What comes to mind when you think of your bones? Many of us think of that old, plastic skeleton hanging in our middle school science class. But the reality of our bones is much more amazing than that. They’re not dry, inert objects but living, regenerating systems that change daily.
Here’s just one example, the center of our bones houses the marrow. It’s there that millions of red and white blood cells are being produced each second! They’re engines for our immune system and essential for every single aspect of our body.
Growing Bones
All 206 of our bones are very busy, every moment of every day, remaking themselves. Even though our bones reach a state of maturity when we’re young adults, that doesn’t mean our bodies stop growing bone - far from it.
Every year bones are busy renewing about 10% of their cells. In fact, every 7-10 years our entire skeleton fully regenerates itself through a process called remodeling. This means that the bones that allowed you to walk and run and protected your organs just a few years ago are nowhere to be found today! They’ve been replaced by fresh new recruits.
This is good news since it means that it’s never too late in our lives to make a positive difference in the health of our bones.
The Bone Bank
Bones serve as our primary mineral storehouse or “bank." Our bones store hundreds of unique minerals that our body depends on in order to function and be healthy. Our brain and nervous system rely on calcium and many minerals to function, and when the brain comes calling for their withdrawal, the “bone bank” cannot refuse. If there’s no surplus available, our bones will deplete themselves so the brain can function.
Bone Renewal
We have two highly specialized sets of bone cells. One set of cells, called osteoclasts, are designed by nature to break down old bone matrix. These specialists ensure that old bone is removed at the end of its lifecycle. The other bone cell specialists, called osteoblasts, move right in to fill the gaps and build up fresh, new layers of bone.
This natural cycle of replacing old bone with freshly grown bone requires a full cast of players to happen in a complete, healthy, ongoing way. A bioactive, whole-food form of calcium has the leading role. But calcium alone is not nearly enough, it needs the accompaniment of its co-star, magnesium. It also needs a host of supporting actors including vitamins D3, K1 and K2, and trace minerals like silica, boron and vanadium.
Most importantly, a delicate balance needs to be maintained between the osteoclasts and osteoblasts or our bone health may suffer. Fortunately, we can assist this process by providing our bodies with an ample, wholesome supply of the key nutrients that our bone cells need to excel at their respective jobs.
Sources of Bone Nutrients
Some great sources of calcium and other key bone-building nutrients are dark leafy greens like kale and spinach, figs, almonds, cashews, beans and fatty fish like sardines and salmon.
It’s not always possible, however, to get adequate calcium and minerals from our diet alone. That’s when we should reach for Bone Renewal® - a comprehensive, bioavailable, whole-food supplement for our bones.
