Do you suffer from bone health problems? Ask your parents about what your pediatricians said about your milk intake when you’re a kid. Your bones will only absorb calcium until you’re in your early 20s. In your early years, your body makes more bone tissue deposits than withdraws. Your bones will reach their maximum strength and density by the time you reach the age between 25 and 30. That’s how important those early years are to your bone health.
This means that if you stopped drinking milk—the primary source of calcium—when you are five years old, the growth of your bone tissue will slow down as well. Fortunately, you can still boost your calcium intake. And no, you don’t need milk and other dairy products alone for healthy bones. Organic fruits and vegetables are also rich in nutrients that your bones need for strength and durability.
Aside from trace minerals, fruits and vegetables also contain vitamin K, calcium, and magnesium. These are the nutrients that your body needs for bone mass. Together with 15 to 20 minutes of sunshine every day, you will receive the needed nutrients for bone growth and density.
But it’s not just the young people that benefit from an increased intake of fruits and vegetables. Studies suggest that middle-aged and elderly adults have a reduced risk of osteoporosis if they consume five services of fruits and vegetables daily. A greater intake of organic fruits and vegetables will increase bone mass and decrease bone loss and fracture risk.
Regular Exercise Helps, Too
Aside from eating the right food, young people should also exercise regularly. In fact, even people with more serious bone problems can do exercises for curved spine scoliosis. Some yoga and meditation poses are great for bone health. Pelvic tilts, arm and leg raise, cat-camel, latissimus dorsi stretch, bird-dog, and abdominal press are some poses that can help people suffering from spinal problems. Of course, you should only do these with expressed permission from your doctor.
Regular exercise is important both for young and old alike. Bone is living tissue, so it responds depending on the forces and pressure placed on it. When you exercise regularly, your bone develops and becomes denser. That’s why athletes have stronger bones and muscles. That’s why they can survive a major bone injury and still get back to form. Others are not as lucky.
Why Organic Fruits and Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables grown on a conventional farm lose many essential nutrients and minerals. Additives, growth hormones, synthetic pesticides, and insecticides can weaken the impact of these fruits and vegetables on the consumers. The process that organic farming practices is perfect for maintaining the richness of these products. If you want to follow a healthier diet, going organic is one of the best methods.
Many people mistakenly think that vegetarians and vegans lose muscle mass and bone density because they don’t eat meat. The truth is that vegetables and fruits have high amounts of protein, too. This helps vegans and vegetarians get stronger even than their meat-eating counterparts. The fact that they exercise regularly, too, and are quite committed to it more than other people also helps them remain strong and healthy.
Vegans, for example, are stronger and more energetic. Their bodies don’t spend that much energy digesting meat and saturated fats. Instead, they use that energy to exercise, do yoga, meditate, and many other things. Professional athletes such as Novak Djokovic, Lewis Hamilton, Kyrie Irving, Colin Kaepernick, DeAndre Jordan, and weightlifting athlete Kendrick Farris are all on a plant-based diet.
The link between fruits and vegetables and bone health was unthinkable in the past. The common misconception was that meat makes people stronger. Thanks to years of research, people finally begin to realize that eating more organic fruits and vegetables, as well as regular exercises, is the key to a healthier life.