Reduce your risk of osteoporosis

Calcium can help maintain bone density and strength. Make sure you get enough calcium in your diet. Bone loss begins in the mid-30s and increases after the menopause. A woman needs at least 1000mg of calcium each day to maintain healthy bones. Postmenopausal women and women at high risk for osteoporosis may need 1500mg of calcium per day.

• Include low-fat dairy products in your diet. They are good sources of calcium.
• Exercise for at least 30 minutes, 3 times each week. Exercise reduces bone loss. Weight-bearing exercise, such as walking or running, is the most effective.
• Begin taking calcium supplements if you are age 40 or older and you get less than 1000mg of calcium per day from your diet. Avoid taking more calcium than recommended. High doses of calcium can increase the risk of kidney stones.
• Get sufficient amounts of vitamin D, which helps the body use calcium. Women can get the amount of vitamin D they need each day by eating a variety of dairy products. Women who do not eat a variety of dairy products, or who live in northern climates should include a daily supplement of 400 IU of vitamin D.
• Avoid excessive caffeine intake. Caffeine in beverages, such as coffee and some soda pop, interferes with how your body uses calcium.
• Do not smoke. Women who smoke enter menopause earlier and lose bone at an increased rate during the first years of menopause.¹
• Avoid excessive use of alcohol.

For more information on how you can prevent bone loss, see the topic Osteoporosis.

Citations

1. Speroff L, et al. (1999). Menopause and the perimenopausal transition. In Clinical Gynecologic Endocrinology and Infertility, 6th ed., pp. 643–724. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.