As you get older, maintaining healthy joints and bones is becoming increasingly important. Serious illnesses such as osteoporosis (bone loss) and arthritis (joint pain) cause the sufferer to move hard and can trigger other more dangerous diseases. There are several ways to reduce the risk of developing this disease or prevent it getting worse. Simple lifestyle changes such as quitting smoking, increasing calcium intake, and exercising regularly will protect your joints and bones.
Set the Diet for Joint and Bone Health
- Increase calcium intake into the body. Calcium is very important to maintain the health and strength of joints and bones. Therefore, the body needs a lot of calcium intake from sharing food, for example:
- Low-fat dairy products, such as yogurt or cheese.
- Green vegetables, such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and turnip greens.
- Calcium-fortified foods, such as orange juice, cereals, bread, soy milk, and tofu.
- Eat foods that contain vitamin D. The body is deficient in vitamin D because the source is not much. The main source of vitamin D is sunlight. However, if you live in an area rarely exposed to sunlight, you should increase the consumption of the following foods:
- Fatty fish, like tuna and sardines.
- Egg yolk, cheese, fortified milk, yogurt or soy products, beef liver.
- Fulfill the needs of vitamin C. Vitamin C serves to repair body tissues, including cartilage in the joints. Make sure your diet contains 2,000 mg of vitamin C daily from the following foods:
- Citrus fruits, such as oranges, grapes, and limes. Watermelon
- Fruit beriberi, such as strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and cranberries.
- Tropical fruits, such as pineapple, papaya, kiwi and mango.
- Green vegetables such as cabbage, cabbage, and spinach.
- Potatoes and sweet potatoes.
- Pumpkin and tomato.
- Increase bone density with vitamin K. Research suggests that vitamin K can increase bone density. Other studies suggest that vitamin K only prevents bone damage and cancer. Include vitamin K into your diet from the following foods:
- Green vegetable, meat, cheese, eggs.
- Reduce sodium intake and increase potassium intake. Bone density will decrease if consumed too much salt. To overcome it, reduce your intake of sodium and increase your potassium intake. In addition, avoid or reduce salt in your diet foods. [8] Potassium-rich foods include:
Banana, baked potato, orange juice, pumpkin, broccoli, yogurt, white beans, cantaloupe, Halibut fish, sweet potato.
- Reduce caffeine consumption. Drinking too much coffee (or other drinks containing caffeine) will reduce calcium in bone. Keep caffeine consumption up to 300 mg per day. Caffeine-containing beverages such as coffee, tea, cola, and hot chocolate. Try changing to coffee and other drinks that do not contain caffeine (eg herbal tea, water, and juice). Non-caffeinated coffee also tastes good.
- Avoid drinking alcohol. People who drink lots of alcohol tend to suffer from fragile and broken bones. Alcohol not only prevents the body from absorbing vitamins and minerals but also increases hormones that reduce bone density. To prevent it, avoid consumption of alcoholic beverages. If you are suffering from alcohol addiction, consult a doctor. You need to control the consumption level of your alcoholic beverages.
- Consumption of glucosamine supplements. Glucosamine is a compound present in the body and supports cartilage in the joints. This substance is not in the diet so intake should be through supplements. Consumption of 3 x 500 mg per day.