Three kinds of nutrients matter most for strong bones: calcium, vitamin D and enough protein. That is the advice of Lina Akter, a nutritionist at Raiyan Healthcare Hospital and Research Centre in Dinajpur, writing in Prothom Alo.
Calcium and phosphate are the main minerals of bone, protein holds bone cells together and strengthens them, and without vitamin D calcium is not properly absorbed, she explained. Osteoporosis reduces bone density and strength, so a minor injury can break a bone. Older people and women after menopause are most at risk.
For calcium she recommends milk, yoghurt, small fish eaten with their bones, sesame and green vegetables.
Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium; its sources are sunlight, oily fish and egg yolk. Where there is a deficiency, supplements can be taken on a doctor's advice, the nutritionist said.
Bones and muscles also need enough protein, so she advises eating fish, eggs, milk, chicken, lentils and chickpeas regularly. Nuts and sesame provide both magnesium and protein.
Most of the foods on her list, such as small fish, lentils, greens and sesame, come from the country's own farms and ponds, so they can be part of daily meals without costly supplements.
Photo: Yoghurt in a clay pot, Kirti Poddar / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
Source: Prothom Alo
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