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Our Bones

Our bones have a lot to do with our overall well being. Healthy bones help us with posture, movement, and recovery from fractures. Weak bones lead to bad posture, pain and stiffness. When our bones get the minerals they need, they store them. This keeps them strong while also allowing them to provide these nutrients to the rest of our body. When they don’t get proper nutrition, our bones’ mineral supply suffers, resulting in bone density issues as we age.

The key to caring for our bones is to exercise and give them the nutrients they need through healthy sources. As you’ll see below, our bones are living tissue and they are always restoring themselves. This gives us an opportunity to start caring for them at any time, even if we didn’t do this for years. The sooner we start, the better for growing up strong and establishing good bone density before aging complications. But it’s never too late to start caring for our bones.

Our Bones and Skeleton Main Parts and Functions

Our skeleton consists of bones and connective tissue: ligaments, cartilage and tendons. You might be surprised to see how much our bones do for us! They don’t just give us our shape, they also protect our organs, produce important blood cells, store minerals for the rest of our body, and help us with movement.

Discover more details about the different functions of our bones and connective tissue by hovering over each pointer below.

NutriSavvy_Our_Bones_Skeleton_Parts_Functions_Yoga_Woman_with_BG_16x9
Our Bones and Skeleton Main Parts and Functions

Top Nutrients for Our Bones

Click on the nutrient images below to visit their interactive pages and learn more about what they do for us, their top sources, other interesting facts, and to try our personalized nutrition calculator.

Tap on the nutrient images below to visit their interactive pages and learn more about what they do for us, their top sources, other interesting facts, and to try our personalized nutrition calculator.

98% of the calcium in our body is in our bones. It is crucial to build and maintain healthy bones.
98% of the calcium in our body is in our bones. It is crucial to build and maintain healthy bones.
Vitamin D enhances calcium absorption and helps us maintain adequate levels of calcium and phosphate in our bones.
Vitamin D enhances calcium absorption and helps us maintain adequate levels of calcium and phosphate in our bones.
Vitamin C enhances calcium absorption in our intestines. A higher vitamin C intake is linked to a lower risk of developing osteoporosis.
Vitamin C enhances calcium absorption in our intestines. A higher vitamin C intake is linked to a lower risk of developing osteoporosis.
Vitamin K helps us make the protein needed to build healthy bones. A high intake is linked to lower hip fractures and higher bone mineral density.
Vitamin K helps us make the protein needed to build healthy bones. A high intake is linked to lower hip fractures and higher bone mineral density.
85% of the phosphorus in our body is in our bones. It works together with calcium to build and maintain healthy bones.
85% of the phosphorus in our body is in our bones. It works together with calcium to build and maintain healthy bones.
Magnesium is very important for bone mineral density. 50% of the total magnesium in our body is stored in our bones.
Magnesium is very important for bone mineral density. 50% of the total magnesium in our body is stored in our bones.
Manganese helps various enzymes involved in bone formation, so it's key in bone formation and bone mineral density.
Manganese helps various enzymes involved in bone formation, so it’s key in bone formation and bone mineral density.
Potassium modulates our bone cells activities, increasing bone mineralization and decreasing calcium removal from our bones.
Potassium modulates our bone cells activities, increasing bone mineralization and decreasing calcium removal from our bones.

Top Foods for Our Bones

Below you can see some of the top whole-foods, plant-based nutrient sources for our bones. Hover over each one to see their top bone nutrients, or click on it to visit its interactive page with a personalized calculator to help you identify all the nutrients this food provides. You will also find tips to help you select, store, and prepare these foods. Plus, you will get more important information on how this food can benefit your health and the health of your loved ones. For additional sources per nutrient, click on the nutrients above.

Below you can see some of the top whole-foods, plant-based nutrient sources for our bones. Hover over each one to see their top bone nutrients, or tap on it to visit its interactive page with a personalized calculator to help you identify all the nutrients this food provides. You will also find tips to help you select, store, and prepare these foods. Plus, you will get more important information on how this food can benefit your health and the health of your loved ones. For additional sources per nutrient, tap on the nutrients above.

White Beans

White Beans

Rich in calcium, magnesium, manganese, potassium & phosphorus.

