Healthy bones - dietitian's view

Maya is a registered dietitian and brings you her view on the essenials for healty bones

The basic building blocks
Both Vitamin D and Calcium are vital nutrients for strong bones and teeth. Vitamin D promotes the absorption of calcium in the body and this is why these two nutrients are best taken together. Calcium plays an essential role in nerve and muscle formation as well as blood clotting and the regulation of the heartbeat. As a result, it will be helpful to have some milk in the evening which can help you to better go to sleep.

Calcium requirements
Calcium is an inorganic substance needed in larger amounts than other minerals for the formation of healthy bones and teeth. Eating a healthy and varied diet ensures an adequate supply of Calcium for healthy people. However, calcium intake is gradually decreasing in the UK. Most people don't show signs of deficiency but this does not mean their intake is ideal especially for adolescent girls and young women. An adequate calcium intake is vital for health, particularly in times of growth, e.g. childhood, adolescence, pregnancy, and also during breastfeeding (British Nutrition Foundation, 2004).

Peak Bone Mass
People should try to increase their peak bone mass (PBM). PBM is the maximum bone mass of the skeleton achieved by midlife. 90-95% of people reach their PBM by 20 years. After this age, some loss of calcium from bone is normal and bone mass slowly decreases. Older women sometimes are affected by osteoporosis through the menopause where they suffer from severe loss of Calcium. British Nutrition Foundation found in 2004 that '1 in 3 women and 1 in 8 men aged over 50 will suffer some degree of osteoporosis during their life'. Moreover, adequate calcium intake can also be important for the prevention of high blood pressure, obesity and bowel cancer.

Lactose intolerance
Lactose intolerance is the inability to produce enough of the enzyme lactase in the digestive tract which leads to the indigestion of lactose and digestive discomfort. If you are lactose intolerant use a lactose-free dairy drink or soya milk which has the same nutritional benefits as regular milk. If using a non-dairy alternative it is very important to choose one that is fortified with calcium. Also try to include plenty of calcium-rich foods such as soya beans, fortified flour and fortified breakfast cereals, green leafy vegetables and well mashed soft-bone fish like sardines in the diet, to ensure an adequate intake of Calcium.

Vitamin D
Vitamin D is essential for an adequate and sufficient absorption of calcium in bones. Vitamin D is a pro-hormone that prevents oxygen from causing doing damage in the body. Deficiency of Vitamin D is rare in UK. Only older people, Asian adults, Asian women and Asian children can be at risk of vitamin D deficiency because of low vitamin D intake from food and/or inadequate exposure of skin to sunshine. Most vitamins cannot be made by the body, only vitamin D which can be obtained by the action of sunlight on the skin( 10 min of sun exposure per day is enough).