- Children’s Orthopaedic & Spine Care Clinic
Bone health depends on a lot of different nutrients. Some nutrients are good for you by science, while others might be good for you, but there isn't any research to back that up. Some nutrients are needed in such small amounts that most people don't need to worry about not getting enough of them. Focus on nutrients that science has shown to be essential and helpful.
Calcium is essential for healthy bones because it keeps them strong. Our teeth and bones contain 99% of the calcium in our bodies.
Calcium is used for many things, like how muscles work, the heart function, nerves work, etc.
If our bodies don't get the calcium, they need to keep doing these things, they take calcium from our bones. This makes it so that our bones don't get enough calcium. You need to get enough calcium in your diet, so your body doesn't have to take calcium from your bones.
The National Institute of Nutrition of India says that children ages 18 need 500–800 mg of calcium daily. You need to eat and take other supplements to get these milligrams of calcium.
Vitamin D also helps keep your bones healthy in a big way. Inadequate vitamin D levels inhibit the body from absorbing calcium.
Most of the time, we recommend taking vitamin D3 supplements instead of vitamin D2.
Studies show that vitamin D3 raises your vitamin D levels slightly better. No food or drink is necessary when taking this medication.
Vitamin D can come from the sun, but you shouldn't go out when it's very hot.
The best way to get Vitamin D is to lie in the sun. Just 30 minutes of sunbathing a baby up to 1 year old once a week can help the baby get nearly 40% of the Vitamin D they need.
At least 15 minutes a day of sun exposure is enough for adults and children up to 18 years old. Sunbathing is best done between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. The time of day when the sun is out could change with the seasons, especially in India. If your skin hurts after being in the sun, you should use a lotion or ointment to soothe it.
Micronutrients like chromium, cobalt, iodine, iron, manganese, molybdenum, selenium, and zinc are only needed in small amounts, but they work like magic to make bones stronger. Because of this, it is essential to get them regularly from natural sources. It's just as important to eat foods high in folate, a type of vitamin B, as it is to eat foods high in cobalamin, a type of vitamin B12.
Protein is a vital part of building bone mass. Bone growth can be hurt by not getting enough nutrients, especially protein. The amount of protein you eat also affects how insulin works and how much insulin you make. Protein can also stop a growth factor called IGF-1 from doing its job of making bones stronger. If you don't eat enough protein, your body may not be able to make or use IGF-1 during growth and puberty, which could slow bone growth.
Just like calcium, almost all of the magnesium in the body is stored in the skeleton. Magnesium deficiency is rare and only happens in people who aren't getting enough food. However, it's important to remember that as we age, our bodies stop absorbing magnesium, which can put adults at risk of magnesium deficiency. To avoid problems in the future, it's essential to start eating things like green vegetables, nuts, fruits, and legumes at a young age.
When it comes to mineralizing bone tissue, zinc is a must. Severe deficiency is usually linked to low calorie and protein intake, and it has been said that older people who live in communities have it often. Zinc can be found in lean red meat, chicken, whole grain cereals, pulses, beans, and dried fruit.
Many kids have health problems, like asthma, that force them to take certain medicines that might make it harder for their bodies to absorb calcium from food. These kids need to take extra care of their bones, and their parents should talk to a child orthopaedic doctor in Gurgaon to find out if they can give their child calcium supplements.