Your bones play a lot of roles in your body. They give your body shape, protect organs, store calcium, anchor muscles, and house marrow that makes blood cells. Most people reach their peak bone mass around 30 years old and then start to lose bone mass as they age. If you lose too much bone mass, you can develop osteoporosis which causes weak and brittle bones that break easily. Thankfully, there are things you can do to help you build strong bones and maintain your bone mass as you age. Here are some of the best ways to improve bone health:
1. Eat More Vegetables
Vegetables contain a lot of valuable vitamins and minerals that are great for your bones. If you want to improve bone health, try adding more vegetables to your diet. One essential vitamin in vegetables is vitamin C, which stimulates the production of bone-forming cells and protects bone cells from damage. Great sources of vitamin C include peppers, broccoli, potatoes, and Brussels sprouts. Other essential nutrients for bone health include magnesium, zinc, and phosphorus, which can be found in foods like leafy green vegetables, mushrooms, nuts, and seeds.
2. Lift Weights
Strength training has been proven to help improve bone health. This type of exercise can help your body maintain existing bone structure and promote new bone growth. Studies have found that older adults who do weight-bearing exercises experienced increases in bone mineral density, bone size, and bone strength. These exercises are thought to protect against bone loss, including in those with osteoporosis or osteopenia.
3. Maintain a Healthy Weight
Maintaining a healthy weight can help improve bone health. Low body weight is a contributing factor to low bone density and bone loss, especially in postmenopausal women. Being underweight increases your risk of developing osteoporosis. Obesity can also impact bone quality and increase the risk of fractures. This means it’s important to maintain a healthy weight that is neither underweight or overweight. If you repeatedly gain and lose weight, you can experience significant bone loss over your lifetime, so try to keep your weight at a stable, healthy level.
4. Eat Enough Calcium
The most important mineral for bone health is calcium. Your bones break down and grow each day, so it’s essential to get enough calcium every day. The most effective way to absorb calcium is through the foods you eat, so it’s best to try to add calcium-rich foods to your daily diet. Foods high in calcium include milk, yogurt, cheese, leafy greens like kale, beans, and sardines. Your body absorbs calcium best when you eat small amounts of calcium-rich foods throughout the day instead of a lot of calcium all at once.
5. Avoid Smoking
One of the worst things you can do for your bone health is smoke. Not only does smoking significantly increase your risk of lung cancer and breathing problems, but it also puts you at a high risk of bone conditions such as osteoporosis and fractures. If you want to improve bone health, avoid or quit smoking. This is especially important during teen and young adult years.
6. Limit Alcohol
If you only drink in moderation, alcohol may not affect your bone health. Heavy drinking, however, can lead to poor calcium absorption. This causes a decrease in bone density and a high risk of developing osteoporosis later in life. If you are going to drink, make sure you limit your alcohol consumption to one or fewer drinks per day to minimize the risks to your bone health.
7. Get Vitamins D and K2
Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium. If you’re deficient in vitamin D, you have a higher risk of losing bone mass. The best way to get this vitamin is through sun exposure. However, it’s not always possible to get 10 to 20 minutes of sunlight each day. Vitamin K2 is essential for bone health because it reduces calcium loss and helps minerals bind to bones. You can get this vitamin from foods like cheese, sauerkraut, and natto. You can take supplements that contain both vitamins D and K2 to ensure you get enough of these bone-healthy nutrients.
8. Eat More Protein and Omega-3s
If you want to improve bone health, you need to eat plenty of protein and omega-3 fatty acids in your daily diet. About 50 percent of bone is made of protein, and low protein intake reduces calcium absorption and affects bone formation. Omega-3s have been shown to help protect against bone loss, especially during the aging process. Foods like salmon, mackerel, nuts, and seeds are high in both protein and omega-3s.
These are some of the best ways to improve bone health. Do you have questions about bone loss or would like recommendations on supplements you can take to preserve bone mass? Please reach out to Phipps Pharmacy and our knowledgeable pharmacy team will be happy to help you in any way we can!
