While you may think that bone loss only happens in your late 40s and beyond, that’s not always quite the case. Health experts say you may start losing bone density earlier than you think. The trick is that it’s not likely that you’ll notice any symptoms that tell you to be careful. That’s why you need to be informed and proactive when it comes to caring for your bones.
Your bones are living tissue that grow and reshape over time. There’s a natural process in which bones are regularly reabsorbed and regenerated. This process helps to keep your bones strong and healthy. It’s estimated that most women reach peak bone density at age 25. After that, your body slowly starts to break down bones faster than it rebuilds them. In most cases, this decline doesn’t cause any issues, so you won’t notice it.
However, it can lead to what’s known as osteopenia if you lose too much bone density. You’re at a greater risk of developing this condition if you smoke, use tobacco products, have more than two alcoholic drinks per day, have gone through menopause, or are over the age of 50.
Certain health conditions can also put you at risk for developing osteopenia. These include diabetes, hyperthyroidism, chronic kidney disease, eating disorders like anorexia, autoimmune diseases, malnutrition, and hormonal imbalances. Additionally, taking medications like corticosteroids, diuretics, anti-seizure drugs, anticoagulants, and hormone therapy for treating some types of cancer can lead to osteopenia.
On top of a decline in the rate of bone regeneration, your bone density can be affected by the hormonal fluctuation that comes with entering menopause. Estrogen plays an essential role in the balance between bone resorption and rebuilding. When your levels start to drop, you’re even more likely to have low bone density. This means your bones can start to weaken well before you have your last menstrual cycle.
Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to help your bones. While you can’t necessarily stop the changes in your bone density, you can compensate for them. These tips can be particularly important for Black Americans. According to theBone Health and Osteoporosis Foundation (BHOF), five percent of Black women over 50 have already been diagnosed with osteoporosis, while another 35 percent have low bone mass that could eventually lead to osteoporosis.
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Being physically active has a variety of benefits, but for maintaining bone health, the experts recommend strength and resistance training. Whether you’re using dumbbells, heavier weights, resistance bands, or your body weight, you can put helpful stress on your bones. This stress can stimulate the production of osteocytes that signal your body to form more bone.
Another form of exercise that you should incorporate into your routine is balance training. Apart from building your strength, balance exercises can help to protect your bones. Even if you don’t have osteoporosis yet, your bones may already be more susceptible to fractures. If you do exercises like squats and lunges, you’re less prone to falls that can plague older adults.
Some people use weighted vests or clothing to boost the results of their exercise routine. According to a small trial, women who wore weighted vests during their routine were able to maintain or slightly increase their hip bone density. The participants who didn’t use weighted vests or do the same type of exercise saw a loss in bone density instead. While this trial was small and combined weighted vests with jumping exercises, it suggests that using a vest may help maintain much-needed hip bone density.
Eating lean protein regularly can help your body to build muscle and bone. The right sources of protein provide your body with the building blocks it needs to support bone growth. When choosing your protein, opt for plant-based foods like beans, tofu, and nuts. You can also incorporate lean cuts of skinless poultry and fish, such as salmon or sardines.
Depending on what you currently eat, you may see the most benefit from switching to healthy programs like the DASH and Mediterranean diets. While these are slightly different in terms of the foods they focus on, you’re most likely to see an emphasis on eating whole foods, fresh vegetables, fruits, healthy fats, nuts, legumes, and omega-3 fats.
If you’re not getting enough calcium in your diet, your bones will take a hit because your body will use them as a source of the mineral. To avoid this, you should incorporate calcium-rich foods in your diet. Although dairy products are a high source of calcium, they’re not the only ones. You can find calcium in sardines, seeds, almonds, yogurt, cottage cheese, figs, edamame, and tofu. Considering that BHOF states up to 70% of Black people can be lactose intolerant, this is excellent news.
Vitamin D is essential to calcium absorption in the body. Unfortunately, many Black women don’t get enough of it. You can find Vitamin D in fatty fish like wild-caught mackerel, salmon, tuna, and cod liver oil, as well as fortified cereal, dairy products, orange juice, and plant-based milks.
Vitamin K may play a role in stronger bones and a lower risk of fractures. According to a recent report, adding Vitamin K to your diet may block the inflammation that’s associated with bone loss and damage. The good news is that you can get Vitamin K easily through adding fruits, eggs, soybeans, spinach, broccoli, and lettuce, and soybean and canola oil to your diet.
Sometimes it’s easier to skip breakfast to get moving quickly in your day. A cohort study in the Journal of Endocrine Society suggests that this is a bad idea for your bones, though. Regularly skipping breakfast was found to increase their risk of fracture by up to 18%. While the reason isn’t definitive, researchers suggest that skipping breakfast may interfere with the part of your circadian rhythm that deals with bone turnover.
There may be a link between consistently having more than two alcoholic drinks per day and an increased risk of fractures. To keep your bones healthy, it’s best to limit alcohol consumption.
Of course, it’s a good idea to remain physically active as you age. A regular exercise routine is essential to your overall well-being. However, it helps to be specific when dealing with bone health. These exercises are likely to help strengthen your bones over time and may reduce your risk of bone loss. If you have any concerns about switching up your routine, make sure to talk to your doctor first.
Additionally, you should start slowly when incorporating strength training into your routine. The aim is to be consistent, not to become a master of the routine in record time. That can also mean taking breaks and mixing things up so your body can recuperate from certain exercises. While you can build a routine on your own, it may be helpful to engage a trainer when you’re starting or find an online program.
It may be normal for your bone density to decline, but that doesn’t mean you have to give in to osteopenia and osteoporosis. If you modify your diet and add strength training to your exercise routine, you may be more likely to keep your bones strong. Before you start, though, talk to your doctor about what’s best for you.
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