Stronger Bones Are Within Your Reach

Strong bones are within our reach, but are our day-to-day activities hurting our bone health? In this article we look at some daily habits that could be affecting our bones and what we can do to keep our bones healthy and strong.

Most of us are aware of what contributes to strong bones but because we do not directly see them, caring for our bones might seem to be something that we only have to deal with when we get older. What we might not realise is how our current daily habits and lifestyles can impact our bone health.

Habits that led to weaker bones and you should take note!

1. Insufficient protein intake
- Protein is an essential part of a healthy diet and not consuming enough might be harmful to your health. To maintain a healthy diet, according to the DRI (Dietary Reference Intake), it is necessary that you meet the requirements of 0.36 grams of protein for every pound (0.8 grams per kg) of body weight¹. However, low protein intake decreases your body’s calcium absorption and may also impact the rates of bone formation and breakdown².

2. Drinking too much coffee
- According to recent studies, consuming roughly 800mg of caffeine than the recommended amount (400mg) may lead to weaker and brittle bones, as excessive caffeine doubles the amount of calcium lost through urination³.

3. Being inactive
- Do you sit on the desk or couch all day? Most of us spend many hours each day sitting at our desks, either working or studying. A sedentary lifestyle can hasten the loss of bone and muscle mass, which accelerates the ageing process⁴. You may avoid this by engaging in regular physical activity such as resistance and weight exercises, which it slows down the progression of muscle loss and stimulate our bone remodelling⁴.

4. Extreme weight loss
- When you lose weight, not only do you lose fat but muscle as well. Loss of muscle mass weakens its strength and deprives your body of the essential nutrients that are necessary for healthy function which can hinder the bone remodeling process, causing your bones brittle⁴. As a result, it's crucial to ingest enough nutrients to replenish your body and gradually lose weight by incorporating muscle-strength exercises ⁵.

5. Smoking/Drinking
- According to the Health Promotion Board, no more than two standard drinks a day for men, and no more than one standard drink a day for women is considered as moderate drinking6. A standard alcoholic drink is defined as one can (330ml) of regular beer, half a glass (175ml) of wine and one shot (35ml) of spirit⁶. Drinking alcohol excessively can disrupt or reduce calcium and vitamin C absorption, which will lower bone density or raise of bone fracture. Additionally, if you are in your menopausal years, this will speed up the rate of bone loss that is already happening⁷.
  
  Similarly, smoking has the same effect on bone as nicotine slows the production of the bone-forming cells that are so crucial to healing⁷.

How do you curb with such issues?

The health and strength of our bones rely on a balanced diet and a steady stream of nutrients.

1. Consuming nutrients
- Calcium
- One of the key components in building and maintaining healthy bones is calcium. For adults, it is recommended to have 800 mg to 1000mg of calcium intake in your daily diet¹². Since calcium is not something that our bodies produce, it is crucial to have enough from our diets so that our bodies can absorb it and continue to function. If there are insufficient calcium in our bloodstream, our bodies will naturally withdraw calcium from our bones⁹. Keep your calcium bank full with our bone-loving supplements such as LAC FullCal and LAC FullCal® 800 (120 Caplets).
- Vitamin D
- To effectively absorb calcium from our dietary sources, our bodies require Vitamin D . According to the National Health Survey in 2010, 40% and 8% respectively of Singaporeans were deficient and very deficient for Vitamin D¹³. It is important to achieve the daily recommended levels from supplements such as LAC Vitamin D3 400iu.
- Magnesium
- Magnesium plays a key role in converting vitamin D into the active form which aids in calcium absorption. The recommended daily magnesium to calcium ratio is 2:1, which corresponds to our requirement for calcium⁸.
- Collagen
- Collagen is the main protein found in bones. It contains amino acids which support the development of bone, muscle, ligaments and other tissues. Studies have also suggested that collagen supplements may help preserve bone health health by slowing collagen breakdown¹¹.

2. Healthy Lifestyle (Smoking/Drinking/Excess eating)

Quit smoking and moderate drinking

As mentioned above, it is important to moderate your bad habits as smoking⁸ and drinking⁶ are injurious to our bone health. It is important to take note that minimizing or ceasing these bad habits to prevent your bones to become weak and brittle.

Exercise

Staying active is one of the surest ways to keep your bones strong. Even simple exercises, such as walking, running or jumping rope have been shown to improve bone density for the best results¹⁰.

¹https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/protein-deficiency-symptoms
²https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12936953/#:~:text=Dietary%20protein%20intakes%20at%20and,sufficient%20to%20cause%20secondary%20hyperparathyroidism.
³https://www.unisa.edu.au/media-centre/Releases/2021/caffeine-cuts-close-to-the-bon--when-it-comes-to-osteoporosis/#:~:text=High%20doses%20of%20caffeine%20(800,an%20increased%20risk%20of%20osteoporosis.
⁴https://www.healthxchange.sg/news/keep-muscles-strong-as-you-age
⁵https://www.activehealth.sg/read/nutrition/5-alarming-dangers-of-extreme-weight-loss-you-cant-afford-to-ignore
⁶https://www.singhealth.com.sg/news/patient-care/drink-alcohol-in-moderation
⁷https://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh26-4/292-298.htm#:~:text=Human%20and%20animal%20studies%20clearly%20demonstrate%20that%20chronic%2C%20heavy%20alcohol,and%20weakens%20bones'%20mechanical%20properties. ⁸https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6304634/
⁹https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/staying-healthy/calcium-nutrition-and-bone-health/
¹⁰https://www.bones.nih.gov/health-info/bone/bone-health/exercise/exercise-your-bone-health#:~:text=Weight%2Dbearing%20and%20resistance%20exercises,weights%20%E2%80%93%20can%20also%20strengthen%20bones. ¹¹https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/collagen-benefits#benefits
¹²https://www.healthhub.sg/live-healthy/192/recommended_dietary_allowances
¹³https://www.moh.gov.sg/resources-statistics/reports/national-health-survey-2010
¹⁴https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3775240/

Products Used In This Article

LAC FullCal®

FullCal®

3g x 60stick

LAC FullCal®

FullCal®

3g x 60stick

Highly absorbable Calcium Citrate powder formula for strong bones and teeth. Good 2:1 Calcium vs. Magnesium ratio - for optimal Calcium absorption & metabolism. With co-nutrients (fish collagen, Vit C & E) to support joint health. Dissolve easily – melt instantly in mouth/can be mixed with water or juices, perfect for those who have swallowing difficulties/do not like to swallow pills. Individual sachet – convenient to consume on-the-go

LAC Vitamins

Vitamin D3 400 IU

100 gummies

LAC Vitamins

Vitamin D3 400 IU

100 gummies

400IU of vitamin D3 as (*Cholecalciferol), the more highly absorbable & more widely studied form. Many people do not get enough sunlight, hence need Vit. D supplement supplementation is essential. Delicious peach and cherry flavors. Pleasant Vit. D supplementation. Gummy made of Citrus pectin – softer and less likely to stick to teeth.