It is important for people to have good nutrition and a balanced diet, as these are significant components of the overall health, as well as back pain prevention.
Most patients are well aware that good nutrition and a balanced diet are important components of overall health. What may surprise people with back problems is that diet, exercise, and maintaining a healthy weight also play a major role specific to back health—including the prevention of many problems and improved healing. The bones, muscles, and other structures in the spine need proper nutrition so they are strong enough to support the body and to perform their other functions. As a general rule, it is recommended to include the following back-friendly nutrients into a daily diet.
Choosing the Right Foods for Optimal Nutrition
Eating a balanced diet with the right amount and variety of vitamins and nutrients can reduce back problems by nourishing the bones, muscles, discs and other structures in the spine. While a healthy diet calls for many vitamins and nutrients, this partial list highlights a number of healthy choices that can be directly beneficial for back pain patients.
Calcium has received much attention as the most prominent of bone minerals. It is essential for bone health and helps maintain the necessary level of bone mass throughout the lifespan, and especially in old age. Adequate calcium intake is particularly important to help prevent the development of osteoporosis, a disorder characterized by weak and brittle bones that can results in painful vertebral fractures in the spine.However, calcium alone will not make strong bones as evidenced by the high rate of osteoporosis despite high calcium supplementation. Calcium must be balanced with other synergistic nutrients for strong bones.
Calcium is found in many foods, most popularly in dairy products such as yogurt, cheese, and milk. Other common sources of calcium include dark green leafy vegetables such as kale and bok choy, many legumes, some types of fish such as sardines and salmon (for example, canned with bones), and a variety of other foods such as almonds, oranges, tofu, and blackstrap molasses.
This article was originally posted on Spine-health.com.
