down due to low levels of oestrogen. We lose calcium through our skin, urine and faeces daily but our bodies cannot produce new calcium, which is why it’s important to get it from the food we eat. The RDA of calcium in the diet varies throughout life but the Food Safety Authority of Ireland recommend 800mg per day for adults and this increases to 1,200mg for pregnant
Discover the flavours and nutrients in a pot of Yoplait’s Cal-in+ yoghurt
Strengthen bones the simple way and lactating women. The richest sources of calcium in the diet are dairy products such as yoghurt, milk and cheese and three servings are recommended per day. Gillian McConnell, Consultant Dietitian at Inside Out Nutrition, says: “If you can consume approximately a half a pint of milk plus one or two pots of yoghurt and an ounce of cheese each day, this will generally be enough calcium in your diet to meet your requirements. Calcium can also be found in non-dairy foods such as leafy greens or dried fruit and nuts or mineral water. However, often large amounts would need to be consumed to meet calcium requirements.” “Often people will get some calcium from their diet and may need an extra supplement a day to meet the RDA. Always seek professional advice from your GP regarding calcium supplements and sound nutritional advice on calcium from a qualified dietitian.”
Don’t forget the vitamin D
Vitamin D goes hand-in-hand with calcium. According to the Irish Osteoporosis Society, vitamin D is essential for the absorption of calcium and without it, this could affect the formation of healthy bones and teeth. Low levels of vitamin D have also been linked to tuberculosis and osteomalacia in adults. Vitamin D is primarily produced by the action of UVB light on the skin and you should get approximately 10-15 minutes a day of sunlight (depending on skin tone) during the summer months
to enable the body to store vitamin D. However, in Ireland you can’t expect summer all year round! New guidelines from the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (UK) recommend all adults should have 10 micrograms (μg/d) of vitamin D a day in their diet from food or supplements. While vitamin D can only be found in some foods such as fortified dairy products (fortified yoghurts or milk), oily fish and eggs, and fortified breakfast cereals, you should check individual food labels for vitamin D amounts (when labelled) as these may vary. Speak to your GP about vitamin D supplements if you think you’re not meeting your daily dietary requirements.
Regular exercise
Not only can exercise improve bone health and may help to prevent osteoporosis in later life, it also increases muscle strength and balance. Women and men can help to prevent bone loss with regular exercising, in particular weight-bearing exercises which force you to work against gravity. These include weight training, walking, hiking, jogging and climbing stairs; however, this depends on your risk of fracture, age and medical history. Be aware that over-exercising can be harmful for bones and the Irish Osteoporosis Society recommend that, in general, you should do 30 minutes of weight-bearing exercise a day, which can be broken into 3-5 minutes at a time, three sets of 10 minutes or 30 minutes continuously. If you have
Following a healthy diet is one way to help improve your bone strength. Eating dairy products will help you to get calcium; however, both calcium and vitamin D are needed for the maintenance of normal bones. This is because vitamin D helps the body absorb and use calcium. Cal-in+ is formulated specially for adults’ nutrient needs, providing 400mg of calcium, along with 5µg of vitamin D per pot. Thus one delicious pot of yoghurt can provide you with half of the daily calcium requirement and 100 per cent of the vitamin D nutrient reference value! Available in a variety of flavours, from Strawberry to Peach, one pot of Cal-in+ is extremely versatile and can be enjoyed both on its own or in many other ways. After a hard day’s work or exercise session, mix it up with a fruit salad, include in a smoothie to enhance fruity flavours or use to top off your pancakes, added with fresh berries, chia seeds and cacao nibbles.
osteoporosis or other health problems, such as heart trouble or high blood pressure, consult with a doctor before engaging in new exercise routines.
Reduce the use
Excessive alcohol consumption can interfere with the balance of calcium in the body and increase certain hormone levels which may reduce the body’s reserves. For low risk drinking, the weekly limits recommended by the Health Promotion Unit in Ireland are up to 11 standard drinks a week for women and up to 17 standard drinks per week for men. Remember that these are limits not targets to be reached. When you drink a lot, you’re also more susceptible to falling over, and if you have undiagnosed osteoporosis, this could potentially lead to a devastating break or fracture.
Check your family history
According to the Irish Osteoporosis Society, research shows that 60 per cent of a person’s bone health is influenced by genetics, especially in laying down the amount of bone during childhood. This may mean if somebody in your family has or had osteoporosis, the chances that you may also develop it are significantly higher. If you’re concerned, ask your relatives about their bone history and speak to your GP about how you should proceed. They will more than likely recommend a bone scan and can also inform you about preventative measures. For more information and guidelines on bone health, visit www.irishosteoporosis.ie