The with the all the understandable focus on Covid-19 right now it’s vital that we don’t loose of the ground that lifestyle medicine was begging to have on increasing the worlds ageing population.
And we are getting older. Right now 8.5% of the world’s population is over 65 and this will balloon to 17% by 2050 ( 1). That means for just under one quarter of the worlds population, me and perhaps even yourself keeping our bones strong and healthy should be one of life’s goals as we age.
Research from the lifestyle medicine field has shown the importance of healthy eating in maintaining strong healthy bones. One of the leading candidates to assist Omega 3 fatty acids or more commonly know as omega3 oil.
Our bones are constantly being remodeled.
Osteoclast cells are constantly breaking down and absorbing old brittle bone and osteoblast cells are constantly laying down new stronger fresh bone.
If they are forced to operate in an environment of poor nutrition the quality of the new bone laying down is not as good as should be. Over a lifetime even small changes can lead to dramatic result at pointy end of life.
Keeping your weight within a healthy limit is also vital for bone health. When excess fat starts to invade the bone marrow this may also affect our bodies ability’s to create to new health bone ( 1).
The ratio of healthy fat to saturated fat in the modern western diet is now thought to be as high as 25:1 yet in pre-industrial times it was around 2:1. Meaning simply we are eating way to much poor quality fats and not enough good quality fats.
How to get more Omega-3 in your diet
Bear in mind your body can’t make omega-3’s internally like we can some other fats and proteins. You need a constant fresh supply in your diet.
Omega-3s are found naturally in some foods and are added to other foods You can get adequate amounts of omega-3s by eating a variety of foods, including the following:
- Fish and other seafood (especially cold-water fatty fish, such as salmon, mackerel, tuna, herring, and sardines)
- Nuts and seeds (such as flaxseed, chia seeds, and walnuts)
- Plant oils (such as flaxseed oil, soybean oil, and canola oil
Source: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Omega3FattyAcids-Consumer/
So you if are like me and love the quality of fresh cold water salmon we can get here in Japan. Put a little extra in your shopping trolley next time you are out. You bones will thank you
If you would like to discuss this further in Okinawa or Niseko, Niseko Chiropractic would love to hear from you.
References