Dr. Stefano Sinicropi, M.D.

Your diet plays a key role in the health of your spine. The foods we eat provide our bodies with key vitamins, minerals and nutrients that aid in spinal bone development and stability. In today’s blog, we take a closer look at which vitamins and nutrients should be a staple of your diet or taken in supplement form to help ensure ideal spinal bone health.

Key Nutrients For Your Spine

If you want to help keep your spine healthy as you age, consider getting plenty of these nutrients from your diet each day. If you can’t get them from your diet, talk to a spine specialist or your general practitioner about supplements.

• Calcium – Calcium is key for helping a person build strong bones. Calcium is important because of the role it plays in ensuring your bones have a healthy bone mass. Strong bone mass helps to prevent fractures and other spinal issues like osteoporosis. It can be found in large quantities in dairy products, leafy greens, oranges, salmon and nuts.
• Magnesium – Magnesium is another great mineral to look for in your diet. It contributes to a number of healthy functions in the body, but in the spine it helps to promote bone density. It can also help to ensure the healthy contraction and relaxation of spinal muscles, so if your magnesium levels are low it can make muscle strengthening harder. You can find magnesium packed in leafy green vegetables, avocados, nuts, beans and bananas.
• Vitamin D – All vitamins are important for your body, but Vitamin D is key for optimal spinal health. Vitamin D helps to ensure that the calcium we get in our diet is appropriately absorbed by our body so it can be used properly. Without enough Vitamin D in your diet, your bones are at an increased risk of becoming brittle and suffering from osteoporosis. Vitamin D can be found in foods like milk, fatty fish, beans, eggs, liver and fortified foods.
• Omega 3 Fatty Acids – Fish, seafood, nuts and seeds can all provide the body with omega 3 fatty acids, which play a crucial role in helping to reduce inflammation in the spine and throughout the body. These fatty acids have also been shown to help prevent intervertebral disc degeneration, which is a common source of back pain for older individuals. Fish oil supplements can also help you get your daily dose of omega 3 fatty acids if you can’t get them from your diet every day.
• Phosphorus – Finally, phosphorus is another nutrient to add to your daily diet. Phosphorus is a mineral that works alongside calcium to aid in bone development and density. Foods like cheeses, nuts, seeds, leafy greens and whole grains are great sources of phosphorus.

If you strive to get these five nutrients from your diet and partner healthy food choices with other activities like exercise and regular check ups, we’re confident you’ll be giving your spine the best chance to be healthy for years to come. For more information or for help with your spine pain, reach out to Dr. Sinicropi’s office today.

Comments are closed.