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In Australia, 60 per cent of men will suffer the bone-thinning disease, osteoporosis, after the age of 60. Statistics show that yo-yo diet and exercise habits mean the age of those effected is getting younger, leaving 20 and 30-somethings at risk of fractures. So how do you protect your bone health?

1. Get OUTSIDE
Along with calcium (found predominantly in daily foods), vitamin D is crucial for bone development and by far the best source is sunlight. Most people probably achieve adequate vitamin D levels trough the UVB they get during the day doing regular outdoor activities – otherwise, fair-skinned for instance, can get adequate vitamin D by exposing the face, arms and hands to a few minutes of sunlight on either side of the peak UV periods on most days, in the southern part of Australia, people may require two three hours of sunlight exposure over a week.

2. Start SKIPPING
Weight-bearing exercise is essential for building new bone. And according to UK research just 15 skips a day can make a difference.
Dr Joan Bassey,a physiologist at the University of Nottingham Medical School found that taking the stairs instead of a lift also helps. Running upstairs provides an average 20 benefical, high-impact jolts to the spine and hips. Repeat it five times a day and the 100 jolt protect your skeleton.
 “Bone is a living tissue which reacts to increase in load and forces by growing stronger,” says Bassey.
 “The effect is achieved by increase the number of muscle fibers that pull and tug on bones causing them to become denser and stronger over times”

3. CUT DOWN ON CAFFEINE
High caffeine consumption (More than six cups of coffee a day, or the equivalent) has been linked with the leeching of calcium from the bones. One recent study at the Creighton University  Osteoporosis Research Center in the US, showed that people who drink colas and other caffeinated carbonated drinks tended to excrete vital calcium through their urine. Taking milk in your coffee can offset some of the losses.
Other foods to limit include those containing oxalic acid (almonds, rhubarb and chocolate) which inhibits calcium absorption , as well as salt and alcohol.

4. AVOID FIZZY DRINKS
Drinking large amounts of fizzy cola drinks may weaken your bones, according to researchers at Denmark’s Centre for Advanced Food Studies. Manufacturers make drink fizzy by adding carbon dioxide, which also increases acidity. As this acid enters the bloodstream, the body attempts to neutralize it with the alkaline calcium.
A previous study of 400 schoolgirl at Harvard Medical School found that one fifth of the fizzy-drink addict questioned had suffered fractures y the time they were 20. Researcher suggest the phosphorous content of the drinks alters the balance of minerals in the body and cause calcium to be broken down.

5. DON’T UNDER EAT OR OVER EXERCISE
  Dancers, gymnasts, long-distance runner and people with anorexia or bulimia are all known to be the greater risk of osteoporosis than the general population. Why? Because their low body fat levels leave them vulnerable to weak bones .The same goes for yo-yo dieter and excessive exercises. In women, amenorrhea (the cessation of periods) is a warning sign that levels of the hoemone oestrogen have plummeted. Since oestrogen is vital for the noemal development of bone, it can mean a women may start losing bone mass, putting her at risk of osteoporosis.

6. GET ROWING
Although it is not weight-bearing exercise, studies have show that the resistance of rowing against water (an indoor machine has the same effect) improves bone density in the spine.
Other sports to try include running, which builds bone density in the hips, and weight training (for the wrists, hip and spine). Tennis and squash player have greater bone density in their saving than non-serving arm, so if you play, make sure you balance the benefits with some resistance training for the weaker side of your body.

7. DRINK TEA
When researcher at University of Cambridge looked at the diets of 1200 elderly British women, they found that the tea drinker had stronger bone that non-tea drinker. Reseachers suggested it is the flavonoids in tea that were responsible for promoting bone density.
Tea also contains fluoride, an importance mineral for bone development. The number of cups per day did not seem to play a role, but those who added milk to their tea had much higher bone mineral density in the hips area.