EDITOR’S PICK:
Your bones are unarguably one the most important structures in your body as they help facilitate rigidity and your movement from one place to another.
Without the bones, your body would not have the shape it has and your delicate internal organs such as the brain, heart and lungs, would not be as protected as they are. It is therefore very important to devise means of keeping the bones strong and healthy.
However, rather, unfortunately, bones sometimes get affected by one issue or the other including fractures and osteoporosis. When any bone-related issue occurs, the bones need to rebuild themselves. While this can happen naturally i.e without any human intervention, eating a healthy and well-balanced diet, which is rich in certain nutrients can help speed up the bone rebuild/repair process.
1. Protein-rich foods
About half of your body’s bone structures are made of protein and if you have a fracture, your body would need protein to build new bones. What’s more, protein also helps your body take in and use calcium, which is an important nutrient for bone health. Excellent dietary sources of protein include meat, fish, milk, yoghurt, nuts, seeds, beans, soy products, and fortified cereals.
2. Calcium-rich foods
Calcium is required by the body for many roles but one of the most important roles it plays is the building and maintenance of strong bones. Thus, it is advised that you increase your consumption of foods and drinks that are rich in them. Examples of such foods include milk, yoghurt, cheese, broccoli, collard greens, kale, soy, beans, canned tuna or salmon with bones, almond milk, and fortified cereals or juice.
3. Vitamin D-rich foods
Vitamin D helps boost your body’s absorption of calcium and its ability to build up the minerals in your bones, hence, why foods that are rich in vitamin D should be a regular feature on your diet plans, especially if you have fractures or other bone issues. You can get vitamin D from sunlight, but you can also derive it from foods such as egg yolks, fatty fish (tuna, salmon, herring, and sardines), cod liver oil, liver, and yoghurt, fortified milk, and fortified orange juice.
4. Vitamin C-rich foods
Vitamin C helps your body to synthesise collagen, a protein that is important as a building block for bone. Fortunately, vitamin C helps your body make collagen, which, in turn, can help repair or rebuild your bones. Vitamin C is present in many foods including citrus fruits (oranges, lemon, lime, and grapefruit), kiwi fruit, berries, tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, and green vegetables.
5. Iron-rich foods
Iron can also help facilitate your body’s bone repair process by facilitating the production of collagen, and getting oxygen into your bones to help them heal. People who have iron-deficiency anaemia often heal more slowly after a fracture.
FURTHER READING
You can get iron from foods such as red meat, dark-meat chicken or turkey, oily fish, eggs, dried fruits, leafy green veggies, whole-grain bread, and fortified cereals.
Click to watch our video of the week:
There was mild drama at the National Assembly on Wednesday as the Senate debated the…
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has arrived in Paris, France, for a three-day official visit…
The Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has urged Nigerians to dismiss claims discrediting the…