Surprising ways to build up your bone density

GLUGGING GLASSES OF MILK IS CERTAINLY NOT THE ONLY WAY TO MAINTAIN STRONG, HEALTHY BONES, ALTHOUGH IT HELPS, SAM WYLIE-HARRIS LEARNS

IT'S estimated almost three million people in the UK have osteoporosis with over half a million of them receiving hospital treatment for factures related to fragile bones every year.

The condition means bones. become weaker, making them more prone to breakage.

"Bone is a living, growing tissue, with old bone tissue continually being removed and replaced by new bone tissue," explains Dr Annette Creedon, nutrition manager for the British Nutrition Foundation.

"This is a continual process that happens throughout the lifecycle, but when you have osteoporosis, old bone tissue is removed faster than new bone can be produced." She says the higher the peak bone mass we can get in young adulthood, and the slower the loss of bone mass in later adulthood, the better.

These things are partly determined by genetics but diet and lifestyle also play a part - and women are more at risk of osteoporosis than men, especially in the first few years after menopause or if menopause begins before your mid-40s, due to the role of oestrogen.

Christine Bailey, registered nutritionist and ambassador for bonebalance supplements, says the condition is often cited as a 'silent disease' because it can develop unnoticed for many years, only coming to light when a fracture occurs. Here, experts talk us through some of the key, but perhaps less obvious, ways to help build bone density...

EAT A WIDE VARIETY OF FOODS

"Calcium is wellknown to be important for bones but there are other vitamins, minerals and nutrients vital to keeping bones healthy and including strong, vitamin K, potassium Are you enough v healthy, variety of and magnesium," notes Dr Creedon. "Eating a balanced diet with a wide foods from each food group is important for getting all the nutrients needed to build and maintain healthy bones throughout life."

 MEASURE YOUR SHADOW