Building strong bones: simple steps to protect your skeletal health

Taking care of your bones is crucial for maintaining overall health and preventing bone fractures. A bone fracture occurs when a bone breaks due to factors like falls, impacts, or excessive stress. Symptoms of a fracture include pain, swelling, bruising, and difficulty moving the affected area.

To better understand the genetic component of bone fractures, researchers have studied over 1.2 million individuals of European ancestry. Among the genes linked to bone fractures is MBL2, which encodes instructions to make a protein that helps the body fight infections.

Another gene associated with bone fractures is SOST, which plays a role in controlling bone growth and remodelling. While genetics can influence your risk of fractures, there are several lifestyle choices you can make to strengthen your bones and minimise the chances of injury.

Tips for strong bones:

Calcium-rich diet: Include foods rich in calcium, such as dairy products, almonds, broccoli, kale, canned salmon with bones, sardines, and soy products like tofu. Calcium is essential for bone strength.

Vitamin D: Ensure adequate vitamin D intake to help your body absorb calcium effectively. Good sources of vitamin D include oily fish (salmon, trout, whitefish, and tuna), mushrooms, eggs, fortified foods (milk and cereals), and exposure to sunlight.

Regular physical activity: Engage in weight-bearing exercises like walking, jogging, and climbing stairs. These activities stimulate bone growth, making your bones stronger and slowing down bone loss.

Avoid substance abuse: Quit smoking, as it weakens bones and increases fracture risk. If you're a woman, limit alcohol consumption to one drink per day; for men, it is best to have no more than two drinks daily.