Build Strong Bones After 60 (two steps)

Getting older often means weaker bones and osteoporosis, but researchers have found an interesting way to help keep them strong.

The findings come from a three-year clinical trial published in JAMA Network Open.

There are two important things you need to do if you want to reverse osteoporosis and build strong bones as you age.

The researchers conducted a large study called PREDIMED-Plus, which involved 924 older adults between 55 and 75 years old.

All participants were overweight and had metabolic syndrome, which means they had conditions like high blood pressure or high blood sugar.

The researchers divided people into two groups:

One group followed a calorie-reduced Mediterranean diet (eating fewer calories but focusing on healthy foods like olive oil, nuts, fruits, and vegetables) and increased their physical activity.

The other group just followed a regular Mediterranean diet without cutting calories or being told to exercise more.

To track bone health, the researchers used special X-ray machines to measure bone density at the beginning of the study, after one year, and again after three years.

They looked specifically at bone mineral density in different parts of the body, including the spine, hip, and thigh areas.

After three years, the study found significant differences in bone health between the two groups:

• Women in the diet-and-exercise group showed better bone mineral density in their spine compared to women in the regular diet group, with a 1.8 g/cm² difference.

• The benefits were most noticeable in the lumbar spine area.

• Interestingly, men didn’t show the same improvements in bone density.

• Both groups lost some weight, but the diet-and-exercise group lost more (about 3% of body weight over three years).

• The protective effect on bones happened despite the weight loss, which typically causes some bone density loss.

This shows that diet, exercise, and other lifestyle factors can improve — even reverse — osteoporosis.

Which comes as no surprise to me.

Because over the last quarter of a century, I’ve helped thousands of men and women build strong bones after 60, 70, 80, and beyond.

Even those who used to have weak, brittle, broken bones have regained their bone strength in weeks.

How did they reverse osteoporosis and build strong bones? With a simple diet, exercises, and other lifestyle changes explained here…