5 ways of caring for your bones and joints Given that the human skeleton plays such an important role in mobility and motion, it is essential that we care for our bones and joints, and keep them strong and healthy. Bone and joint diseases can severely bones and joints, try the following steps:   Increase your calcium intake to the recommended daily intake (RDI) of 1,000mg (1,300mg for children above nine and adolescents) with dairy products, soy products and green leafy vegetables. About 91% of your body’s calcium is stored in your bones. Take note that soft drinks, diuretics like tea and coffee, excess salt and excess animal protein have been said to be calcium inhibitors. They apparently leach calcium deposits from bones and encourage calcium loss through the kidneys. Childhood, adolescence, pregnancy, post-menopause and old age are times when calcium intake should be increased   Vitamin D helps to boost the transport of calcium to bones and its absorption, and it can be found in foods like eggs, oily fish, butter and fortified cereals. Exposure to sunlight is also an important source of vitamin D, as it synthesises vitamin D production in the skin. Many food products now are also fortified with vitamin D, like cereals and low-fat milk.   Two popular joint supplements are glucosamine and chondroitin. Glucosamine is a glycoprotein naturally produced in the body for the formation and repair of joint cartilage, while chondroitin is a cartilage component that is responsible for its resilience and elasticity. The latter also helps to prevent enzyme action that destroys cartilage. The RDI for glucosamine is 1,500mg while for chondroitin, it is 400mg. It is recommended that the supplements be taken for one or two months to assess the results, and to continue if results are favourable.    Weight-bearing exercises (where you support your own weight) like jogging, walking, weight training, sports such as soccer, basketball, tennis, or volleyball, stair climbing and aerobics help to strengthen bones and maximise bone density. The bones adapt to the pull of gravity and weight, and build more cells, thus increasing bone mass. Also, the muscles that pull or tug on bones are strengthened. These effects help to reduce the possibility of bone thinning and fractures. Another beneficial regime is to practise strength-training exercises using dumbbells and weights, as this helps to increase muscle mass.   Some people are severely obese to the point where they are confined to their beds because their bones and joints are too weak to support all that weight. And indeed, obesity increases stress on the bones and joints, so keep trim and slim with a balanced diet and active lifestyle. A good way to keep the weight off is to do cardiovascular exercises like jogging and swimming for at least three times a week, 45 minutes each time.    What if I am lactose-intolerant?   Lactose intolerance is caused by a deficiency of lactase, which is an enzyme needed to absorb and digest milk sugar, i.e. lactose. People who are lactose-intolerant experience symptoms like bloating, abdominal cramps, gas and diarrhoea when they consume foods containing lactose, such as dairy products. This makes it hard for them to ingest enough calcium. Some ways of overcoming this include:   •   Live bacteria cultures in yoghurt help to digest and absorb lactose, so load up on yoghurt.       Take note that frozen yoghurt does not work as well as it may have been repasteurised, thus       killing off the bacteria   •  Certain cheeses are low in lactose. These include cheddar, Swiss and parmesan   •   Milk alternatives include calcium-fortified soy and rice milk.   •   Get your calcium from other calcium-rich foods like green leafy vegetables, tofu, almond nuts,       beans and canned sardines with bones.   •   If you must drink milk, drink it during meals for easier absorption.