This World Osteoporosis Day, love your bones

What this means is that the earlier you start investing in the health of your bones and getting enough calcium in your diet; the better your bone health will be as you age.

Consuming enough calcium in your diet is not only important as you grow older. Children, teenagers and young adults need enough calcium to continue building bone mass into their mid-20s. From then on, bone mass can be lost without sufficient calcium in our diets.

“Achieving peak bone mass before 21 will pay great dividends later in life,” said professor Tess Van der Merwe, honorary clinical professor and researcher at the University of Pretoria.

Whatever your age or gender, it is vital to include calcium-rich foods in your diet, limit those that deplete calcium, and get enough magnesium and vitamins D and K to help calcium build bone strength.

If we do not have enough calcium in our diets, the calcium is removed from where it is stored in our bones. Over time, this causes our bones to grow weaker and may lead to osteoporosis, a disorder in which bones become very fragile, which can increase the risk of bone fracture.

It is important to consume calcium from foods and beverages. Taking an appropriate calcium supplement is also a great way to increase your calcium intake as the right supplement will contain relatively large amounts of elemental calcium that absorbs optimally in the body.

Magnesium is increasingly being recognised as an important contributor to bone health, as it is essential for the absorption and metabolism of calcium.

In addition, the right balance of calcium and vitamin K2 may help fight osteoporosis and enhance bone health while at the same time preventing the calcification and stiffening of the arteries which contributes to a healthier heart.