There are 206 bones in the adult body and they get more fragile with age. Here’s how to protect yours.
Every day, we build and lose bone. When we’re young, we build faster than we lose, and by our 30s our bones are at their strongest. Post-menopause, though, we start to lose bone faster than we can make it. If we lose too much, our bones become brittle and even a sneeze can be enough to cause a break.
Osteoporosis, or brittle bone disease, has no obvious other symptoms, and a break is usually the first time someone realises their bones aren’t as healthy as they should be. It’s hard to increase bone mass once you get older, ‘but you can affect how much bone you lose,’ explains dietitian Jennette Higgs from nutritional consultancy Food To Fit.
Here’s how.
GET YOUR CALCIUM
As bones are made of a mix of collagen hardened with calcium, a good calcium intake equals strong bones. ‘If you don’t get enough calcium in your diet, the body will use calcium from the bone to carry out its daily tasks, which increases the amount of bone you lose,’ explains dietitian Dr Sarah Schenker. However, the amount required is probably smaller than you think. The target throughout adulthood is 700mg, increasing to 1200mg after menopause; a 200ml glass of milk contains 240mg of calcium and a small 120g tin of sardines has 516mg. And while milk is one of the richest sources, this comes with a caveat – drinking more than three glasses of milk a day has been linked to an increased risk of bone fracture. Why isn’t known, but it could be linked to a sugar called d-galactose, which is higher in milk than in other dairy products. Don’t dump dairy, says Dr Schenker, but ‘mix up milk, yogurt and cheese.’
THEN ADD VEGETABLES
The role of plants in bone health has been hugely underrated, says dietitian Jennette Higgs. ‘While calcium is essential, there are nine other nutrients, including vitamin K, manganese, phosphorus and magnesium, that your bones need to actually absorb and lay down that calcium – and most of them are found in fruits and vegetables. Five portions a day is suggested for good health, but for bone health, it might be better to aim for nine or more.’ A New Zealand study of postmenopausal women eating nine servings daily showed a fall in signs of bone loss within three months. What was on that trial menu? At least one serving each of green leafy vegetables like spinach and kale, herbs, a citrus fruit, one other fruit, a portion of prunes, and at least four other vegetable portions.
EAT BONES TO BUILD BONES
The soft bones in tinned fish like salmon, pilchards and sardines contain calcium in the exact form our bones are made from – leading one team of US researchers to theorise it might also be the type b
