Bones and Joints

Looking after bones and joints

It’s never too early to think about healthy bones and joints. Building healthy bones starts young. Did you know that you build 90 percent of your bone by the age of 19? What you eat and how you care for your bones throughout your life helps to maintain strong, healthy bones and joints right into old age.

What do healthy bones need?

You really need an overall healthy, balanced diet to take care of your bones, but some nutrients do stand out:

Calcium

Calcium is the main building block for your bones. Dairy foods such as milk, cheese and yoghurt are good sources of calcium. Butter and cream contain little to no calcium, so they do not count here. You will also find calcium in calcium-fortified plant-based milks, but always check the labels, as not all plant-based milks have calcium added.

You need three servings of calcium-rich foods every day for healthy bones. One serving is:

• 200 ml milk or calcium-fortified plant-based milk
• 1 pot of yoghurt (125 g) or calcium-fortified plant-based yoghurt
• 25 g of hard cheese such as cheddar or Edam

Vitamin D

You need vitamin D to absorb calcium from your food, and to help get that calcium into your bones. With limited sunlight in Ireland, it is easy to fall short of this important vitamin. The HSE recommends that everyone living in Ireland takes a vitamin D supplement from October to March. Adults need 15 micrograms per day, children aged 0 to 4 need 5 micrograms per day, and children aged 5 to 13 need 10 micrograms per day.

You can also top up vitamin D from foods such as oily fish, including salmon, mackerel and trout, and from eggs. Many foods also have vitamin D added.

Magnesium

Magnesium is important for maintaining healthy bones. You can find magnesium in nuts and seeds such as almonds, hazelnuts, pecans and Brazil nuts. You will also find magnesium in wholegrain foods, and dark chocolate is a surprisingly good source.

Vitamin K

Another key nutrient for healthy bones is vitamin K. You can find vitamin K in green vegetables such as cabbage, kale, broccoli and spinach.

Zinc

Support healthy bones by adding more zinc-rich foods. You can find zinc in seeds such as sunflower seeds, as well as beef, cheddar cheese and dark chocolate.

Protein

This is one nutrient that is often overlooked when it comes to healthy bones. Protein is like the scaffolding that your calcium sticks to. You need protein and calcium to work together for healthy bones. Make sure you include protein foods at two to three meals per day. You do not need huge amounts, but it helps to get into the habit of thinking about protein at meals. You can find protein in meat, chicken, fish and eggs. You will also find protein in beans, lentils, tofu, seeds and nuts. Dairy foods such as yoghurt, milk and cheese are also helpful for topping up protein while providing plenty of calcium.

Fruit and vegetables

Fruit and vegetables are sources of vitamin C, and you need vitamin C for healthy bones too. Vitamin C is an essential part of the collagen in your bones, so make sure you are getting some fruit and or vegetables at every meal. Ideally, one third to one half of your plate should be vegetables or salad at lunch and dinner. You can add fruit to breakfast, snack on it during the day, or include it in desserts after dinner.

Beyond nutrition for healthy bones and joints

Exercise

Exercise helps to build bones, just like it helps to build muscle. You also need muscle to support and protect your joints. Your bones benefit from weight-bearing exercise:

• Brisk walking places weight through your hips.
• Lifting weights places weight through your wrists.
• Pilates and yoga help place weight through your spine.
• Going to the gym or joining a resistance class can help build strong bones as well as strong muscles.

Stay flexible

Exercises that encourage you to stretch are important for keeping joints flexible and strong. This is why classes such as yoga or Pilates can be beneficial. Check with your GP before starting any new exercise programme, especially if you have any medical conditions.