Make Your Health – and Your Bones – a Priority

If you're a parent, you spend a lot of time taking care of your family. But have you done anything for yourself lately? Perhaps you've improved your diet or hit the gym more often. While these are both important to include in your health regimen, you should be especially mindful of your bones.

Your bones are constantly being broken down and rebuilt. In fact, every 12 months they completely replace themselves – all 236 of them! To do so effectively, your bones need all the help they can get. This is especially true for women because gender, menopause, and smoking – as well as eating disorders such as anorexia – can accelerate bone loss and contribute to the development of osteoporosis, a condition in which bones become porous over time and are more likely to break. According to Osteoporosis Canada, at least one in three women and one in five men will suffer from an osteoporotic fracture during their lifetimes.

The good news is that osteoporosis is not inevitable. There are things you can do now to ensure stronger and healthier bones in the future:

Consume adequate amounts of calcium.

Most women aged 19 to 50 need about 1,000 mg of calcium per day. Women over 50 should increase that amount to 1,200 mg per day, which equates to consuming four daily servings of dairy products such as milk or yogurt. Fortified soy milk and dark, leafy green vegetables also are good sources of calcium. For some extra bone health insurance, consider taking a calcium supplement, which is best absorbed when consumed in amounts of 500 mg or so and taken with a meal.

Get plenty of vitamin D.

Vitamin D plays an important role in helping your body absorb and use calcium. Recent studies suggest 80% of adults may have insufficient vitamin D levels in the blood. Osteoporosis Canada's new guidelines recommend daily supplements of 400 to 1,000 IU for adults under age 50 without osteoporosis or conditions affecting vitamin D absorption. For adults over 50, supplements of between 800 and 2,000 IU are recommended. If you don't know what your vitamin D level is, ask your doctor for a vitamin D blood test.

Fuel your bones with other key nutrients.

Calcium and vitamin D aren't the only nutrients your bones need. Magnesium helps in the development and maintenance of bones. And studies indicate that other dietary components – such as protein, phosphorus, zinc, copper, iron, and vitamins A and C – are required for normal bone metabolism.

Exercise, exercise, exercise.

It not only helps build strong bones; it also slows down bone loss. Strength-training exercises that work your upper body, such as your arms and upper spine, are great – especially when combined with weight-bearing activities such as walking, jogging, and stair climbing.

It's never too late to start improving your eating, exercise, and supplementation habits to help maintain bone strength and integrity.

Learn more:

Contact Dr. L. Lee Coyne, Ph. D. for a personalized supplementation plan.

Bone Health Supplementation