According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Osteoporosis and Related Bone Diseases ~ National Resource Center (NIH ORBD~NRC), a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, “Our bones support us and allow us to move. They protect our brain, heart, and other organs from injury. Our bones also store minerals such as calcium and phosphorus, which help keep our bones strong, and get released into the body when we need them for other uses.” Our bone health matters and we should immediately take correctional measures if we have a habit of indulging in following bad practices:

If you are in the habit of smoking, quit it – people who are regular users of tobacco have lower bone density because with smoking a stress hormone known as cortisol gets released. Cortisol not only weakens bones but also impedes the production of calcitonin; a hormone that helps in building the bone. If smokers suffer from bone fractures, their healing process is very slow due to the above mentioned factors. 

End your love for alcohol – Alcohol is not good for health. We all know. Apart from other harms to the body, alcohol increases cortisol production in our body, just like smoking does. It also lowers the level of estrogen and testosterone leading to weakening of the bones. No matter how classy alcoholism looks, just shun it!

Say goodbye to a sedentary lifestyle – A sedentary lifestyle is the root cause of all ailments. It poses a great risk of bone density loss as well. Physical activities have bone-strengthening benefits. If you lack activities in your daily routine, you are directly causing weakening of your bones. Start exercising. Just like muscles, bones become denser and stronger with exercise. Also use more stairs than lifts, more walking than driving; all this would help. By working for long hours on the computer we have started indulging in the wrong posture – forward-looking posture. We need to sit straight as posture also damages bone health. 

Reduce salt intake – The higher the salt intake, the lower the bone density. Go by the recommendations of experts and consume less than 2300 milligrams of sodium per day. In fact, 1500 milligrams of sodium is ideal for adults. 

Stop avoiding sunlight – Take enough sunshine as it is the source of vitamin D. Daily dose of the vitamin from sunlight is highly recommended. If you cannot get the daily dose of sunshine because your home or office setting is not conducive enough then eat food items rich in vitamin D. If the amount of this vitamin is low in your body, then take vitamin D supplements after doctor consultation.

Do not avoid calcium intake – Just like vitamin D, calcium is also very beneficial for the bones. Dairy products have a good amount of calcium. However, as we grow old, we avoid enough dairy products in our diet. If there is calcium deficiency take the advice of your doctor and take supplements if advised. 

The above are simple lifestyle measures but extremely important to keep bones strong. If our bones are strong, our quality of life would be great!