Keeping your back in good condition is very important, but are there other things you can do besides visiting your chiropractor? The answer is yes, and the following guide will show you how to fortify your back by making back-friendly food choices.
Spine-Friendly Diet
Nutrition is very important to your back--just like the rest of your body--and the following are a few things you should consider adding to your diet:
Water
You might not know this, but water is very important for you back. The disks between your vertebrae that help keep you flexible, and absorb everyday shocks like walking, are mostly made of water. Water should also help prevent things like herniated discs. Be sure to stick with natural alkaline water from tested springs nearby or from your local health food store. Your body absorbs alkaline water better, and studies show that it helps prevent you body from losing bone density.
Vitamins
There are several vitamins that should be in your diet:
Vitamin A
The first vitamin that you need to worry about is vitamin A. Vitamin A is essential for your immune system, which helps with tissue regeneration and healing. This is important to repair any tissue damage to your back. You can get vitamin A from the following:
- Organ meats
- Dairy products
- Eggs
- Apricots, nectarines, or cantaloupe
- Dark green vegetables
Vitamin B12
This vitamin is essential for proper growth of bone marrow. Bone marrow helps your body regenerate strong bones, which is very important for your spine. You can get vitamin B12 from the following:
- Dairy products
- Organ meats
- Bison meat
- Fish
Vitamin C
This an important addition to your diet because it helps increase collagen. Collagen builds tissue that heals everything in your body, including some of the tissue and muscles on your spine. You can get vitamin C from the following:
- Citrus fruits
- Kiwi
- Tomatoes
- Potatoes
- Dark green vegetables
- Bell peppers
Calcium
The main component for any bone in your body is calcium. You can get calcium from the following:
- Dairy products, especially milk
- Spinach or broccoli
- Soy products
- Seeds and nuts
- Beans
- Unsulphured Blackstrap molasses
Vitamin D
Calcium cannot be absorbed by your body without the use of vitamin D, so you need this too. You can get vitamin D from the following:
- Sunlight
- Egg yolks
- Fish oils
You can talk to your back specialist about other things that you can do to keep your back healthy. And your back specialist can also help with a customized diet for your specific deficiencies. But, as you can see, taking care of your back is not as hard as you think if you eat correctly.
To learn more, contact a chiropractic care facility like Rockwood Chiropractic.
