Building Solid Bones

Good bones are like solid bricks, which ensure a strong foundation. If you paid any attention to the fable of the three little pigs, you will know not to make a house from sticks or straw.
For strong, healthy bones, you need lots of calcium -- the building blocks of bones -- as well as plenty of exercise and sunshine. Our skins makes vitamin D when exposed to sunlight, and vitamin D is required for the absorption of calcium. And, if calcium is the foundation on which strong bones are formed, eating the right types and ammounts of food is paramount.
Senior consultant and head of the department of orthopedic surgery at Singapore General Hospital, Clinical Associate Professor Tan Seang Beng, said:"if you don't have enough food, your body's not likely to build muscle and bone. Bones mass and strength is related to a child's growth. If a child has very poor nutrition, he will probably be skinny and small for his age. His bones will be thin and poorly build and it's likely that he will suffer from osteoporosis in future."
Bones grow fastest during puberty and keep doing so until the age of 30, when peak bone mass is reached. After that, it starts to drop off. Foods which are high in calcium are dairy products like milk, cheese and yohurt as well as fish like salmon, herring and trout.
As milk products are less popular in Asian societes, calcium can also be obtained from other sources like dark green leafy vegetables, anchovies and tofu. A person aged between 10 and 18 years requires at least 1,000mg of calcium every day. Those above 50 years as well as expectant and breastfeeding mothers require at least 1,000mg of calcium a day too. Adults between 19 and 50 years need at least 800mg of calcium a day.
And while good nutrition is paramount for building bone mass, regular exercise is the only way to make your ones stronger.
Dr.Wong Yue Shuen, consultants orthopedic surgeons at Island Orthopedic Groups, said:"It comes down to exercise, specifically weight-bearing exercise. Bones are just like your muscle or brain. If you don't matter how much nutrition you give them, they will not get stronger."
Weight-bearing exercises includes running, brisk walking and cycling. Swimming is not as useful in building up your bones as the water takes the stress load off bones and joints. Dr. Wong said:"If you're worried about your bone health, it's good idea to load those areas at risk but within limit. When you talk about astronauts losing bone density in space, the reason is because there's a lack f gravity pulling dwn on their bones."

--- ANN/Straits Times