As with most health issues, nutrition plays a large part in prevention of problems. This is true when it comes to one’s bones as well. Nutrition is an integral part of how one's bones develop in childhood and continue to be healthy throughout adulthood. It does not stop being important when one becomes a senior adult. The most important bone and joint health supplements one can ingest on a daily basis for bone health is calcium and vitamin D. Without these two nutrients, bones become less dense and there is a risk of health issues like osteoporosis. Therefore, it is important for even older adults to pay close attention to their diet for optimum bone health.
Every day one's bones need to replenish. They are a living organism that grows. Therefore, they need the calcium to do the rebuilding and vitamin D to help the bones absorb the calcium. Without this, the bones will not be able to rebuild what has been discarded and one's bones become thinner.
According to WebMD, the daily amount of calcium a body needs is '700 milligrams of calcium a day for children 1 to 3 years of age, 1,000 milligrams per day for children 4 to 8 years of age, 1,300 milligrams of calcium a day for teenagers, 1,000 milligrams per day for adults until the age of 70, but women over the age of 51 should strive for 1,200 milligrams per day. Women and men over the age of 70 should both get 1,200 milligrams per day' as men begin to catch up to women with the risk of osteoporosis at this age.
Vitamin D is as important as calcium because without it, one's body is unable to absorb the calcium it needs to rebuild bone. WebMD recommends '600 international units (IU) of vitamin D per day from age 1 through age 70 and 800 IU daily after the age of 70'. It is worth noting that some osteoporosis experts believe that getting 800 to 1200 IU of vitamin D is even better for those at risk of the disease.
For those that are wondering how to get this much of these needed nutrients, do not worry. These are easily gotten through the food one eats or by taking bone health vitamins. There is no difference in the type of calcium found in food or supplements as calcium is a mineral and not made by the body. Therefore, many of the foods eaten today are fortified with calcium and vitamin D much like bone health supplements are.
Many adults over the age of 70 believe that it doesn't matter what they eat or don't eat, their body is getting older and no longer works like it did. While, that is true for the most part, one's bones are still doing their daily replenishing routine. So, the more one pays attention to their bones by eating the right kinds of foods and getting the calcium and vitamin D one needs, the less likely one will suffer from bone fractures and osteoporosis.