{"id":19675,"date":"2025-09-16T17:05:46","date_gmt":"2025-09-16T21:05:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/valuecare.webcoreweb.com\/?p=19675"},"modified":"2025-09-16T17:05:46","modified_gmt":"2025-09-16T21:05:46","slug":"40s-to-50s-strengthen-bones-joints","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/valuecare.webcoreweb.com\/index.php\/2025\/09\/16\/40s-to-50s-strengthen-bones-joints\/","title":{"rendered":"40s to 50s: Strengthen bones, joints"},"content":{"rendered":"

My husband and I walk a few miles to our local coffee shop every weekend\u2014even though our knees creak and pop a bit more with each passing year. Certainly we\u2019re not the only ones marking time deep down in our bones; perhaps for you it\u2019s an achy knee after a bike ride, a nagging hip after lunchtime basketball, or even a touch of stiffness getting out of bed in the morning. But with luck, smart living, and a handful of\u00a0Natural Remedies<\/a>, you\u2019ll be able to keep soreness and joint degeneration at\u00a0Bay<\/a>\u00a0for years to come.<\/p>\n

Nutrition<\/h2>\n

Catch fish<\/strong><\/p>\n

Eating fish or taking fish-oil\u00a0Supplements<\/a>\u00a0enables people with rheumatoid\u00a0Arthritis<\/a>\u00a0to reduce or even eliminate nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (Arthritis<\/a>\u00a0Research and Therapy, 2006, vol. 8, no. 1). Although 1,500 mg of omega-3s per day is a good standard dose,\u00a0Arthritis<\/a>\u00a0sufferers need upward of 3 grams daily for anti-inflammatory effects to kick in, says Paul Ratte, ND, of Woodbury, Minnesota. Or try cod-liver oil. \u201cIt\u2019s more of a food source, and by taking it by the spoonful it\u2019s more cost-effective than capsules,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Check out cherries<\/strong><\/p>\n

New research recommends tart cherry juice \u201cfor those aching pains postexercise or after a long day,\u201d says Declan Connolly, PhD, director of the University of Vermont\u2019s human performance laboratory. He recorded data from participants who drank 12 ounces of tart cherry juice or a placebo twice daily. \u201cOur research has shown [that the juice] reduces muscle soreness and pain and speeds up recovery from a strenuous exercise bout.\u201d He attributes this effect to anthocyanins, compounds in the juice that help inhibit inflammatory COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes (British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2006, vol. 40, no.<\/p>\n

Go nuts<\/strong><\/p>\n

In addition to providing good fats that reduce joint inflammation, nuts contain bone-protecting\u00a0Minerals<\/a>, including calcium, magnesium, and potassium, that help fend off bone density loss (British Journal of Nutrition, 2006, vol. 96 Suppl 2).\u201dBecause nuts are so full of great nutrients, by substituting nuts for other less nutritious snack foods you may maximize the benefits to bones and joints. By the way, the skins contain a lot of the nutrients, so it\u2019s a good idea to eat them, too,\u201d says Sara Kurlandsky, PhD, of Syracuse University in New York. Walnuts are a great choice because they contain omega-3s, but all nuts have bone and joint benefits. Aim for a handful a few times a week.<\/p>\n

Herbs<\/a>\u00a0&\u00a0Supplements<\/a><\/h2>\n

Cushion cartilage<\/strong><\/p>\n

Glucosamine<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Chondroitin<\/a>\u00a0get (and deserve) the lion\u2019s share of acclaim for joint health. They actually rebuild ailing joint cartilage by helping the body make a spongy material to hold water within joints, providing a springy resiliency. Look for a combined product that provides 1,500 mg\u00a0Glucosamine<\/a>\u00a0and 1,200 mg\u00a0Chondroitin<\/a>\u00a0daily; check the label for quality testing by a third party, such as the United States Pharmacopeia (www.usp.org) or NSF (www.nsf.org).<\/p>\n

