When registered dietitian Toby Smithson gave presentations on bone health, she’d bring three bags of flour: One representing osteoporosis, another representing osteopenia (bone whose density is lower than normal but not enough to be classified as osteoporosis). The third bag represented normal bone.
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“You could see the flour and feel the heaviness and density,” said Smithson, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “Osteoporosis was the lightest bag.” It was a powerful visual reminder of why it is so important to invest in your bone health now, before it becomes a problem. Having weak bones puts us at risk of developing broken bones and osteoporosis.
“People need to understand that this is preventable for the most part,” says Dr. Steven Hawkins, a spokesperson for the American College of Sports Medicine and a professor of exercise science at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, Calif. “But you have to take responsibility.”
BONE HEALTH BASICS
“Bone, from an engineering perspective, is kind of a marvel,” Hawkins says. Bones give structure to our bodies and allow us to move. They protect our heart, lungs and other organs and anchor our muscles.
Our bodies continually break down and rebuild bone. Children and teenagers form bone faster than they lose bone, but after age 20, we start losing bone faster than we rebuild it. Over time, our bones can become less dense and more prone to breaking. Most people don’t realize they have weak bones until they break.
Osteoporosis is the most common type of bone disease. Approximately 10 million Americans have osteoporosis or are at high risk for fractures due to low bone mass. Each year, 1.5 million suffer a fracture due to weakness or disease in their bones. Which is why it is never too late to work on preventing osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis occurs when your body loses too much bone, makes too little bone, or both. Although any bone can be affected, fractures happen most frequently in the hip, spine and wrist.
WHO IS AT RISK OF OSTEOPOROSIS?
Both men and women can get osteoporosis, but women are more likely to get it, as they typically have smaller, thinner bones. Estrogen levels dropping during menopause can also lead to bone loss, as estrogen helps protect bones.
Age and family history are also risk factors and should be taken into account when discussing preventing osteoporosis with your doctor. Older people are more at risk than younger people, as are people who had a parent or grandparent with osteoporosis.
People of all racial and ethnic backgrounds can develop osteoporosis, but it is most common in Caucasians and Asians.
WHAT DO DOCTORS RECOMMEND FOR PREVENTING OSTEOPOROSIS?
Bones store most of the body’s calcium, so it’s important to get enough calcium. To absorb calcium properly, we also need vitamin D.
Vitamin D is made in the skin after you’ve been exposed to the sun for at least 10 to 20 minutes a day, Hawkins says. Vitamin D is also found naturally in fatty fish and fish oils and in some fortified foods like milk and cereals.
How much calcium and vitamin D should you aim for each day? The answer depends on your age and gender. Men and women between 31 and 50 should aim for 1,000 milligrams (mg) of calcium and 600 international units (IUs) of Vitamin D each day.
However, after age 50, the recommendations diverge slightly. Women between 51 and 70 should aim for 1,200 mg of calcium and 600 IUs of Vitamin D each day. Men in the same age group should still aim for 1,000 mg of calcium and 600 IUs of Vitamin D each day.
After age 70, men and women should aim for 1,200 mg of calcium and 800 IUs of Vitamin D.
The best sources of calcium are dairy products like:
- Milk
- Yogurt
- Cheese
One cup of milk has 300 mg of calcium, and one cup of yogurt has 200 to 450 mg. But these other foods also pack a calcium “punch”: green, leafy vegetables like broccoli and kale, salmon with bones and calcium-fortified foods.
“People want to live longer and better than the generation before them,” says registered dietitian Joan Salge Blake, a clinical nutrition professor at Boston University. “They want their bones healthy, heart healthy and weight healthy.”
7 TIPS FOR KEEPING YOUR BONES STRONG
Despite all of the advice for keeping our bones strong and healthy, most of us still don’t listen to it. Good nutrition and physical activity habits are the most important tools in the fight for bone health, Hawkins says.
“It’s never too late to take steps to help your bone health,” Hawkins adds.
Certain risk factors, like age, gender and family history are out of your control, but other factors, like nutrition and physical activity, are things you can control. Here are seven things you can do today to keep your bones healthy as you age:
1. Crunch the Numbers
Smithson encourages people to keep a diet history of the foods they eat each day as part of their efforts in preventing osteoporosis and poor bone health. They can use that as a starting point to see if they are getting enough calcium. She also suggests people use the “calcium decoder” by using the calcium listed as a percentage on Nutrition Facts labels. To convert that amount to milligrams, just add a zero. For example: 30 percent calcium is 300 mg of calcium.
2. Remember That Not All Milk is Created Equal.
Some people cannot tolerate cow’s milk or simply choose not to drink it. Therefore, they turn to other types of milk, such as:
- Soy
- Almond
- Rice
- Coconut
One cup of cow’s milk has 300 mg of calcium, and one cup of coconut milk has 38 mg. You can look at the carton or container’s label to find out the amount of calcium in the milk of your choosing.
3. Foods First, Then Supplements.
Our bodies absorb calcium much easier from food, Salge Blake says, with the added benefit of other nutrients. With milk, for example, you also get protein and B vitamins.
She also recommends getting creative with foods. Instead of grilling hamburgers, try canned salmon burgers. Use milk in your coffee instead of cream or powdered creamers. “Try to get the most bang for your bite,” she says.
4. No More Than 500 mg of Calcium at a Time.
Your body can only absorb so much calcium at once. That’s especially important if you use a calcium supplement that must be taken with food. Be sure to check with your health care provider about whether you should take supplements.
5. Don’t Forget Potassium and Magnesium.
Some research is emerging that potassium and magnesium also have a role in bone health, Smithson says. Fruits and vegetables are good sources of potassium and magnesium.
6. Be Active
Weight-bearing activities like walking, jogging and weightlifting are good for the bones, but don’t ignore other forms of physical activity, Hawkins says.
“Weight-bearing activities seem to be the ideal way, but ‘ideal’ doesn’t exist,” he says. “If you can’t do those weight-bearing activities, cycling and swimming are a whole lot better than nothing at all.”
7. Educate Yourself About Falls
The 50-plus crowd should start talking about fall prevention now. We often focus on cardiovascular endurance and muscle strength, but balance training is also an important part of our overall health, Hawkins says. Typically, bones are not so brittle that they break first and lead to a fall, he says.
“We have a tsunami of baby boomers out there,” Salge Blake says. “The joke is that 60 is the new 40. They don’t feel their age. They take care of themselves. Changing our diet and lifestyle can have great impact.”
© Twin Cities Public Television – 2015. All rights reserved.
Updated in January 2024 by Bethesda Health Group
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