The development and bone growth is a process that takes place from the womb to the last days of life of the individual. A lifetime for the bone can be enhanced or, conversely, to not reach their optimal development and will gradually weaken.
1. The diet is key throughout life
In this complex process, bone tissue has an array of nutritional requirements that will need to cover food through the individual ingest.
From this point of view, pharmacology or supplementation are unimportant because, if necessary, it will be only for short periods of time and of course, can never replace what food should be provided from birth of the individual or even before that.
It is known that properly organize food from early childhood brings great benefits in terms of health, including bone and quality of life. It is therefore necessary to always emphasize the importance of nutrition education.
Pregnancy. It is a stage of life where it is recommended to increase the intake of calcium.
During pregnancy and lactation produced a series of physiological and environmental constraints make it necessary to bring food contributions and lifestyles of this special impact on mother and child.
The change in the nutritional needs and, in particular, changes in phospho-calcium balance was largely due to hormonal changes that serve as substrate for all the processes of synthesis and maternal-fetal adaptation that develop along pregnancy, fetal maturation and during lactation to feed the child, always with the priority needs of the fetus or infant.
As a result of the changes that take place before fetal skeletal mineralization is favored progressive retention of calcium to meet the increasingly growing demand for fetal skeletal mineralization.
Most of the works consulted during lactation indicate that bone mass is lost, studies show that in the early months of breastfeeding reduces the mother’s bone density between 3 and 5%, especially in the spine and hip , which is recovered upon cessation of breastfeeding.
At this stage we suggest the consumption of milk and dairy products to ensure a proper calcium RDA (3-4 servings/day, preferably suitable semi-or fat). Dairy products are a good way of incorporating nutritional amounts of vitamins and polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially in women with incomplete dietary profiles.
It is not necessary pharmacological supplementation of vitamin D, since a normal balanced diet and sun exposure allow adequate synthesis of this vitamin. Nor is recommended supplementation with vitamin A, or the additional intake of food especially rich in it, such as liver, cod liver oil, etc., the recommendations for vitamin A can be met through consumption of milk, eggs and plant foods rich in provitamin A. It is also essential to take daily five servings of fruits or vegetables in season.
Adolescence. At puberty is the period of greatest increases bone density.
During childhood and adolescence produces growth of the organism with the formation of bone from growth cartilage and subsequent ossification, strengthening it. To acquire optimal development is necessary to maintain adequate nutritional status.
With prevention in childhood is to attain a higher degree of bone mass and ensure a better ossified bone during the stage of old age. Puberty is the period of greatest increases bone density, and in this period which gets called “peak bone mass, whose quality is essential to avoid further risks.
Bone mineral density may be modifiable by diet and exercise up to 20%. Assumes great importance a balanced input of proteins (both over the defect in this sense may contribute to bone resorption), the contribution of vitamins through the abundant fruit and vegetables and intake of minerals like calcium, phosphorus and magnesium. The dietary calcium should be obtained primarily from dairy foods, as well as fortified.
The continued exercise is one of the most important factors involved in regulating bone mass, it will improve bone strength and endurance, which is continuously subjected to microtrauma. It also encourages organic synthesis in bone mineral deposition and bone architecture more resilient.
4. Adulthood
Objectives. Improving bone health and prevent the development of osteoporosis in the future.
He believes that a healthy diet is when you get a supply of nutrients in sufficient quantity to meet the needs of the organism.
At present, moreover, requires that the measure serves to promote health, improve welfare and reduce the risk of disease, the chronic type, such as cardiovascular, cancer and osteoporosis are those who benefit most from a proper diet.
A diet rich in dairy and protein and salt adjusted may improve bone health and prevent the development of osteoporosis in the future.
Deserves special attention in this chapter the menopause in women, hormonal changes process which requires special supplemental calcium and vitamin D and healthy lifestyle habits and physical exercise to maintain the balance of the skeleton.
5. Aging
Age is the most important determinant of bone density and it is known that there is an overall decrease in the amount of bone, causing the so-called “physiologic osteopenia” linked to age. The accumulated loss at the age of 80-90 years is 30% in men and 40-50% in women.
A decrease in bone formation, in part related to the general aging of the osteoblast (the cell responsible for bone formation), is coupled with decreased absorption of calcium.
This malabsorption could be related to vitamin D deficiency, since the transformation of this is produced in the kidney and the capacity to age renal function deteriorates. Physical activity, which decreases significantly with aging, is an important factor in bone formation.
There are several studies that demonstrate the role of calcium, vitamin D and protein in preventing bone fractures.
Tags: adolescence, adulthood, aging, bone growth, Bone Health, bone mass, childhood, lactation, nutrition, pregnancy