Check pain with sulfur<\/strong><\/p>\n

Joints need the mineral sulfur to keep connective tissues strong and stable. You\u2019ll get plenty through the supplement methylsulfonylmetha ne (MSM), shown to ease joint inflammation and prevent cartilage breakdown. Recently, when a group of boomers with osteoarthritis of the knee took either 3 grams MSM or a placebo twice daily for three months, the MSM group experienced significant pain relief and improved use of knee joints (Osteoarthritis and Cartilage, 2006, vol. 14, no. 3). A smaller amount, say 2 grams a day, might be enough to relieve joint pain, although it\u2019s safe to increase it to 3 to 6 grams if necessary. Only a few people at this intake level report problems, such as\u00a0Diarrhea<\/a>, headache, and skin rash.<\/p>\n

Boost calcium absorption<\/strong><\/p>\n

Vitamin D, which the body creates through sun exposure, is underappreciated for its crucial role in preventing osteoporosis. \u201cVitamin D is necessary for the efficient absorption of calcium, the principal bone mineral,\u201d explains Robert P. Heaney, MD, a bone-mineral specialist and professor at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. \u201cTherefore, if you\u2019re going to get enough calcium in your body and keep it there, you have to have enough vitamin D.\u201d Heeding well-known concerns about staying out of the sun, 65 percent to 85 percent of American adults are walking around with a vitamin D shortfall, Heaney says. He advocates\u00a0Supplements<\/a>\u00a0of 1,000 to 2,000 IU per day.<\/p>\n

Mind your magnesium<\/strong><\/p>\n

Getting too little of this mineral interferes with proper calcium metabolism and the hormones that regulate calcium, making usable calcium less available to the body. As a supplement, 250 mg magnesium is a safe, beneficial amount.<\/p>\n

Visualize<\/h2>\n

Guided Imagery<\/a>\u00a0uses the power of the mind to heal and comfort the body. A recent study showed that after only 12 weeks of\u00a0Guided Imagery<\/a>\u00a0with relaxation, participants with osteoarthritis noted significant improvement in pain, mobility, and health-related quality of life (Research in Nursing and Health, 2006, vol. 29, no. 5). Pick up a guided-imagery CD\u2014many are geared to coping with chronic pain\u2014or attend a class that teaches relaxation techniques.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u2014V.D.T.<\/p>\n

Lifestyle<\/h2>\n

Work it out<\/strong><\/p>\n

Whether it\u2019s going to the gym or\u00a0Sweating<\/a>\u00a0to workout tapes at home, regular exercise pays big dividends for bone health by building and maintaining density. Joints benefit, too. Unique because they don\u2019t have a blood supply for nourishment and waste disposal, joints absolutely need movement every day. When you exercise, the body makes more synovial fluid\u2014the clear, sticky substance that lubricates joints\u2014and this wonderful stuff brings in oxygen and other nutrients while clearing out waste products. If you already have osteoarthritis, try bicycling, swimming, or water aerobics, exercises that serve the joints while being partial- or non-weight-bearing and therefore less likely to trigger pain.<\/p>\n

Needle aches away<\/strong><\/p>\n

Acupuncture has been put to the test in numerous studies (either comparing acupuncture with no treatment or with \u201csham\u201d needle sites) and found to reduce pain and improve quality of life for patients who have osteoarthritis of the knee, hip, or other joints (Arthritis<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Rheumatism<\/a>, 2006, vol. 54, no. 11; Acupuncture in Medicine, 2006, vol. 24 Suppl). \u201cAcupuncture may also provide a means of avoiding the unsettling side effects often associated with long-term use of prescription drugs,\u201d says Mark McKenzie, LAc, dean of the Minnesota College of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine.<\/p>\n

Oregon-based freelancer Victoria Dolby Toews, MPH, is working on the revised edition of The\u00a0Green Tea<\/a>\u00a0Book (Penguin Group, 2008).<\/em><\/p>\n

\u2014\u2013
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My husband and I walk a few miles to our local coffee shop every weekend\u2014even though our knees creak and pop a bit more with each passing year. Certainly we\u2019re not the only ones marking time deep down in our bones; perhaps for you it\u2019s an achy knee after a bike ride, a nagging hip […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[129,75],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19675","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general-health-info","category-joints-bones-muscles-diy-health"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/valuecare.webcoreweb.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19675","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/valuecare.webcoreweb.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/valuecare.webcoreweb.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/valuecare.webcoreweb.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/valuecare.webcoreweb.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19675"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/valuecare.webcoreweb.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19675\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/valuecare.webcoreweb.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19675"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/valuecare.webcoreweb.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19675"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/valuecare.webcoreweb.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19675"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}