Foods with calcium and vitamin D to take care of your bone health

Do you want to take care of your bone health? As we already know, calcium without vitamin D could not work how it works in our body. To do this, you need, in addition to taking a series of foods rich in calcium, complement them with those that contain a good supply of vitamin D.

To protect and maintain healthy bones we must know what are the foods that help us take care of them and strengthen them. Bone disease can often be prevented if enough calcium and vitamin D are obtained. Therefore, we tell you about the foods with the highest calcium and vitamin D content to take care of your bone health.

Why is it important to take care of your bone health?

The bony system, composed of bones, It is the support of the whole body, so it is very important to keep it healthy and strong. Up to 30 years of age, the bones regenerate quickly, however, after that age, more bone is lost than it is regenerated.

Therefore, it is very important to nourish our bones with fresh and nutritious food, in addition to follow a healthy lifestyle.

What affects bone health?

Many factors can affect the health of bones. For example:

• The amount of calcium you consume. A diet with a low calcium content helps to reduce bone density at an early stage and increase the risk of fractures.
• Physical activity. People who are physically inactive are at higher risk of osteoporosis than the more active people.
• Consumption of tobacco and alcohol. Research suggests that smoking contributes to the weakening of bones. Similarly, regular consumption of alcoholic beverages increases the risk of osteoporosis, possibly because alcohol interferes with the body's ability to absorb calcium.
• The sex If you are a woman, you run a higher risk of osteoporosis, since women have less bone tissue than men.
• Size. You also run the risk if you are extremely thin (with a body mass index of 19 or below) or have a small body structure, since you may have less bone mass to support you as you get older.
• Age. Bones become thinner and weaker at older ages.

Foods with calcium and vitamin D

Foods rich in calcium

The recommended daily intake of calcium varies with age. For adults the recommendation of daily intake is 1000 mg / day. After 50 years, especially in women, the requirements amount to 1300 mg / day (to compensate for bone losses caused by menopausal estrogen losses).

• Green smoothies, a source of calcium

Calcium is not only found in dairy products such as milk or yogurt, It is also present in green leafy vegetables. Broccoli, kale leaves or spinach are some of the foods that contain more calcium.

• Nuts

Specifically, almonds and hazelnuts, as they are two of the most common nuts rich in calcium. A good way to introduce them to your breakfast is to incorporate them into your cereal bowl with milk.

• Legumes

Chickpeas, beans or lentils are foods rich in calcium and iron, what better way to take them than in a delicious stew? Ideally, we consume vegetables between once and twice a week.

• Milk and dairy products

With an average amount of 124 mg per 100 g, Cow's milk is considered a good source of calcium. In addition, it is a basic consumer food and easy to find in any store near our house.

Given the wide presence of milk and dairy products in the diet, they are essential to achieve the recommended intakes of this mineral.

Foods rich in Vitamin D

Vitamin D is essential in the absorption of dietary calcium. The recommended intake of vitamin D for the general population is between 400 and 800 IU daily. When it comes to people over 65, this recommendation increases to 800 IU.

Food sources of vitamin D are scarce: whole milk and blue fish are the main dietary sources to obtain it, along with eggs (yolk) and supplemented foods such as breakfast cereals, margarine and soy drinks.

In addition to food, there are other natural ways to obtain vitamin D. One of them is thanks to sun exposure, since this gesture helps our body to synthesize vitamin D. It is enough to expose ourselves to the sun about 10 or 15 minutes a day for this to happen. But yes: remember to always use a suitable sunscreen.

As we can see, caring for your bone health is not only very important, it is also very easy to do it. With healthy eating, exercise and contact with the sun (with moderation and protection), we can make sure that our bones stay strong and healthy.