• Insufficient intake of calcium and vitamin D intake
• Lack of physical activity
• Anorexia or eating disorder
• Low sex-hormone levels
• Smoking
• Alcohol
• Certain medications
• Age
• Body size
• Ethnicity
• Family history

All women are requested to try to follow the below mentioned steps to build strong bones and maintain that as they age.

Bone Health – What Women Need to Know?

• Increase the intake of calcium in your diet. The recommendation of calcium a day is 1000 mg for a woman at age between 19 to 50. Women above 50 years are recommended to take 1200 mg of calcium per day.
• Take plenty of Vitamin D and Vitamin K. Vitamin D helps your body to absorb calcium. Vitamin K supports bone health by producing osteocalcin. Osteocalcin is a protein which is required in formation of bones.
• Include physical activity in your daily routine. The best way to keep your bone healthy is to perform weight bearing and strength training exercises. These exercises increase the bone formation during bone growth and protect bones from low bone density.
• Get enough protein as 50% of bone is made up of protein. It is observed in many researches that older women, who consume more protein, appear to have better bone density.
• Try to avoid low calorie diets. It is suggested to intake 1000 calories per day. In order to slow down your metabolism, to create rebound hunger and cause muscle mass loss, it can also be harmful to bone health.
• Avoid smoking and drinking.
• Try to maintain a healthy weight. Underweight increases the risk of osteopenia and overweight increases the risk of osteoporosis.
• Eat lots of fruits and vegetables. Try to include those foods which are high in magnesium, zinc, omega-3 fats.