Bone mass is the weight of bone mineral in your body. Bone is a living and growing tissue constantly renewed throughout your life. It reaches its peak at around thirty years old before declining. Bone tissue is made of collagen, a protein that provides a soft framework.
Until about age 25, our body is capable of constantly reconstructing broken bones, that’s why the bone density usually increases during that period.
From about age 25 to age 50, the bone density keeps its balance between bone formation and bone breakdown.
After age 50, bone breakdown outpaces the bone formation.
Bone loss occurs when more old bone is reabsorbed compared to new bone being created. Bone loss can cause bones to become brittle and more likely to break. In older adults, the major risk factor for low bone mass is increased bone turnover and the difficulty for them to form new bones.
Some factors can contribute to bone mass reduction: having a diet low in calcium, not exercising, smoking, taking certain medications such as corticosteroids, consuming too much caffeine or having a diet with too much sodium.
Here are some tips for maintaining or building healthy bones.
Consume a balanced diet with at least 1200 calories daily to preserve bone health.
Strength-training exercise is another good habit for healthy bones. Weight-bearing exercises could be part of your workout (such as walking, dancing or step aerobics).
Maintaining a reasonable weight is also important. Being underweight usually means that your estrogen levels are too low to support your bone growth.