The Trifecta of Bone Health – By: Sharon Carter, RDN, LDN
Which of three of these five are required for bone health?
- Green tea
- N-acetyl Cysteine (NAC)
- Vitamin D and Calcium
- Weight-bearing exercise
- Bone broth
Although NAC is a super antioxidant since it’s a precursor to glutathione, and green tea is claimed to have anti-cancer properties, the three most important factors for bone health are c, d, and e.
Vitamin D is essential for calcium absorption. Not many foods are high in vitamin D, and it can only be made in the body during certain times of the day and certain times of the year when your body is exposed to sunlight. There are many factors that influence the body’s production of vitamin D, and many people are vitamin D deficient. The RDA has been raised within the past several years, but it is not as high as experts recommend. Check out this link to the website of David Holick, M.D., Ph.D., an expert on vitamin D, to see his supplementation recommendations.
Calcium is the main mineral in the body and is needed to build up the bone matrix. However, it is not the only metabolite that helps build up your bones and strengthens your cartilage. Bone broth is a missing food group which is full of collagen and minerals to provide the substrate your body needs to build strong bones. Check out this video on Youtube to learn how to make your own bone broth.
Lastly, be sure to engage in regular weight-bearing exercise to stimulate the growth of bone tissue. Bone growth is much like muscle growth in that as you tug and pull on the bones and muscles, more cells are made, making the bones denser and stronger.
Your bones will be stronger if you take care of them by implementing a regular weight-bearing exercise, using bone broth in your cooking and getting supplementation of vitamin D and some sensible doses of sunshine.