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Good nutrition and physical activity help keep your bones healthy throughout your life.
When you are young, healthy eating helps build strong bones. As you age, healthy eating and staying active can help keep your bones strong and lower your risk of broken bones.
Nutrition and bone health
“Bones need protein, calcium, vitamin D, phosphorus, magnesium and vitamin K to be strong,” explains Mikaela Jahrig, registered dietitian, Calgary Foothills Primary Care Network (PCN). “A balanced diet rich in whole foods, including protein sources, fruits and vegetables, healthy fats and calcium-rich foods can provide most of these nutrients.”
Calcium helps build and strengthen bones. How much you need depends on your age, but most people need between 1,000 and 1,300 milligrams each day.
- Dairy foods are some of the best sources of calcium. One cup of milk or 50 grams of cheese gives you at least 300 mg.
- Fortified plant-based milks, canned fish with bones and calcium-set tofu usually have about 200-300 mg.
- You can also get smaller amounts of calcium from other sources such as almonds, leafy greens, beans, sesame seeds and tahini.
Vitamin D helps your body take in and use calcium. Adults under 50 should try to get 600 international units (IU) each day from food and supplements. Most adults over 50 need 800 IU.
- You can find vitamin D in egg yolks, fortified milk, margarine and fatty fish.
Protein helps build bones and keeps the muscles that protect them strong. Try to make protein about one-quarter of each meal.
- Good sources include meat, poultry, fish, eggs, whole grains, beans, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, edamame and tofu.
What about supplements?
It is best to get calcium from food sources because food also provides other nutrients and health benefits. You may need a calcium supplement if you don’t get enough from food. Be careful not to take too much calcium, as it can cause health problems like kidney stones.
“Most people in Alberta might also need a vitamin D supplement because it’s difficult to get from food and sunlight alone,” says Jahrig.
Wondering whether you’re getting enough calcium or vitamin D? Talk to your health care provider or dietitian, who can suggest ways to improve your diet or the right supplement dose.
Aging, menopause and fall prevention
After age 50, you need more calcium and vitamin D, especially if you are a woman going through or after menopause. Hormone changes can lower the amount of muscle in your body and affect your bones. Women over 50 should try to get 1,200 mg of calcium each day, mainly from food, and exercise regularly.
Fall prevention also becomes increasingly important with age. Physical activity, such as walking, weightlifting and resistance-band exercises, helps keep bone strength, the amount of muscle in your body, mobility and balance.
Signs your bone health may be at risk
Warning signs and risk factors include:
- recurrent falls or balance problems
- a broken bone caused by a minor fall or injury, especially after age 40
- getting shorter or developing a more hunched back, which could be a sign of an undiagnosed broken bone in the spine
- a previous broken hip or spinal bone, which greatly increases the risk of another broken bone, especially during the following two years
- medical conditions that get in the way of how your body takes in nutrients from food or cause bone loss
Understanding osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a disease that makes bones thinner and weaker, so they break more easily. “It is often called a silent disease because bone loss usually causes no symptoms until a break occurs,” says Sharon Pregitzer, clinical pharmacist at the PCN.
Some health conditions and family history can raise your risk of osteoporosis. Certain medical procedures and medicines can also increase your risk because they affect how your body takes in nutrients or cause you to lose bone faster.
“The main goal of osteoporosis treatment is to lower the risk of broken bones by using diet, exercise, supplements, medication or a mix of these,” says Pregitzer. “Some osteoporosis medicines slow down bone loss, while others help build new bone.”
Talk to your family doctor, nurse practitioner or pharmacist about all your medications, both prescription and over-the-counter. Some medicines can interact and affect your treatment or how your body takes in nutrients. Never stop taking prescribed medication without professional advice.
Learn more about osteoporosis medications by visiting Osteoporosis Canada’s website.
How to keep good bone health
To support long-term bone health:
- eat a balanced diet with enough calcium, vitamin D and protein
- participate regularly in physical activity, including strength and balance exercises
- avoid smoking and reduce alcohol intake
- address recurring falls or balance problems right away
- seek medical attention for broken bones and loss of height by talking to your primary health care provider
- discuss supplements, medications and individual risk factors with a qualified health care professional, such as a pharmacist
The PCN can help
Our registered dietitians can check your nutrient intake, explain nutrition advice, help you set practical goals and support you with health conditions, digestive issues or food allergies.
Our clinical pharmacists can assess your risk of breaking your bones and review your medications. They can also help with medication changes, such as adjusting doses, adding new medicines or recommending when to stop a medication.