How To Maintain Bone Mass: Tips for Bone Health

selective-focus-on-pelvis-structure-and-pills

We decided, in honor of Dr. Mahon’s foot, we would dedicate this Wellness Wednesday post to bone health!

Did you know that you typically reach peak bone mass by the time you are 30 years old?

Interestingly enough, your likelihood of developing osteoporosis later in life is directly correlated to how much bone mass you attain before your 30th birthday and how quickly you lose that mass in the years following.

When you’re young, your bone mass increases due to your body creating new bone faster than it breaks down the old bone but as you age, the rate of new bone created slows down and you lose more bone mass faster than you gain it.

How To Slow Down Bone Loss with Age

There are many factors that play a part in your bone health but there are ways to help slow down the rate of bone loss as you age:

First and foremost, make sure you’re including plenty of calcium in your diet! If you are between 19 to 50 years old, the recommended calcium allowance is 1,000 milligrams per day. If you are a male between the ages of 51 to 70, your calcium allowance continues to be 1,000 milligrams per day but if you are a woman over 50 years old, your allowance increases to 1,200 milligrams per day.

Women have less bone tissue than men and the onset of menopause increases your risk of osteoporosis due to the decrease in estrogen. Easy ways to include calcium in your diet is by adding more dairy products, almonds, broccoli, kale, salmon and soy products into your meals.

Next, make sure you are receiving enough vitamin D daily. One easy way to do this is to spend more time outside (but don’t forget to wear your sunscreen)! You can also add more oily fish, egg yolks and fortified milk into your diet as well.

If you’re worried about not getting enough calcium or vitamin D, please don’t hesitate to talk to us to see if a supplement should be added to your daily regiment!

Physical activity, especially weight-bearing exercises such as walking, jogging, and climbing, is essential in helping build and keep strong bones!

Finally, as with all other aspects of your health, avoid smoking and limit your alcoholic consumption.

If osteoporosis or bone health in general is something that you are particularly concerned with, contact us today to discuss it in further detail!

Get To Know The Author

About Family Tree

Family Tree Primary Care began as a desire to create a better healthcare experience for both patients and physicians alike. We were determined to find a way to repair the parts of the healthcare system that were broken, and thanks to the Direct Primary Care model, our office has been able to do just that!

Our mission is to make medicine affordable, personal and accessible, without sacrificing the quality of care. Whatever your concerns, we want to be the first point of contact for your healthcare needs. In fact, we can diagnose and treat many conditions in-house (including many prescriptions).