Healthy bones can be promoted with key nutrients like Vitamin D and calcium. Calcium is important for maintaining strong bones and teeth. Vitamin D aids in bone growth and helps to absorb calcium. Bone health is also affected by potassium and magnesium. Your body might have problems with vitamin D balance if you don't get enough magnesium. Potassium neutralizes acids in the body, which can cause calcium to be absorbed away from your bones.
Sweet potatoes are a great way to get your potassium and magnesium. A medium-sized sweet potato contains 31 mgs of magnesium and 542 mgs of potassium.
There are also many other foods that can be eaten to support bone health.
Dark leafy greens: These contain high levels of calcium. One cup of cooked spinach provides almost 25% of your daily calcium intake. Collard greens provide 268 mgs per cup cooked. This is more than 25% of your daily intake. One cup of raw kale has 101 milligrams of calcium.
Citrus: Although natural orange juice contains very little calcium, and no vitamin D naturally, oranges and grapefruits provide nutrition with vitamin C which may help prevent bone loss.
Dairy: When people think of bone health, milk is often the first thing they think of. A mere eight ounces of fat free milk can provide you with 30% of your daily calcium intake. You can also opt for a brand that provides a vitamin D boost. Yogurt is another good option for calcium and vitamin D. However, Greek yogurt has less calcium.
Dairy-free options: Soybean, almond, and coconut milk are often given a nutrient boost to ensure that you don't miss out on vital nutrients like vitamin D and calcium.
Fish: Salmon, tuna and sardines are great choices for bone health. Sardines contain high levels of vitamin D and calcium. Three (3) ounces of sockeye salmon has more than 100% of your daily vitamin D requirement and 3 oz of canned tuna can provide 39% of your daily vitamin D.