Bones: The Body’s Building Blocks!
Bones! We all know how important they are. Without them, we wouldn’t be able to stand up straight. Instead, we would all look like mounds of jelly. They also protect our organs, anchor our muscles and act as the Calcium store house of the body.
But, How much do we really know about bones?
It’s a common misconception that bones stop growing when you’ve had your last growth spurt.
Once you’ve finished growing, your bones don’t get any bigger, But, does that mean your bones stop remodelling?
Not at all! Bone is a living tissue and new bone is constantly forming.
There are two types of cells found inside our bones. Osteoclasts and Osteoblasts. Osteoclasts consistently remove thin layers of bone, and the Osteoblasts lay down new bone in its place.
Now comes the important question,
How can you make your bones stronger?
When you’re young, your body focuses on collecting bone mass to ensure your bones are strong and will remain strong throughout your life. When you get a little older (around 35), you start losing a little bone no matter what you do. So, the more bone mass you’ve amassed when you’re young the stronger you will be throughout your life.
How do you make sure you optimise your bone mass when you’re young?
Physical activity, Vitamin D (Sunlight) and Calcium are key.
It is simple math really,
Osteoclasts remove X amount of bone tissue from your body,
Osteoblasts will lay down X – 1 amount of bone if you have little to no physical activity in your daily life, and X + 1 amount of bone if you are physically active, getting enough Vitamin D from direct sunlight and eating a healthy diet that is rich in Calcium.
So, there you have it! The key to healthy, strong bones is an active lifestyle with a healthy diet!
Checkout our blog ‘Bustng the Milk Myth’ for more insights on how to get your daily dose of Calcium! https://blog.boneandjointindia.com/busting-the-milk-myth-2/
