Bones play many roles in the body. As well as giving your body support and shape, your bones provide protection for your organs, anchor muscles and store calcium.

Bone is a living tissue and is made of collagen protein fibres filled with minerals – calcium and phosphate.

Your bones are continuously changing — new bone is made and old bone is broken down.

What can I do to keep my bones healthy?

Include plenty of calcium in your diet. 

Food sources of calcium include Greek yoghurt, fish (especially sardines), sesame seeds, almond butter, leafy greens (especially kale & collards), beans and lentils.

Be careful with excess salt intake as salt increases calcium loss through the urine. Although dairy products are a source of calcium, they are acid forming and can deplete minerals from your body. Note: all dairy foods from animal sources increase calcium loss as well as provide calcium!

Include magnesium rich foods

Magnesium has a structural role in bone maintenance, influences bone-building cells, and modulates potential bone damaging inflammation. Magnesium and calcium work together closely to maintain strong bones.

Food sources of magnesium include banana, brown rice, buckwheat, lentils, peas, seeds (sunflower, sesame & pumpkin), dark chocolate, whole-grain cereals, dark green vegetables, and nuts especially almonds, cashew and Brazil nuts.

Foods that are high in both magnesium & calcium will help to reduce calcium loss from bones – green leafy vegetables such as kale. alfalfa, watercress, kelp, broccoli, cabbage and spring greens.

Pay attention to vitamin D

Your body needs vitamin D to absorb calcium and to regulate the storage of calcium in the bones. However, it’s not naturally present in many foods.

Good food sources of vitamin D are: egg yolks, oily fish (sardines, mackerel, anchovies, salmon, herrings), organ meats, fortified cereals, milks, and mushrooms that have been exposed to UV light.

The best source of vitamin D is the sun – sun exposure causes your body to make vitamin D, but sometimes the seasons don’t permit your body to make enough. Taking a vitamin D supplement is recommended especially in winter months in the UK.

Some other key nutrients for supporting bone health

Boron, vitamin C, vitamin K, zinc, copper, potassium, phosphorus, silicon, collagen and manganese.

Don’t forget to exercise

Include physical activity in your daily routine. Weight-bearing exercises, such as walking, jogging, and climbing stairs, can help you build strong bones and slow bone loss.

What should I avoid?

Excess caffeine – more than 3 cups of strong coffee a day can increase your risk of developing osteoporosis by as much as 80%.

Acid forming foods which cause calcium to be leached from the bones such as white bread, cakes, croissants, pastries, biscuits, refined sugars, white pasta and white rice.

Excess alcohol – as this decreases calcium absorption from your diet and interferes with the synthesis of vitamin D (which helps bones absorb calcium).

Excess animal protein which can be acid forming and can promote calcium loss from the bones.

Fizzy drinks – the artificial carbonation creates carbonic acid which dissolves bone and the excess phosphates force more calcium to be excreted.

Gluten if you have a gluten sensitivity as this can result in poor calcium absorption.

Do not smoke as smoking hampers efficient processing of calcium