Have you ever stopped to think about the role that bones in your body play? Most of us take our bones for granted—they’re invisible, doing their important work of supporting us and maintaining our health behind the scenes. Unless we have an x-ray that shows that our bones are deteriorating, we’re unlikely to find out that we have problems in our bone health, unless we actually break one — and then, it’s too late to take steps to prevent the problem. Health experts explain that bones protect many internal organs, facilitate the weight, among other significances, which is why they need to be kept healthy, away from disorders and poor nutrition. According to Private Kamanzi, a dietician at Amazon Wellness Centre, Remera, there is a close association between bones and nutrition. Bones give the body shape, and support its movements. The body can’t move without bones. Kamanzi says that when you have nutrition deficiencies, it can directly cause bone diseases, for example osteoporosis (this is when the bones are broken into small parts like crystals. It is caused by the deficiency of calcium in the body.) He says, many people lack symptoms, until they have bone fractures. However, for treatment, a healthy diet and weight bearing exercises, help to prevent bone loss and reinforce the already weak bones. “Another disorder that affects bone density and makes them very weak is osteomalacia. This is categorised by the softening of the bones instigated by impaired bone absorption, mainly due to insufficient levels of available phosphate, calcium and vitamin D or due to resorption of calcium,” he points out. Kamanzi further notes that apart from vitamin D deficiency, other factors that cause osteomalacia are celiac diseases, kidney or liver disorders, certain drugs, surgeries, among others. Prevention of osteomalacia could be due to eating foods high in vitamin D (like fish, egg yolks, and foods stimulated with vitamin D), or take supplements if you don’t get enough vitamins, but after inquiring from your doctor, he adds. Kamanzi adds that another disorder that affects the bones is rickets; it is a result of lack of vitamin D. This vitamin is normally got from the sun. The nutrition expert also explains that there are food sources of calcium that should be consumed for strong bones; like proteins, animal products, chia seeds, and peanuts. Other food nutrients for bones are; vitamin C (to go along with calcium foods). Calcium is also needed in absorbing vitamin D in the body. However, he warns that it is not advisable to take calcium and vitamin C concurrently, rather, for example, take calcium and after about three or two hours, you can take vitamin C rich foods (like lemons, oranges, strawberries, broccoli), Kamanzi adds. He says that other conditions need to be managed for bone health, for example, body weight. Extra weight can put too much pressure on the bones. Too much weigh breeds issues like back aches, pain in the joints and much more. According to Healthline, consuming vegetables has been shown to help create healthy bones during childhood and protect bone mass in young adults and older women. Performing weight-bearing and resistance training exercises can help increase bone formation during bone growth, and protect bone health in older adults, and those with low bone density. “A high protein intake can help protect bone health during ageing and weight loss. Calcium is the main mineral found in bones and must be consumed every day to protect bone health. Spreading your calcium intake throughout the day will optimise absorption,” states Healthline. Health experts say that diets that have few calories have been found to reduce bone density, even when combined with resistance exercise. They advise on consuming a balanced diet to preserve bone health. Magnesium and zinc play key roles in achieving peak bone mass during childhood and maintaining bone density during ageing. Scientists highlight other bone conditions to take note of; for instance; Osteitis (bone inflammation, for example, Paget’s disease of the bone), Acromegaly, this is the overgrowth of bones in the face, hands and feet, Fibrous dysplasia (abnormal growth or swelling of bone), Multiple myeloma (cancer of the plasma cells in bone marrow), Bone cancer (primary bone cancers include osteosarcomas and chondrosarcomas. However, most cancers found in bone have spread from other organs such as the breast, prostate, lung or kidney).
