Your bones are fascinating and always changing. But unfortunately, they do begin to get weaker with age. And what many people don’t realize is that this begins to happen as early as in your 30s, which means that it’s never too early to start caring for your bone health.
Doing things like exercising regularly, eating healthy food, and making sure you get the right nutrients are all things that can help you have stronger bones. For example, because of the calcium and levels of vitamin K, one of the best vegetables you can eat to help prevent or slow bone loss is dark leafy greens.
Learn more about leafy greens and bone health, and for more healthy aging tips, check out The #1 Best Food to Keep Your Bones From Aging.
Which leafy greens are best?
There are many different types of leafy greens out there. Things like kale, spinach, microgreens, collard greens, spinach, cabbage, romaine, and Swiss chard are all considered leafy greens. However, dark leafy greens with calcium are what you want to look for when it comes to healthy bones.
Dark leafy greens with high levels of calcium include kale, broccoli, cabbage, and bok choy. And according to the National Health Society, although spinach is extremely healthy for you, it unfortunately contains oxalates. These can actually negatively impact calcium absorption, so spinach is not a good source of calcium for your bones.
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Why is calcium important for your bones?
Your body stores most of its calcium in your teeth and bones, so calcium is vital to keeping your bones healthy and strong. But here’s the truth: by the time you turn 30, your bones are already starting to lose calcium, which over time can lead to the loss of bone mass and things like Osteoporosis.
Not only does age naturally impact your bone strength, but being calcium deficient in general can weaken your bones as well. This is because if you’re not getting enough calcium, your body naturally will pull it from your bones and teeth.
Vitamin K can help as well.
Along with calcium, many leafy greens like kale, cabbage, and broccoli are high in vitamin K as well. This vitamin is most known for maintaining healthy blood clotting, as well as helping to keep your bones strong.
Research has shown that vitamin K can improve bone mineral density and help decrease rates of fracture in people who have Osteoporosis. It’s also been found that vitamin K and D together can have potentially positive effects on your bone health.
So to get a bone health boost during your next meal, try making Pork Chops with a Kale Salad or a Peach Kale Smoothie Bowl.
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