How to reduce the risk of osteoporosis

Out of the countless broken bones in the UK every year, more than 500,000 are actually a direct result of a condition called osteoporosis.¹ While you may have heard of this condition before, you probably don’t know how common it is. 

Osteoporosis is a long-term condition that occurs gradually. As bone mass and density decreases, your bones become weaker than they should be. This weakness can lead to a range of problems but by far the most common is fractures in the bone.^3,4 

Our bones constantly evolve over the years.^5,6 Every day, older bones in our bodies break down and become replaced by fresh, new bone – a process known as bone remodelling⁵ – which is how we’re able to heal ourselves after a fracture or break.⁷ The rate of this bone growth is at its maximum during our childhood and teenage years, continuing until around the age of 30, which is when your bone strength and health is at its peak.^2,5,6 

Now you know a bit more about bone health and the causes of osteoporosis, let’s take a look at some of the steps you can take to help prevent it.

Calcium plays a vital role in your bone health. It’s the major component in bone and also the place where 99% of the calcium in your body can be found.^14,15 If you were strongly encouraged to drink milk during your childhood, this is because the calcium it contains helps your body to build strong, healthy bones.^15,16

Vitamin D is just as important as calcium when it comes to supporting strong bones as it helps your body properly absorb calcium and support your bone growth.^17,18,19 It’s thought that vitamin D in combination with calcium can increase bone mass density and potentially reduce the risk of developing osteoporosis in later years.²⁰

Vitamin D isn’t the only nutrient that can help prevent osteoporosis – we’re also starting to see evidence that vitamin C could be beneficial too.²⁷ Vitamin C plays an important role in the production of collagen in the bone, for example, helping improve bone mass density.^28,29 It can also help eliminate free radicals (unstable chemicals produced during normal cell metabolism) which can negatively impact your bone health. 

Smoking isn’t only one of the biggest causes of death and illness in the UK but it has also been identified as a potential risk factor for developing osteoporosis.^4,13 Researchers believe this could be because the nicotine you inhale when smoking may slow down the production of bone-forming cells, making it harder for your body to regenerate any bone that’s been lost. It can also make it harder for your body to absorb calcium.^13,31

It’ll come as no surprise that exercise is recommended for improving your overall health and wellbeing.³⁶ However, the NHS particularly recommends bone-strengthening exercises like walking and running, and muscle-strengthening exercises using your own body weight, such as squats and lunges, for helping to build bone mass.^36,37,38

Although genetics, gender, and age all play a role in your risk of developing osteoporosis, there are still elements in your control which can help protect you against this condition. By understanding how osteoporosis occurs and making positive lifestyle changes, you could reduce your risk of developing osteoporosis and stay stronger, and more mobile for longer.