Building Your Child Bones

As mothers we fret and fume to make our kids down milk every morning and evening. Errant kids will cajole, plead, argue and throw tantrums to escape milk making us think– blessed is the mother who have kids that drink milk minus tantrums! After all bones provide the framework for your child’s growing body. Milk is rich in calcium and thus crucial for bone health of your kids.
Exasperated mothers can heave a sigh of relief from the study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. This study says that higher intakes of fruits and vegetables throughout the teen years improve bone density in adulthood. This does not mean negating the importance of dairy but other factors like a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, exercise and sunshine are equally important.
Bone basics
o Bone is the living tissue that changes constantly, with bits of old bone being removed and replaced by new bone.
o The bone mass acquired in childhood and adolescence is an important determinant of lifelong skeletal health.
o Bone mass or density is generally higher in men than in women.
o Sex hormones, including estrogen and testosterone, are essential for the development of bone mass. Girls who start to menstruate at an early age typically have greater bone density.

The minerals in a child’s skeleton are completely replaced (or recycled) about five times between childhood and her or his 55th birthday

Saying yes to fruits and vegetableso An array of nutrients—vitamin C, vitamin K, potassium, and magnesium—found abundantly in fruits, vegetables, and other plant foods, have been shown to promote bone health.
o Vitamin C from citrus fruits, tomatoes, peppers, and other fruits and vegetables is essential for making collagen, the connective tissue that minerals cling to when bone is formed.
o Vitamin K is thought to stimulate bone formation. It is found most abundantly in dark leafy greens like kale and spinach, but is also readily available in beans, soy products, and some fruits and vegetables.
o Potassium decreases the loss of calcium from the body and increases the rate of bone building. Oranges, bananas, potatoes, and many other fruits, vegetables, and beans are all rich sources of potassium.
o Magnesium, like calcium, is an important bone mineral. Studies have shown higher magnesium intakes to be associated with stronger bones. “Beans and greens”—legumes and green leafy vegetables—are excellent sources of magnesium.
o Diets high in fruits and vegetables actually tip the acid-base scales in the opposite direction and make it easier for bones to hold onto their calcium.

Go outdoors

Bones function on a simple logic. Either use them or lose them. Exercise stimulates bones. For this to occur, your bones must sense more strain or pressure than they do in everyday life. This is why “weight bearing exercise”, like running, jogging, skipping is usually mentioned when it comes to building strong bones. The mechanism occurs based on “Wolff’s Law” which basically states that new bone is laid down where it is needed based on outside mechanical stresses applied to the bone involved. Bone is also removed where it is not needed — which is why being inactive and sedentary can cause osteoporosis or weak bones. Besides playing outdoors also gives your child the necessary vitamin D for strong bones.

Sneak in milk

Kids who do not love milk may like it in ice creams, custards, puddings and soups. Think of innovative ways to outsmart your kids.