Erin Stokes, Naturopathic Doctor, MegaFood Medical Director | September 2022
Strong bones are essential to health and wellness. Beyond giving shape to the body and enabling movement, bones protect organs, store minerals and support the development of blood cells. It’s no wonder a well-built home is said to have “good bones.”
People often start paying attention to their bones later in life, but bone health should be a lifelong pursuit.
You Need Healthy Bones - No Bones About It
Bones seem solid, but they are actually made of living tissue that breaks down and is being rebuilt often in a process called bone remodeling. This keeps bones strong while giving the body the calcium it needs.
Typically after age 35, bones can start breaking down faster than they can rebuild. Over time, losing bone mass can lead to osteoporosis. According to the Cleveland Clinic, 54 million people in the U.S. have osteoporosis, putting them at greater risk for hip, wrist and spine fractures. Women are four times more likely than men to develop the disease, especially after menopause.
How Do I Make My Bones Stronger?
Good news: It’s never too late to start giving your bones the attention they deserve. Here are three main ways you can support bone health:
- Weight-bearing exercise (like walking, jogging and dancing) and resistance exercise (like lifting weights);
- A healthy diet with dairy products, fish, fortified foods (like ready-to-eat cereals, plant-based milks, bread and orange juice), fruits (like papaya, bananas and oranges) and vegetables (like dark leafy greens, sweet potatoes and broccoli);
- Dietary supplementation, for an everyday way to get the nutrients you need to support healthy bones.
What Vitamins Are Good For Bones?
Our bodies rely on several nutrients for optimal bone health, especially calcium, Vitamin D3 and magnesium.
Calcium
When it comes to bones vitamins, we’re betting the first that comes to mind is calcium, and for good reason. Calcium keeps bones dense and strong.† Almost 100 percent of your calcium is stored in your bones and teeth.
It’s recommended that children age 9 - 18 get 1,300 mg calcium per day and adults get 1,000 mg calcium per day - that number increases to 1,200 mg per day for post-menopausal women and men age 70+.
Calcium is found in dairy products, salmon and sardines, dried beans, nuts (like almonds and Brazil nuts) and Blackstrap molasses.
We have a secret: our calcium supplement combines calcium with magnesium, to give you two powerhouse bones vitamins in one. For the best possible absorption, we suggest taking this supplement two hours before or after your daily multivitamin. (Find out why calcium & magnesium aren’t in our multis.)
Vitamin D3
Called the sunshine vitamin - because it’s created when our skin is exposed to sunlight - Vitamin D3 supports the development and maintenance of bones and teeth. In other words, think Vitamin D3 for bones! It also supports the absorption of calcium and the healthy functioning of our immune system.†
Food sources of vitamin D3 include eggs, cheese, milk, mushrooms, tuna, salmon and sardines as well as fortified foods like cereals, cow’s milk or non-dairy milk and orange juice.
It’s recommended that infants up to one year old get 400 IU (10mcg) Vitamin D3 per day, people 1 to 70 get 600 IU (15mcg) per day and seniors 71+ get 800 IU (20mcg) per day.
Our Vitamin D3 collection includes tablets in three different potencies - Vitamin D3 1000 IU, 2000 IU and 5000 IU - as well as a delicious D3 Wellness Gummy that provides 1000 IU per serving and is made with organic oranges, organic cranberries and organic blueberries for a distinctive, real fruit flavor. (Plus, this vegetarian gummy is crafted without high-fructose corn syrup or gelatin, and each 1-gummy serving has one gram of sugar.)
Bonus: All of our Vitamin D3 options are formulated with cholecalciferol, the more easily absorbed and utilized form of vitamin D.†
Magnesium
This vital nutrient assists in maintaining healthy bones by helping the assimilation of calcium and Vitamin D3.† It’s also involved in the function of 300+ enzyme systems, and it supports muscle relaxation, plays a role in maintaining normal heart rhythms and cardiovascular function and promotes a sense of calm and relaxation.†
Magnesium is found in both plant and animal foods, such as spinach, black beans, pumpkin seeds, almonds, avocados, brown rice, salmon and more.
Because it’s a macro-mineral, meaning we need it in large quantities, it’s recommended we get 400+ mg magnesium each day.
Our magnesium supplements give you options, with tasty chews, convenient powders and tablets, including the calcium & magnesium duo mentioned earlier.
Managing Your Health
Looking for other supplements to help with optimal health? Support your body from the ground up with our Energy, Digestion and Sleep & Stress products today!
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