Ageing well: how exercise, nutrition can fight osteoporosis – brittle bones are not inevitable

Osteoporosis can severely reduce your quality of life as you age, affecting your mobility and causing pain and bone fractures. Men and women are affected

Smoking, drinking and a sedentary lifestyle increase the risk of the brittle bone disease, but exercise and the right nutrition lower the risk of suffering it

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Ageing does not have to mean brittle bones. Exercise and diet are the best ways to prevent osteoporosis. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 8:45pm, 17 Jul 2020Updated: 6:47pm, 20 Jul 2020

Osteoporosis is the most common bone disease, occurring in men and women of all races, but particularly post-menopausal white and Asian women.

It’s estimated to affect 200 million women worldwide and cause more than 8.9 million fractures annually, according to the Switzerland-based International Osteoporosis Foundation.

A healthy body constantly replaces old bone that is naturally broken down. For people with osteoporosis, however, bone loss outpaces the growth of new bone. Bones become porous, brittle and prone to fracture, says Dr Markus Gosch, a member of the German Geriatric Society.

“A person’s bones are best between the ages of 25 and 30,” after which their density and quality steadily decrease, Gosch says.

Dr Markus Gosch is a member of the German Geriatric Society.

Smoking, a sedentary lifestyle and excessive alcohol consumption all increase the risk of getting osteoporosis.

People with certain diseases such as diabetes or hormonal disorders are also at greater risk, as are people with a family history of osteoporosis. One of the strongest risk factors is the reduction in the levels of the female sex hormone oestrogen in women at menopause.