Bone Health & Nutrition

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BONE HEALTH & NUTRITION

Blog > Bone Health & Nutrition

Bone Health & Nutrition

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Bone Health & Nutrition  Collagen, Calcium, Phosphorus, and Vitamin D are each crucial for bone health as we age. Collagen is the most abundant protein in our body that forms the scaffolding that gives our body its structure and strength. Calcium homeostasis is an even distribution of Calcium in the bones and is crucial for skeletal health. This process is aided by Phosphorus and Vitamin D that ensures the absorption of Calcium in our body.

Vitamin C, amino acids, zinc and Copper are required for pro-collagen, the precursor to the protein collagen. So, here is a bone friendly menu instead of mere supplements.

Grains: Whole grains & pseudo grains, millets. They are mineral rich and have some important amino acids that aid collagen production.

Beans are rich in amino acids and copper. Pick the bean of your choice (kidney beans, navy beans, black beans, etc.). So now you have your rice & Beans!

Vegetables: Pick chlorophyll rich green leafies like spinach, kale and salad greens.

Fruits: Tomatoes, berries, guavas, citrus (like grapefruit)

Nuts: Cashews. They are zinc and copper rich

A word of caution: Excess Vitamin A is not necessarily a friend and has been known to make bones fragile. So avoid excess orange and yellow vegetables

Osteoporosis or ‘porous bone’ is linked to nutrient-deficient diets


Osteoporosis is degenerative, reducing bone density, mass and strength as we age. It need not be so. Diets rich in calcium & Vit D strengthen bones, as do magnesium, Vit K, Zinc, potassium, Vit C. These nutrients are found in fresh green vegetables, spinach, soya, dairy, bananas, broccoli, berries, citrus fruits. We need to start eating these from childhood to stave off osteoporosis in later years.

Plant-based alternatives of calcium for bone health


While we often associate calcium with milk and milk products, it’s worth getting familiar with non-dairy sources of calcium seeing that up to two-thirds of the world are lactose intolerant. 1 cup of dairy milk provides 300mg of calcium (30% D.V.). Here are some alternatives to get the same amount of calcium; 3 tablespoons of sesame seeds, 1 cup of white beans, 1 ½ cups cooked collard greens, 1 cup amaranth leaves, ? cup cooked tofu. On top of that, these plant-based options are full of other minerals and vitamins for overall wellness!


Rheumatoid arthritis: auto-immune condition causing painful inflammation
This disorder begins with painfully swollen joints and leads to inflammation in other organs. We can, however, adopt the right diet to combat this systemic inflammation. Omega3-rich foods like walnuts or flaxseed convert to resolvin, a compound that puts the brakes on inflammation. Whole grains, fiber-rich veggies keep the gut healthy and reduce inflammation, as do anti-oxidants like Vit A, C & E found in fruits & vegetables.

Prunes & Raisins: everyday superfoods against osteoporosis
Green leafy veggies & fruits are good for bone health, but let’s also consider the humble prune and raisin. Several studies reveal that the high levels of special phenolic compounds like IGF-1 in these two dried fruits actively fight bone degeneration. Prunes & raisins are also high in antioxidants, calcium, boron & potassium, which are defenders of your bones. They make good snacks too, so include them in your daily diet. 



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Vitamin D and its health benefits

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Vitamin D and its health benefits

Blog > Vitamin D and its health benefits​

Vitamin D and its health benefits

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Best known as the ‘sunshine’ vitamin, Vitamin D is important for bone health. This vitamin helps to increase our ability to absorb and retain calcium from our diets, contributing to stronger bones. Insufficient levels of Vitamin D has been shown to lead to softening of bones, also known as rickets in children or osteomalacia in adults. Vitamin D also plays a role in enabling the development of white blood cells to defend against infections; in the past, physicians had unknowingly prescribed sunlight to treat tuberculosis patients believing that exposure to light was what killed the bacteria!

 

The daily recommended amount for a healthy adult is 400 International Units (IU), or 10 micrograms of cholecalciferol – this also happens to be the compound that is produced when our skin interacts with sunlight. The main dietary sources of vitamin D are to be found in fish, eggs and mushrooms. Most of our dietary requirements actually come from fortified foods. However, deficiency is increasingly on the rise with reduced exposure to sunlight, sunscreen usage and dietary patterns.

Today, we investigate these various factors.

Mushrooms are a good plant-based source of vitamin D

Mushrooms are a powerhouse of nutrients and studied for their various health benefits. Varieties such as maitake, morel, chanterelle, oyster, and shiitake all contain natural Vitamin D. Mushrooms convert a precursor to vitamin D, called ergosterol, into vitamin D2 when exposed to UV light. Shiitake mushrooms, when dried outdoors in sunlight, express up to 400 times more vitamin D! Mushrooms also contain a host of other essential nutrients like vitamin B12 that are less common in plant-based diets.

The sunshine vitamin – how much is enough?

Vitamin D is technically a hormone because when exposed to ultraviolet B (UVB) of the sun, a vitamin D receptor in our skin naturally converts cholesterol in the skin to vitamin D3. 10–30 minutes of midday sunlight, several times per week is enough to provide all the required vitamin D. People with darker skin may need a little more than this because melanin, the pigment response for the skin color slows the absorption of the UVB. Excessive exposure to the sun should be avoided due to its link to skin cancer.

Are fortified foods healthy?

Where people are unable to glean enough vitamin D from their diets, governments around the world have rolled out fortification regimens of common foods like milk, orange juice, spreads and cereals under public health policies. While this has certainly helped to curb malnutrition and deficiency in food insecure regions, these fortified foods tend to be heavily processed and contain high amounts of sodium and fats. We now also run the paradoxical risk of overdosing on fortified vitamins! Cut through the marketing hype of packaged, fortified foods. Begin with whole foods as your base and supplement as necessary.



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