Do your bones feel weak or stiff?
As you age, you often start losing skeletal material faster than you can make it.
This can make your bones become more brittle and weak, making you more prone to injury and illness.
Taking the right nutrients, along with a healthy diet, can help to build healthy bones and prevent bone disorders from developing.
Are you worried about your bone health?
If so, keep reading to find out more about natural solutions for bone disorders.
Or come visit us at Annex Naturopathic clinic where we can help you understand how to keep your bones healthy and strong.
Why Do We Have Bones?
There are organisms which don’t have skeletons – most notably the atlas moth and some forms of sea life like octopuses and squids – but they’ve evolved other ways to protect their organs and organize their bodies.
But for humans, our bones are the structure of our bodies.
Your shape and ability to move are all due to your bones.
Without them, your organs wouldn’t have the structure they need to remain in place, and they’d be far more vulnerable to injury as a result.
After all, a broken rib is painful, but it’s a lot better than a popped lung.
Common Bone Disorders
For various reasons, people can develop bone disorders.
These different disorders make your bones weak and more prone to breaking.
Below are some bone disorders, which in certain cases may be preventable.
1. Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is one of the most bone conditions – those who suffer from osteoporosis deal with their bones losing much of their density.
Usually associated with aging and the elderly, osteoporosis can be prevented by making healthy lifestyle choices.
If you develop osteoporosis, your bone tissue deteriorates making them weak and prone to breaks.
Your risk for developing osteoporosis can be lowered if you take steps to ensure you your bones are getting the nutrients they need.
2. Paget’s disease
Paget’s disease causes your bones to grow larger and weaker.
This disease can affect any bone including you legs, pelvis, skull and spine.
Symptoms for Paget’s disease include enlarged or broken bones, damaged cartilage in your joints, and pain.
Your risk for Paget’s can be reduced with the right diet including sufficient levels of vitamins and calcium.
3. Bone Cancer
Bone cancer is a type of cancer that is most commonly found in your pelvis or longer bones like those in your arms and legs.
No clear cause has been found for bone cancer but some links have been made to those who already have Paget’s disease in their bones.
4. Osteogenesis Imperfecta
Osteogenesis imperfecta is a genetic defect that prevents bones from forming properly.
If you have this disorder, your body does not produce enough of the collagen needed to make bones strong.
This means your bones could break frequently depending on the severity of your osteogenesis imperfecta.
In most cases, osteogenesis imperfecta is inherited and is present during birth or in childhood.
Natural Solutions for Bone Disorders
There are natural strategies available which can help to lower your risk for bone disorders and keep your bones strong.
Being physically active and maintaining a healthy diet are some of the ways you may be able to prevent developing a bone disorder.
If you’re already doing this, though, incorporating certain vitamins and minerals into your diet can help to encourage healthy, strong bones.
A few of them are listed below.
To find out whether you’re getting enough of these in your diet or you need to supplement, call us at Annex Naturopathic – we’ll help you get to the bottom of your bone health.
1. Calcium
Calcium is a mineral that is very important for developing and maintaining your bones and teeth.
The best way to maintain proper bone health through calcium is to get the majority of calcium through diet.
High-dose calcium supplementation in place of dietary calcium has links to heart disease in post-menopausal women (those who are most prone to osteoporosis) so it’s important to understand the dietary sources of calcium.
Leafy greens and certain nuts naturally contain calcium, but calcium supplements can help ensure you’re getting enough of this mineral.
Dairy products are the most common dietary source of calcium, so if you’re lactose intolerant, following a vegan lifestyle, or for whatever reason you don’t want to consume dairy, make sure you’re getting enough calcium in your diet from other forms, and you may need to include a calcium supplement to hit your daily requirements
Getting enough calcium can be crucial in the prevention of bone disorders like osteoporosis.
2. Vitamin D
Like calcium, Vitamin D is essential for your bone health.
Vitamin D is not only needed for the formation and maintenance of your bone tissue but it also assists in the absorption of calcium.
You can find vitamin D in fish and fish oils but many people get their vitamin D from sun exposure, which you likely aren’t getting enough of if you live in Canada.
Supplements can help to boost your vitamin D, especially through the long winter months of limited sunlight.
3. Magnesium
Magnesium is crucial to building bones and helping you to absorb calcium.
Even though magnesium can be found in whole grains, fish, meat, legumes, nuts and green veggies, many people struggle to consume the proper amount of it.
Taking magnesium supplements can help address health issues including osteoporosis and other issues like anxiety and irritability.
4. Strontium
Strontium is a common supplement taken to prevent and treat osteoporosis.
It is usually taken at bedtime and is best used with vitamin D and calcium.
Bone formation, strength, and mass may be improved with the use of strontium.
5. Vitamin K
Vitamin K is most commonly known for its use in blood clotting but this vitamin also plays a role in bone health.
A protein important to bone mass maintenance, called osteocalcin, needs vitamin D and vitamin K to properly synthesize.
There are two forms of vitamin K: K1 and K2. Using both these supplements can help with bone disorder prevention and bone mass.
You can also find vitamin K in dark green vegetables (kale, Swiss chard, parsley and spinach) and small amounts in olive oil.
Contact Annex Naturopathic
If you’re worried about your bones and developing a bone disorder, come visit us at Annex Naturopathic.
Understand what minerals you may be missing and what disorders you could be at risk for.
It’s important to consult with a doctor to understand how to achieve proper levels of minerals and vitamins through diet and what is necessary through supplementation.
We can help you make lifestyle changes to ensure your bones are getting everything they need to remain healthy and strong.
