7 Ways to Enhance Your Bone Health

Stop smoking.
For more than 20 years, smoking has been linked with a higher risk of osteoporosis, but the reasons why aren’t entirely clear. It could be that people who smoke have other risk factors that make them more likely to have low bone density, such as lower body weight, infrequent exercise, or poor nutrition. It could also be that cigarette smoke spurs changes in some body hormones that trigger bone loss. Plus, some research with laboratory animals suggests that nicotine may have a direct effect on bone, namely inhibiting the production of bone-building osteoblasts.