What Should I Eat To Keep My Bones Healthy and Strong?

The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends the following:

	Use fats, oils, and sweets sparingly
	2-3 servings daily in the milk, yogurt, and cheese group
	3-5 servings daily in the vegetable group
	2-3 servings in the meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs, and nuts group
	2-4 servings daily in the fruit group
	6-11 servings daily in the bread, cereal, rice and pasta group

They also recommend that if you need to modify your diet, do it gradually. Usually, that is easier than changing your diet drastically all at once!

For Further Information:

The Food Guide Pyramid

Nutrition Information

Bone Builders

For starters, Calcium is one of the nutrients we need to keep our bones healthy and strong. Not only does it help our bones, it helps our heart, muscles, and nerves function, as well as our blood clot normally from those cuts and scraps! Every day our body loses calcium, but is replaced by calcium in our diet. When we don't have enough calcium in our diet, our body gets the calcium it needs by breaking down bones. We don't want that to happen though!

New research from the Indiana University School of Medicine suggests that Vitamin E helps bones grow and slows the natural breakdown of bone. Essentially, it may help protect cells from the molecules in the body that break down fats, proteins, and DNA in the body.

We also need the following for strong, healthy bones:
Minerals: magnesium, zinc, manganese, boron, silicon, copper and phosphorus
Vitamins: D, C, A, B6, K, folic acid and pantothenic acid

For further information:

Calcium

Bone Strength

Nutrients

Protecting Your Bones