Bone Appetit: The Role of Food and Nutrition in Building and Maintaining Strong Bones

Authors: Dawson-Hughes, Bess

Submitted to: Invest in your Bones: An International Osteoporosis Foundation
Publication Type: Popular Publication
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/10/2006
Publication Date: 10/20/2006
Citation: Dawson-Hughes, B. 2006. Bone Appetit: The Role of Food and Nutrition in Building and Maintaining Strong Bones. Invest in your Bones: An International Osteoporosis Foundation Report. Sydney, Australia: Osteoporosis Australia.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Bone is a living, dynamic, metabolically active tissue. It under goes a process of constant renewal throughout life, through a process called bone turnover in which cells called osteoclasts remove old or damaged bone, and cells called osteoblasts make new bone to replace it. A healthy, balanced diet containing macronutrients (protein, fat and carbohydrate) and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals), plus sufficient calories, is vital for both the normal development and on-going maintenance of the skeleton. Therefore, good nutrition, especially protein, calcium, and vitamin D, is important for building bone mass and strength during childhood and adolescence and preserving it in adults and the elderly.