The role of diet in growing healthy bones (part 1)

The skeleton makes up around 20 percent of our total body weight. It consists of four different types of bones- the long bones of the limbs, short bones of hands and feet. Flat bones of the skull, and irregular bones of the knee caps and spinal column.

Without the skeleton's support, it's hard to imagine what shape we will take. It accounts for our body's mobility via its attachment to muscles, tendons and ligaments. Equally important is the protection it render to many vital organs.

Besides the familiar calcium, bones also contain other mineral, proteins and vitamins Bones serve as a mineral storage deposit for important nutrients such as potassium, manganese, magnesium, iron and zinc.

In soft tissue of the bone's hollow interior (bone marrow), various blood cells are produced for crucial function- platelets for clotting, red blood cells for distributing oxygen throughout the body, and white blood cells for protection against harmfully foreign substances.

Amazingly, we are born with all the bones we need for entire live approximately 300 in all. Between 13 and 18 years of age our softer bones fuse into bigger one, so that by adulthood the bone count drops to 206.