Diet secrets for healthy bones

In the UK, half of all women and one in 5 men aged over 50 will fracture a bone as a result of osteoporosis.

It’s known as the silent epidemic and the causes are not well understood. However, researchers know that a healthy diet and active lifestyle can protect you against the disease. 

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You need to look after your bones throughout your life and there are 2 key things your body needs to help keep your skeleton healthy: Vitamin D and calcium. Vitamin D comes from 2 natural sources:

Sunlight. UVB rays in sunlight stimulate your body to make vitamin D. About 15-20 minutes sun exposure to the face and arms every day during the summer should provide you with enough vitamin D for the year. However, care must be taken in the sun to protect your skin from harmful rays.

Diet. It’s hard to get enough vitamin D through your diet, but a good source is oily fish such as salmon, trout, mackerel, herring, sardines, pilchards, kippers and tuna - fresh or tinned.

Calcium is the main constituent of bones. In total the body contains about 1kg of calcium, 99 % of which is stored in our bones. To keep bones strong and healthy, people of all ages need calcium in their diets throughout their lives. Here are some simple tips for finding calcium-rich foods:

How to get your daily dose of calcium into your diet:

• Breakfast cereals with milk are an easy calcium-rich start to the day.
• Instead of snacking on crisps or sweets, eat nuts or dried fruit like apricots and figs, both excellent sources of calcium.
• The calcium content of drinking water varies greatly across the UK. Some bottled mineral waters can be a useful source and are a good alternative to fizzy drinks for children. Look out for calcium-enriched waters and orange juice in the supermarket.
• Milk and dairy products, like yoghurt, fromage frais and cheese, are an excellent source of calcium, including the low-fat varieties.
• Don’t bin the bones when you open tinned fish, like sardines. Mash them into the fish and you won’t notice them – but you will benefit from the calcium they contain. Whitebait is also rich in calcium
• Tofu (a vegetable protein made from soya beans) is high in calcium and low in fat.
• Green leafy vegetables, like watercress, broccoli and curly kale, are good sources of calcium.

For more information about Osteoporosis, click here for the National Osteoporosis Society www.nos.org.uk