Link
Sweet Potato

Sweet Potato

Rich in vitamin C, manganese & potassium.

Link
Kiwi

Kiwi

Rich in vitamins C and K, and potassium.

Link
Spinach

Spinach

Rich in vitamins C and K, magnesium, manganese & potassium.

Link
Chia Seeds

Chia Seeds

Rich in calcium, magnesium, manganese & phosphorus.

Link
Oats

Oats

Rich in magnesium, manganese, phosphorus & potassium.

Link
Soybeans

Soybeans

Rich in vitamin K, calcium, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus & potassium.

Link
Kale

Kale

Rich in vitamins C and K, and calcium.

Link

Important Things to Know for Our Bones

Hover over each of the interesting facts below to flip the tiles and learn more details.

Check out the interesting facts below! Tap on the red triangles to flip the tiles and learn more details.

Our bones are constantly regenerating.

Let us introduce you to our bones’ dynamic duo: the osteoclasts and the osteoblasts. These two types of cells work together to remove old minerals from our bones and deposit new bone matrix that soon becomes mineralized. These guys are always at work, helping us heal lesions or fractures, and renovating our bones so that every ten years we have a completely different set!

1 in 3 women & 1 in 5 men 50+ get osteoporosis.

Estrogen and testosterone promote the activity of osteoblasts, the cells that build new bone tissue in our body. As our hormone levels drop, our osteoclasts continue to remove old bone tissue while our osteoblasts are unable to catch up. As a result, our bones can become weaker and more prone to fractures.

But, what about dairy milk?

A recent study with almost 500K adults found that drinking 200 g of milk a day was associated with a 7% higher risk of hip fractures and drinking 400 g a day was associated with a 15% higher risk. Learn more.

Exercising or not is the make or break of bones.

Exercise or the lack of can literally be the make or break of our bones! From cardio to weight-lifting and balance exercises, they all help us build stronger bones and stronger muscles that can also help protect our bones. See how much you and your family should be exercising.

Could plant estrogens help after menopause?

The isoflavones in soy beans are a form of plant estrogen. Just as soy can help us with menopausal discomfort, it may be able to help increase our osteoblasts activity. Some studies are already showing favorable results but more are needed. Still, why not give it a try? Read studies review.

Support your joints by boosting your collagen.

Knee pain is pretty common, and it’s often caused by sprained or strained ligaments, cartilage tears or tendonitis. The best way to help keep our connective tissue healthy, strong and flexible is by boosting our collagen. The good news is that we can make this protein ourselves with the help of vitamin C, zinc and copper.

Our bones are constantly regenerating.

Let us introduce you to our bones’ dynamic duo: the osteoclasts and the osteoblasts. These two types of cells work together to remove old minerals from our bones and deposit new bone matrix that soon becomes mineralized. These guys are always at work, helping us heal lesions or fractures, and renovating our bones so that every ten years we have a completely different set!

1 in 3 women & 1 in 5 men 50+ get osteoporosis.

Estrogen and testosterone promote the activity of osteoblasts, the cells that build new bone tissue in our body. As our hormone levels drop, our osteoclasts continue to remove old bone tissue while our osteoblasts are unable to catch up. As a result, our bones can become weaker and more prone to fractures.

But, what about dairy milk?

A recent study with almost 500K adults found that drinking 200 g of milk a day was associated with a 7% higher risk of hip fractures and drinking 400 g a day was associated with a 15% higher risk. Learn more.

Exercising or not is the make or break of bones.

Exercise or the lack of can literally be the make or break of our bones! From cardio to weight-lifting and balance exercises, they all help us build stronger bones and stronger muscles that can also help protect our bones. See how much you and your family should be exercising.

Could plant estrogens help after menopause?

The isoflavones in soy beans are a form of plant estrogen. Just as soy can help us with menopausal discomfort, it may be able to help increase our osteoblasts activity. Some studies are already showing favorable results but more are needed. Still, why not give it a try? Read studies review.

Support your joints by boosting your collagen.

Knee pain is pretty common, and it’s often caused by sprained or strained ligaments, cartilage tears or tendonitis. The best way to help keep our connective tissue healthy, strong and flexible is by boosting our collagen. The good news is that we can make this protein ourselves with the help of vitamin C, zinc and copper.

References