Our genetics are responsible for many things in our bodies, like our hair and eye colour. To a certain extent our genes also have an impact on our wellness, with some conditions more likely to be hereditary. Even if some wellbeing problems are linked to our chromosomes, we can still protect our health by making changes to our activity, diet and general lifestyle.
Genetics and health
Our chances of getting osteoporosis could be related to our genetics, and doctors take into account whether our relatives have had fractures when making a bone illness diagnosis. But the health of our bones also depends on lots of other factors, meaning we can reduce our chances of getting the condition by adapting our lifestyles.
Eat right
Like other cells in our body, bone cells need nutrients to be strong and to keep renewing efficiently. Making sure we eat at least 700mg of calcium a day (which can be found in a pint of milk) via dairy products, dried fruit, tofu and green leafy vegetables can help strengthen our bones. We also need to consume Vitamin D as this helps our bodies to absorb the calcium. Sunlight can boost our Vitamin D levels, but we can also find it in oily fish, with 10mg being the optimum daily amount for adults. Speaking to a doctor before making changes to your diet is always a good idea.
Activity
Challenging our bones with different kinds of exercise can make them stronger and improve cell density. Over the course of our lives the density changes, starting to decline after our mid-30s. Hormone changes resulting from medications and early menopause could also increase our chance of getting osteoporosis. This means that getting active when we’re younger and older can enhance bone health. Exercise that involves our bones taking our weight – like running, skipping and aerobics – can increase cell density. Also, resistance exercises, such as weight lifting, can have positive effects on our bones. These encourage the stimulation of cells where tendons pull on bones as we lift weights.
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