Having healthy, strong and resistant bones is essential for our health because, together with the muscles and tendons, the bones allow the movement of the limbs and, in the absence of movement, guarantee support and stability.
Not only that, the bones have function of reserve and deposit of essential minerals, such as calcium, phosphorus, sodium and magnesium and the bone marrow present within them produces white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets. They also have important functions of protection of the organism, think for example of the rib cage that protects the heart and lungs or the cranial bones that preserve the brain.
Unfortunately, as we age we experience a physiological loss of bone mass from the skeleton, which makes the bones thinner and more fragile. The loss of bone tissue already begins around forty and it can manifest itself in bone fragility and in diseases such as osteoporosis more frequent in women after the arrival of menopause due to the drop in estrogen.
Then there are harmful behaviors and bad habits that can deteriorate our bone structure ahead of time. The sedentary lifestyle is one of them. Inactivity facilitates bone loss; those who are sedentary have a higher risk of developing osteoporosis than those who practice physical activity regularly, because the skeleton reacts to the reduction of the forces applied by the muscles on the bone, reducing its mineralization and making it weaker.
On the contrary, with constant exerciseeven if moderate, heart rate and blood circulation increase and this means that the nutrients assimilated with food reach all the cells of the body, even bones and cartilages.
Also consuming too much caffeine, contained not only in coffees but also in beverages such as energy drinks, and sodium, whose main food source is table salt, it can damage bone because these substances induce the loss of calcium – which is also found in the water we drink – through the urine.
Another cause of bone structure deterioration is malnutrition. A BMI (Body Mass Index) of less than 19 kg / m2 (underweight condition) is a risk factor for osteoporosis. Being underweight is in fact a condition often associated with a lack of macro and micronutrients, such as proteins, a source of amino acids necessary to maintain the bone structure, vitamin K, essential for forming osteocalcin, the second most abundant protein in bones after collagen, and magnesium, a determining factor in bone formation.
In the end, smoking also has a negative effect on our musculoskeletal system, as demonstrated by a research by the Ixè Institute conducted on behalf of the SIOT (Italian Society of Orthopedics and Traumatology). Some substances contained in cigarettes have in fact a direct toxic effect on the cells of the bone tissue, that is, the osteoblasts, responsible for the formation of bones. Other substances hinder the absorption of calcium from food and, in women, smoking can anticipate menopause.
Correcting wrong habits is therefore fundamental for the health of the musculoskeletal system and, in case of deficiencies or need for further support, we can rely on to supplements.
Here are the best ones for our bones in the gallery above.
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