With your bone mass peaking in your late 20s, you can’t afford to be dense about bone health.
While many of us are concerned about our heart and mental health, we tend to neglect the importance of bone health It’s an oversight that could lead to increased risk of fractures and, risking osteoporosis thus reducing our ability to do the things we love.
Strong, healthy bones play a big role in determining how mobile and active we will be for our whole lives, not just when we are young. Unfortunately, we’re not looking after them.
“Many of us service our cars better than we service our own bodies,” says a medical professional.
A study, has found that up to four in five people even in developed parts of the world do not actively take measures to protect their bone health.
It also found that more than half of adults (56 per cent) surveyed were not concerned about osteoporosis (when bones lose calcium and other minerals, making them fragile and more likely to fracture) and only one in 20 ranked bone health as their number one priority – behind heart (42 per cent), brain/mental health (37 per cent) and skin health at 8 per cent.
For Healthy Bones bone health should be embraced at every age and stage of life. Strong, healthy bones help children reach their optimum growth level, laying down good foundations for later in life. Just like adults, children too require calcium, exercise and Vitamin D for healthy bones.
The good news is that it’s easy to ensure good bone health, no matter what your age, by eating enough calcium, getting some vitamin D (through safe sun exposure) and exercising regularly.
The teenage years are another major growth period, when our bodies build one quarter of their adult bone mass. By the time we reach our 20s, our bones are at their peak bone mass, which is when the bones are at their strongest.
From our 40s, we slowly lose bone mass. As we age, it is vital to continue to maintain the healthy bones built in earlier years to ensure an active and longer life.
The good news is that it’s easy to ensure good bone health, no matter what your age, by eating enough calcium, getting some vitamin D (through safe sun exposure) and exercising regularly.
“We need to take good care of our bodies, which includes maintaining healthy bones and reducing the risk of breaks,” says a medical professor. “People of all ages need to have adequate calcium intake, adequate vitamin D levels, and regular weight-bearing exercise to support their bone health.
“There are plenty of ways to get the recommended amount of calcium per day, however milk, cheese and yoghurt are the richest sources in the diet. Having two to four serves of these foods per day will help you meet your calcium recommendations, and provide magnesium, protein and other bone-friendly nutrients.”
Dairy products such as milk, cheese and yoghurt provide a readily absorbable source of calcium for our bodies and bones. One serve of dairy is equivalent to one cup of milk (250ml), two slices of cheese (40g) or a tub of yoghurt (200g).
Unlike calcium supplements, dairy foods provide a natural source of other essential nutrients, including potassium, phosphorous, magnesium, carbohydrate, protein, vitamin A, riboflavin, vitamin B12 and zinc. These nutrients are not only important for bone health, but also for a healthy blood and immune system.
Dairy foods have long been known for their role in bone health, but research over the past decade has demonstrated that consumption of milk, yoghurt and cheese can protect us against heart disease and stroke, can reduce our risk of high blood pressure and some cancers, and may reduce our risk of type 2 diabetes.
Dairy products such as milk, cheese and yoghurt provide a readily absorbable source of calcium for our bodies and bones.
“Unfortunately, most people are missing out on the health benefits of consuming milk, yoghurt and cheese as they don’t include enough in their diet.
One of the obstacles that might be preventing many from reaching the recommended daily intake of calcium is the amount of confusing information online. Misinformation propagates the myth that dairy foods can have a negative effect on bone health.
In fact, studies have shown that consuming milk and other dairy foods leads to positive calcium levels, and more calcium is absorbed than excreted. This helps bones become stronger and reduces risk of fractures and osteoporosis later in life.
No matter what your age, it’s never too early, or late, to start looking after your bone health. Make sure you include enough calcium in your diet, exercise regularly – including weight-bearing workouts – and spend some time outside soaking up vitamin D, and your bones will thank you for it, both now and later in life.
