The Biophilia Tracker teaches you how to build strong bones

The Biophilia Tracker teaches you how to build strong bones.

Women over the age of 50 and one in four men will experience an osteoporosis-related fracture for the rest of her/his life. Yes, osteoporosis ("porous bones") also affects men. However, the high-level effects of bone loss -- a bulge in the upper back or the susceptibility to broken limbs -- don't necessarily appear in the future of people who eat wisely and exercise regularly.

Bones are living tissue. They contain nerves, blood vessels, and bone marrow that produce blood cells. Bones are constantly tearing down and rebuilding themselves, like a never-ending highway construction project. Without this repair and strengthening of even minor weaknesses, we often break bones.

"When a person is less than 20 years old," explains Felicia Cosman, MD, medical director of the Clinical Research Center at Helen Hayes Hospital in New York and clinical director of the National Osteoporosis Foundation, "you are forming more bone cells than you are Lose." But as women approach menopause, rebuilding new bone slows. Women's bone density begins to decline.

Bone density is measured by painless, low-radiation X-rays, which are translated into what Cosman describes as "some sort of confusing number" called a T-score. Basically, the patient's bone density is compared to the average person in their 20s and 30s -- the time during a woman's lifetime when bone density peaks. The lower the score, the greater the risk of fracture.

A T-score of -2.5 or less should be associated with women. It indicates osteoporosis and can justify drug treatment. A normal score is -1 or higher. Scores between -1.0 and -2.5 indicate low bone density (osteopenia).

To prevent porous, brittle bones from developing as you age, you need to get enough calcium and vitamin D. The body uses calcium for a variety of functions, and if your diet doesn't pump it out, calcium can be excreted from your bones faster than it can to get enough calcium into the pipes. But calcium isn't the only ingredient -- bones are also one-third collagen, the protein that gives them flexibility.

Dr. Annemarie Colbin, author of Food and Our Bones: A Natural Approach to Preventing Osteoporosis, urges us to look at the animals with the largest bones - cows, elephants. "What do they eat?" she asked. "Leafy plants."

According to Corbyn, the largest component of a bone-healthy diet is leafy greens, whether cooked or raw. "Green vegetables give you not only calcium, but also vitamin K, potassium, and other minerals and nutrients you need to lay down your bones. My top three recommendations are vegetables, vegetables, vegetables," she laughs.

Vitamin D is also important for strong bones, and believe it or not, a good source is the sun. Colbin recommends going outside for 20 minutes a day without sunscreen, but Cosman strongly disagrees with the wisdom of going out without sunscreen and recommends taking a multivitamin or vitamin D supplement.

Another building block for strong bones is protein (remember collagen?). Corbyn says mix it up - beans, fish, chicken. "You can't eat the same boring diet every day." Again, she urges you to choose high-quality, properly cultured, antibiotic-free protein sources. She also recommends making your own stock from animal bones—add a tablespoon of vinegar to 8 cups of water to extract the calcium from the bones. Add carrots, onions, peppers - all you need is some garlic bread! If that's not rich enough, Colbin recommends adding kelp found in health food stores or canned, mineral-rich, flavorless seaweed.

Whole wheat bread or pasta is also helpful. "This will give you magnesium," Corbyn said. Magnesium helps maintain strong bones.

Plus, find the best supplements for your bones with the Biophilia Tracker to better protect your bones.