How to maintain bone health and prevent osteoporosis

People of all ages and circumstances should understand their osteoporosis risk and learn how to maintain healthy bones, but you may not even think about bone health or osteoporosis unless you’ve broken a bone as an adult, or experienced other symptoms. And many of us only start to think about bone health as we and our friends and family age.

So, what is bone health and what can you do to maintain it? Here, we answer your top questions about osteoporosis and bone health, so you have the information you need to be healthy and active.

What is bone health?

Healthy bones are strong and dense because they have high bone mass. Our bone tissue continually replenishes throughout life, and old bone tissue is replaced with new, healthy tissue. This is known as remodeling, and for roughly the first 30 years of life, our bodies make new bone faster than old bone deteriorates, so we gain bone mass.

What is osteoporosis?

Starting around age 30, we gradually lose bone mass as the bone loss rate starts to exceed the rate at which we make new bone. When our bodies lose too much bone, and bones become weak and brittle, it’s known as osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis is a bone disease that reduces bone density and causes bone loss that can lead to broken bones, back pain and other symptoms. But even after 30, there are several ways to maintain healthy bones and minimize bone loss.

What are the biggest osteoporosis risk factors?
Some risk factors for osteoporosis – like genetics and age – are out of our control, while others are lifestyle based. Some of the biggest risk factors for osteoporosisare related to:

Age: The risk increases once men reach 65, and for women, the risk increases after menopause.
Low calcium intake: Risk increase for people who do not get enough calcium on a regular basis. Our bodies need at least 1,000 milligrams of calcium per day, while women over age 51 and men over age 71 need 1,200 mg a day.
Alcohol and tobacco use: Both increase risk by disrupting the bone remodeling process and reducing absorption of essential nutrients.
Lack of weight-bearing exercise: Actually increases bone loss. Exercise stimulates bone remodeling and lack of exercise slows this process.

Can you prevent osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis is not completely preventable – we can’t control our age or genetic factors – but we can control many of the factors outlined above to minimize your risk and maintain bone health. Activities that help to prevent bone loss include:

Exercise regularly: Get moving daily and prioritize weight-bearing exercises like walking, running, tennis, basketball or pickleball. Remember, this activity stimulates bone remodeling.
Eat well: Maintain a healthy diet that includes foods with plenty of calcium and vitamin D, which helps your body absorb calcium. Some of the best foods and nutrients for bone health include:
Calcium: dairy products, fortified orange juice, sardines, spinach
Vitamin D: Fish, mushrooms, eggs and leafy greens are all good choices. Adults should have 600 international units (IUs) per day and those over age 71 need 800 IUs a day.
Magnesium: brown rice, seeds, nuts, leafy greens
Potassium: apricots, lentils, bananas, potatoes
Avoid tobacco: The nicotine in tobacco does many things to increase osteoporosis risk, including slowing down healthy bone production and reducing our body’s ability to absorb calcium.
Moderate or avoid alcohol consumption: Alcohol also disrupts the bone remodeling process, and excessive alcohol consumption has a more dramatic impact.

Do I have osteoporosis?
If you suspect osteoporosis, have broken a bone, or have any risk factors, it’s a good idea to see a bone health specialist who can complete a bone health assessment:

Bone density testing: Your specialist may order specialized imaging called a DEXA (dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry) scan to measure your bone density and mineral content. This test results in a DEXA score – or T Score. A score of -1.0 or higher is normal, while a score of -2.5 or lower identifies osteoporosis.

A fracture risk assessment: which evaluates numerous factors to determine your risk of a fracture. Factors include age, gender, lifestyle risk factors, bone density (DEXA score), fracture history and more.
An orthopedic doctor who specializes in bone health can complete an examination and help you understand your risk and current bone health – which may include an osteoporosis diagnosis.
For more information on bone health and osteoporosis, visit Dr. Cary Motz and the Bone Health Clinic at Advanced Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Specialists.