7 Natural Ways to Boost Bone Density and Stay Strong After 50—Without Medication or Side Effects
Walking, laughing and a few dietary changes can help ward off painful bone breaks
If you’re at an increased risk for osteoporosis—a condition affecting one in three women over age 50—you know how important it is to maintain strong bones. And while it’s true that we lose bone density over time, that doesn’t mean you’re resigned to painful breaks and fractures. Here’s how to increase your bone density naturally and help keep osteoporosis at bay.
What is bone density and why does it matter?
Bone density, or bone mineral density (BMD), refers to the concentration of essential minerals like calcium and phosphorus in your bones. “Dense bone is stronger and can tolerate more stressors,” says Faryal Mirza, MD, an endocrinologist, professor of medicine at the University of Connecticut (UConn) School of Medicine and the director of the UConn Center for Osteoporosis in Farmington, CT.
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“But if your bone density is low, the ability of the bone to endure more stress is less,” Dr. Mirza explains. “One way to envision it is you have a hollow stick, that’s going to be easier to break than a more solid stick.” Bottom line: When bone density is lower, which is common among postmenopausal women, the risk of developing osteoporosis (weak or brittle bones) increases.
And because osteoporosis typically doesn’t show any symptoms (it’s been dubbed a “silent” condition), you may not know you have it until you get a fracture, says endocrinologist Marilyn Augustine, MD, an expert in metabolic bone disease and an associate professor in the department of medicine at the University of Rochester in Rochester, NY.
Not sure how strong your skeleton is? Your doctor can check your bone health through a bone density test known as a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry test, or DXA/DEXA scan. (Learn more about what’s considered a healthy bone density test result here.)
7 natural ways to increase bone density after 50
Regardless of whether or not your doctor has measured your bone density, preventing or slowing down bone loss is crucial for lowering the risk of fractures. Here’s how to increase bone density and improve your long-term health in midlife:
1. Try to maintain a healthy weight
“When people are obese, they have more fat tissue, which can increase inflammation and cause bone loss,” Dr. Mirza says.
Being underweight can also be a risk factor for broken bones. A study in The Spine Journal found a link between being below a normal weight and an increase in spinal fractures. People who are underweight can experience bone loss at a faster rate, have impaired coordination and an increased risk of falls that can lead to fractures, the researchers note.
2. Go for a walk
Engaging in weight-bearing exercise, where your body weight works against gravity, helps increase bone density. And walking is one of your best options.
A study in Preventive Medicine found that older women who walked 10,000 or more steps a day had healthier bones compared to those who took fewer than 6,000 steps a day. The best part? It doesn’t matter how fast you stroll. A few short, leisurely jaunts around the block are just as effective as a longer jog. If walking isn’t your thing, dancing, climbing stairs and jumping rope are good bets too.
3. Scale back on alcoholic drinks
Consuming too much alcohol can interfere with the way the body absorbs calcium, an essential nutrient for strong bones. So it’s best to cut back where you can to preserve your bone density.
You don’t have to give up your evening glass of wine entirely, though. “I encourage moderation, and for women, that’s no more than two servings of alcohol per day,” says Dr. Augustine, who warns against “saving up” your alcohol intake all week for a binge day. “Abstaining from drinking for many days but then overdoing it on another day still puts you at risk for osteoporosis.”
Sticking with no more than two drinks a day is sound advice. Research shows that people who have three or more drinks a day have a higher risk of hip fractures.
4. Laugh with friends
A study in PLoS One found that socializing with a small group of trusted friends can lower your risk of osteoporosis. One reason can be chalked up to others having a positive influence on healthy behaviors that increase bone density, such as eating better, staying physically active and stopping smoking.
Being around others who make you feel good also helps alleviate the blues. This is important, since inflammatory markers that increase when someone is depressed have been linked with low bone mass, the study found.
Bonus: The laughter you share with friends lowers levels of the bone-damaging stress hormone cortisol by 39 percent, Loma Linda University experts found.
5. Boost your protein intake
Along with getting enough calcium and vitamin D, two essential nutrients for building bone density, it’s also important to get enough protein. A shortfall of this nutrient hampers muscle strength, which increases the chance of a fall and worsens recovery for those who’ve experienced a fracture, says the International Osteoporosis Foundation.
How much protein do you need to increase bone density? The National Institutes of Health suggests aiming for between 10 and 35 percent of your daily caloric intake. If you’re eating about 1,700 calories a day, 170 to 595 of those calories should be from protein. Good sources of protein include lean meats, fish, beans, nuts, eggs, milk and peanut butter.
Bonus: If you opt for chicken, you’ll also get a hearty dose of vitamin K. That’s important, since a study in the Journal of Osteoporosis found that the nutrient helps increase bone density, reducing the risk of breaks.
6. Snack on prunes
Prunes have long been the go-to for staying regular, and recent research suggests they pack a bonus benefit: boosting bone health. A study in Osteoporosis International found that eating four to six prunes daily helped postmenopausal women maintain bone density and strength. Researchers say polyphenols in prunes help block inflammation that can lead to bone loss.
7. Consider a soy supplement
A soy isoflavone supplement acts like estrogen in the body, helping to offset the dip of this bone-protecting hormone that occurs during menopause. In fact, scientists in China found that taking 75 mg of soy isoflavones daily increased bone density by 54 percent in postmenopausal women.
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