The Importance for Calcium and Magnesium for Bone Strength
Bone strength is something to protect and nourish, especially as we age. Osteoporosis, a disease defined as the loss of bone strength, can lead to bone fractures. Older folks are particularly vulnerable because they are more likely to suffer from falls. And if a fall results in a hip fracture, or other major break, the long-term results can severely change one’s quality of life, due to the necessary limiting of physical activity that accompanies such an injury. Sometimes the elderly and infirm aren’t ever really able to recover. Even if a fracture is not so severe, deficiencies of calcium and magnesium can lead to chronic pain in the spine and back area, which may diminish the overall quality of life that older people experience. It is essential that we protect our bones, and nourish them well with good food, exercise, and supplementation, to enter into our aging process with strength and dignity.
Supplementation with calcium and magnesium is important these days because our foods and soil have been depleted of these vital minerals. The fertilizers that are used are often very heavy in nitrogen, which increases overall soil acidity and also increases high plant yields, which help to increase the amount of nutrients in the soil being removed. It is estimated that where we used to be able to extract 500 mg of magnesium from the soil, now, with the quality of the soil in which our food is grown, we can only extract 200 mg. No matter how wonderful our diet is, the vegetables can’t provide essential nutrients when grown in depleted soil.
There are of course many benefits to getting enough calcium and magnesium. Adequate calcium will allow your bones to remain strong as you age, which means you will be much less vulnerable to devastating and painful fractures. Getting enough of these minerals also enables your bones to regenerate faster, meaning that any bone loss that does take place can be more easily repaired.
You can ensure you are getting enough calcium and magnesium by eating nutritious foods like dairy products, leafy greens and nuts, and taking supplements. Regular exercise (especially weight-bearing exercise) can help strengthen the bones as well.
