During childhood, bones are built at a faster rate than they are broken down resulting in bone growth. By adulthood, bone remodelling slows down and bones start to be broken down faster than they can be replaced. Therefore if we get to adulthood with poor bone density, we have less bone in the bank and this can mean problems later in life.

So how can you improve kids’ bone density?

Sunshine: Getting enough sunshine is important as it contributes vitamin D, essential for the absorption of minerals from the foods you eat. Unfortunately vitamin D
deficiency is common in New Zealand. In these cases vitamin D3 supplementation is recommended and is also recommended if children are experiencing growing pains.

Minerals: The body needs a wide range of minerals to build strong, healthy bones. Among these are calcium, magnesium, silica, boron, manganese and zinc. Foods which deposit lots of minerals into your kids’ bone bank include seaweed, sardines, salmon, egg, dried fruit, nuts, leafy greens and fruit. For those fussy eaters, I recommend supplementation with a chewable mineral formula.

Probiotics: Probiotics have a large role to play in building healthy bones, by way of producing vitamin K in the gut. Fermented foods contain probiotics, but to give kids a real probiotic boost, supplements provide billions of probiotics just waiting to start making vitamin K.

Vitamin C: Vitamin C is essential for collagen production which acts as scaffolding in the bone and provides flexibility and tensile strength. Without vitamin C, bones cannot grow and develop into big adult bones.Get the kids into a diet that provides lots of high vitamin C fruits like kiwifruit and citrus, and vegetables like cabbage, capsicum and broccoli. For extra assurance, try a chewable vitamin C for kids.

Protein: Adequate protein is needed to produce collagen throughout the body; good sources include fish, eggs, lean meat, nuts, seeds and legumes.

Essential fatty acids: DHA intake from fish oils has been shown to be positively correlated to bone growth and density. For those kids not eating enough DHA-rich seafoods, you can always suggest a DHA supplement as it also has benefits for vision and brain function.

Regular weight-bearing exercise: Bone is live tissue and responds to stress placed upon it by improving its density to withstand the pressure. To trigger bone formation, exercise needs to involve bearing weight, so get the kids dancing, skipping, running, jogging or playing hopscotch and ball games!

Nordic Natural Children's DHA	Radiance Kids Probiotics	Nutra-Life Ester C for Kids

Rachel Dawson has a Diploma of Nutrition & Herbal Medicine and over 15 years in the natural health industry Rachel has a love of herbs and a special interest in reducing the physical and psychological impacts that stress has on the body using dietary strategies, nutritional supplementation and herbal medicines.