How Your Child Can Prevent Osteoporosis at an Early Age

How Your Child Can Prevent Osteoporosis at an Early Age

May is Osteoporosis awareness month. This condition causes the weakening of bones due to a lack of minerals and calcium. The bones slowly become brittle and weak and are more susceptible to fractures and breaks due to their low density. This may not seem like a problem to worry about until later on in life, but the truth is that good habits at the beginning of life can make a vast difference on bone health twenty or thirty years down the line. It is never too early to start taking your bone health seriously. That goes doubly so for your children. Here are some easy tips and tricks to help promote good bone health in our children and ourselves.

Eat healthily – This may seem like a no-brainer for any parent. All parents want their children to eat nutritious foods to help them grow and develop into healthy, intelligent people later on. One vitamin that is often overlooked when feeding children is calcium. Calcium plays a key role in strong bone development and should play a dominant role in your child’s food. There are many foods that contribute to calcium levels that are healthy such as bok choy, broccoli, yogurt, cheese, milk, orange juice and more.

Think Vitamin D – Vitamin D is needed in order for the body to absorb all that calcium you have your child eat. Without it, the calcium passes through and is not used to its fullest potential. Foods high in vitamin D are milk, orange juice, cheese, salmon, tuna and more.

Get out and Exercise – having a balanced diet is very helpful for growing bones, but exercise is also important. Exercises strengthen the muscles, tendons and ligaments that surround the bones of the feet and help protect them. Without strong muscles, our bones would be subject to much harsher treatment.

Osteoporosis prevention can start at a young age. All it takes is extra care when choosing meals and ensuring your child has enough exercise. If you need more information regarding osteoporosis and how it can affect you or your child’s growing feet, consult a podiatrist today. Call Dr. Alan J. Discont and Dr. Krahn of Family Foot & Ankle Care, PC located in Chandler, Arizona. Call 480-732-0033 or make an appointment online today. A child’s future is dependent on their health.