5 Unexpected Ways to Boost Your Bone Density
Forty-four million people in the U.S. are affected by osteoporosis or low bone mass. You already know you should get enough calcium and vitamin D. Here are other habits that strengthen your skeleton.
By Jessica Migala
Photo: Elena Pejchinova/Getty Images
2 of 5
Eat Mediterranean
One more reason to make sure your plate looks like a rainbow: eating a diet rich in fruits, veggies, nuts, legumes, whole grains and fish is associated with a 20 percent lower risk of suffering hip fractures in postmenopausal women compared to those who didn't adhere to the eating pattern, per 2016 research in
JAMA Internal Medicine. "In addition to supplying many of the macro- and micronutrients important for bone health—like vitamins A, B, C, E and K—the Mediterranean diet is low in red meat and saturated fats, and contains lots of vegetables and fruits that are high in antioxidants," says Carolyn Becker, MD, spokesperson for the Endocrine Society and associate professor of medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Because of that, the diet also reduces levels of inflammation, something that speeds bone loss.
Published 01/04/2018
