Secrets to Healthy Bones: Evidence-Based Habits that Actually Work

Six evidence-based habits

1. 1Get enough calcium — 1000 mg/day adult, 1200 mg/day after age 50. Milk, yoghurt, paneer, sesame seeds, ragi, green leafy vegetables.
2. 2Get enough vitamin D — most Indians are deficient despite the sunshine. 15 minutes of direct morning sun on arms and face, plus a daily supplement if blood levels are low (ask your doctor for a 25-OH-vitamin-D test).
3. 3Include vitamin K — vitamin K (especially K2) helps calcium deposit into bone rather than soft tissue. Green vegetables, fermented foods like natto, and some cheeses are sources.
4. 4Do weight-bearing exercise — walking, jogging, dancing, racquet sports, or resistance training. 30 minutes most days. Bones respond to mechanical load.
5. 5Limit caffeine and salt — high intake increases urinary calcium loss. 2–3 cups of coffee is fine; 6+ is not.
6. 6Get a bone-density (DEXA) scan — baseline at 50 for women, 65 for men, sooner if there are risk factors (family history, steroids, early menopause, smoking, low body weight).

Signs of weaker bones to watch for

• Height loss of more than 2–3 cm over the years
• Back pain that developed gradually and worsens with activity
• Stooped posture (Dowager’s hump)
• A fracture from a minor fall — especially wrist, hip, or spine