FACT SHEET – BONE HEALTH

FACT SHEET – BONE HEALTH what is bone? Bone is a living tissue which provides a supportive framework for the body. It’s made up of a network of fibre, packed with bone crystals which contain calcium, phosphorus and other minerals. why are healthy bones important? Building and maintaining health bones throughout your life can help reduce the risk of osteoporosis. Like all tissues in the body, bone is constantly changing through the addition of new cells and removal of old cells; this is known as bone turnover. This process renews, reshapes and repairs the bone, and enables them to increase in size and density throughout childhood and adolescence. Peak bone mass, when bone is strongest, is usually reached in the late twenties. From our 40s onwards, more bone cells are replaced than renewed and our bones gradually lose their density. This is a normal process but in some people a severe loss of bone occurs and results in a condition known as osteoporosis (‘porous bones’), which leaves the bones more prone to fractures and breaks. One in two women and one in five men will break a bone as a result of osteoporosis after the age of 50 (National Osteoporosis Society). how to build and maintain healthy bones Our risk of developing osteoporosis in later life is very much influenced by genetics but there are aspects of our lifestyle that can have an impact on our bone health. • live an active lifestyle – exercise is one of the most important factors to influence bone health throughout all stages of your life, in particular weight-bearing exercise activities such as weight lifting, jogging, brisk walking and dancing eat a healthy diet –including a minimum of 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day, which provide key nutrients including some calcium (green leafy vegetables) and magnesium, both of which are important for bone health. • Fact Sheet 16: Bone Health – January 2008 The an adult skeleton contains an estimated 1kg of calcium so it is important to maintain a calcium rich diet Milk and dairy products are also important as they’re good sources of calcium and phosphorus, important for bone structure. You should try to include 2-3 portions of dairy products in your daily diet. Meat and fish supply protein which is vital for all growing tissue and you’ll find some vitamin D, also essential for bones, in oily fish and some red meat. Starchy foods such as bread and breakfast cereals are often fortified with calcium and other vitamins. • calcium is particularly important for bone health. Some groups of people have low intakes of calcium which may put them at greater risk of bone loss in later life. Young people, especially girls of secondary school age, and young women, are especially at risk if they eat few dairy products and drink a lot of carbonated soft drinks. vitamin D – this is also important for healthy bones as it helps our body to absorb calcium. We can make vitamin D from exposure to sunlight and we store it in fat to help us get through the winter. Some groups of the population may not get enough vitamin D from sunlight as they do not spend enough time outdoors (older people) or they cover up for religious reasons. These people may need a supplement. • what other factors influence bone health? • gender – both men and women suffer bone loss with age, but hormonal changes at the menopause increase bone loss in women • alcohol – drinking a lot of alcohol can decrease bone density, so try to stick to the maximum recommended limits - for men 21 units a week and for women 14 units a week • underweight – having a BMI of less than 19 can increase the risk of osteoporosis • smoking – smokers have greater rates of bone loss in older age than non smokers For further information have a look at the National Osteoporosis Society website at www.nos.org.uk. how we can help………… • to help you eat healthily look for foods with the eat well sunflower logo these are either foods you should eat more of as part of a healthy diet or ones which meet strict nutritional guidelines for fat, saturated fat, sugar and salt, based on current government healthy eating recommendations • • we offer a range of reduced and low fat dairy alternatives e.g. half fat cheddar, which will help you we also offer soya milk as a calcium-containing alternative for individuals following a dairy-free diet Fact Sheet 16: Bone Health – January 2008