When was the last time you thought about taking care of your bones? We stretch our muscles, soothe our skin, and take supplements to keep our major organs happy, but our skeletons often get pushed to the back of the closet.
And you know what skeletons in closets do best? They come back to haunt you. After age 30, your bones begin to lose density and become weaker every year. By the time you reach middle age, you may be up to 10 times more likely to break a bone [1].
According to the Bone Health and Osteoporosis Foundation, about 50% of women and 25% of men over 50 will suffer from a broken bone due to osteoporosis [2].
Without proper bone support, your chances of developing a bone disease or suffering a break are frighteningly high. Luckily, there are ways you can take care of your bones to prevent injury and illness. It all starts with boning up on proper bone health.
We’ll give you a crash course in healthy bones below and recommend some ways to keep your bones healthy for the long haul.
Bone Basics
People often assume that bones are static structural beams inside our bodies that support all the dynamic changes that go on around them.
But that’s not really true.
Your bones comprise an entire body system (the skeletal system), which is constantly changing with bone growth and bone loss.
These are the basic functions of your bones and why they’re important:
- Mechanical functions: These are the bone basics you already know—your skeleton helps you move, supports your weight, and provides your body with its structure.
- Protection for organs: The spine, ribs, and pelvis house your heart, lungs, reproductive organs, intestines, nerves, and a lot more. Weak bones put your organs at risk.
- Blood production: The marrow in your bones is used to create red and white blood cells, which carry oxygen throughout the body and fight off disease. Your bones are literally responsible for producing the blood in your veins.
- Calcium storage: 99% of the body’s calcium is stored in bones [3]. Your body uses this calcium daily to perform vital functions, such as supporting your muscular, nervous, and circulatory systems.
- Critical energy reserves: Your bones store energy reserves to power your organs and produce blood in emergency situations. In essence, your bones house your body’s backup generators.
The 3 Stages of Bone Development You Should Know
Now that you know what your bones really do, it’s time to learn how your bones change throughout your life—and how you can prevent bone loss.
Stage 1: Ossification
Most of your skeleton was originally made of cartilage. During ossification, that cartilage is replaced with bone. This stage starts when you’re in the womb and continues throughout childhood. Bodies need plenty of calcium, vitamin D, and exercise to produce healthy bones during this stage.
Stage 2: Remodeling
Once your bones are fully formed, they don’t remain static. Your skeleton is reformed and restructured every 10 years in a process called remodeling. That means continued bone health is necessary to keep your bones healthy throughout life. The most important factors for healthy remodeling are nutrition, exercise, and hormonal health.
Stage 3: Bone Loss
Your bones are strongest around age 30. By age 50, many suffer from significant bone loss that can cause breaks and bone diseases.
As we age, our hormones change and we become less efficient at turning food into nutrients for healthy bones. This is why many doctors recommend a bone health supplement in addition to a diet rich in calcium and vitamin D [4].
How Genetics & Environmental Factors Affect Your Bones
There are many internal and external factors that can affect your bone health, such as genetics and lifestyle choices.
Osteoporosis is the most common cause of bone loss, so everyone should take precautions against it. But many are also genetically predisposed to this disease, making them even more likely to develop weak bones.
If osteoporosis runs in your family, it’s important to focus on bone nutrition in your diet and try to avoid smoking, alcohol, and caffeine as much as possible.
Your choices and your environment can also affect your bones. For example, exposure to air pollution has been found to increase the risk of osteoporosis [5].
Living a sedentary lifestyle can increase the risk of weak bones as well. Like your muscles, your bones need exercise to stay strong too [6].
Finally, substances such as tobacco, alcohol, caffeine, and certain medications can affect calcium absorption and lead to brittle bones.
How to Care For Your Bones And Prevent Bone Loss
Bone loss and osteoporosis present major risks for middle-aged and elderly people. But there are ways to slow bone loss and even counter it.
Follow these tips to care for your bones and prevent bone loss.
- Exercise: Weight-bearing exercise sends a signal to your body to strengthen your bones. Walking or jogging 3-5 times a week is enough to encourage your body to keep you strong [6].
- Get Plenty of Calcium and Vitamin D: These are the most important nutrients for bone health, but you need both of them together—your body can’t absorb calcium without sufficient body levels of vitamin D. Get plenty of sunlight and eat calcium-rich foods like dairy, greens, and fish.
- Take a Bone Health Supplement: For many, it isn’t easy to get the recommended daily 1000-1200 mg of calcium as well as the other essential vitamins and minerals for bone health in their diet. A daily bone health supplement like Manna Liposomal Bone Health provides the bone-strengthening nutrition you need in a highly bioavailable and easy-to-take formula.
- Limit Smoking and Alcohol: Smoking and alcohol each accelerate bone loss by about 2% annually. Doing both doubles the damage to 8% annually. It is believed that these habits even negate the effects of osteoporosis medication [6].
- Talk to Your Doctor about Osteoporosis: Osteoporosis and bone loss have no symptoms—until you break or fracture a bone. If you believe you are at risk of osteoporosis, talk to your doctor about bone density tests and preventative measures.
Your bones are the foundation for your entire body.
They provide a lot more than just structure—they are the foundries for your blood cells and the protectors of your organs.
When you’re planning your diet and supplement regimen, don’t leave your skeleton in the closet.
Make bone health a part of your daily routine and enjoy improved strength and vitality.
Sources:
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2991386/
- https://www.bonehealthandosteoporosis.org/news/are-you-at-risk-for-developing-bone-disease/#:~:text=According%20to%20population%20projections%20from,to%20osteoporosis%20in%20their%20lifetime
- https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/calcium/#:~:text=About%2099%25%20of%20the%20body’s,in%20the%20blood%20and%20tissues
- https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/15049-osteoporosis-prevention-with-calcium-treatment
- https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/article/PIIS2542-5196%2817%2930143-2/fulltext#:~:text=et%20al.-,Exposure%20to%20air%20pollution%20increases%20the,osteoporosis%3A%20a%20nationwide%20longitudinal%20study.&text=Furthermore%2C%20exposure%20to%20lead%20and,with%20BMD%20and%20fracture%20risk
- https://www.webmd.com/osteoporosis/features/lifestyle-tips
