FAD-FREE insight DEBUNKED food & health news HEALTHFUL ways to eat better

COMPILED BY SUE QUINN

THE DIETITIAN’S VIEW

BY RENEE MCGREGOR

Bone health is one of those things we seem to take for granted – but it’s crucial to know how to help keep your bones strong through adulthood and beyond

Ninety per cent of adult bone mass is in place by the end of adolescence but continuing to look after your bones when you’re an adult is a critical factor in staying mobile for as long as possible. Bone density can continue to build into the late 20s, after which it naturally starts to decline.

Although genetics have a part to play in bone health and strength, the process of decline can be slowed or accelerated by environmental factors and lifestyle – particularly exercise, nutrition and hormones. Staying physically active and doing weight-bearing exercise, which includes walking, running, skipping, yoga and resistance training (but not swimming, cycling or rowing) at least three times a week has a positive impact on bone health; the mechanical loading of the skeleton is essential for maintaining normal bone mass and architecture. Nutrition plays a critical role in bone health, too, with key nutrients being calcium (3-4 servings of dairy a day), phosphorus, magnesium, vitamins D (consider a supplement if your levels are low), C (potato skins, berries and oranges are high in vitamin C) and K (dark green leafy vegetables). The sex hormones oestrogen and testosterone play a part too – which is why the incidence of osteoporosis increases significantly in postmenopausal women when oestrogen levels decrease substantially (hence the encouragement to use HRT). In men, testosterone levels also decrease with age and potentially have a similar impact on bone density, although the decline in men is much slower. It’s the combination of exercise, energy/nutrient intake and hormones that’s critical for optimal bone health.