Building healthy bones is extremely important.

Minerals are incorporated into your bones during childhood, adolescence and early adulthood. Once you reach 30 years of age, you have achieved peak bone mass.

If not enough bone mass is created during this time or bone loss occurs later in life, you have an increased risk of developing fragile bones that break easily (Trusted Source).

Fortunately, many nutrition and lifestyle habits can help you build strong bones and maintain them as you age.

Here are 10 natural ways to build healthy bones.

1. Eat Lots of Vegetables

Vegetables are great for your bones.

They’re one of the best sources of vitamin C, which stimulates the production of bone-forming cells. In addition, some studies suggest that vitamin C’s antioxidant effects may protect bone cells from damage (Trusted Source).

Vegetables also seem to increase bone mineral density, also known as bone density.

Bone density is a measurement of the amount of calcium and other minerals found in your bones. Both osteopenia (low bone mass) and osteoporosis (brittle bones) are conditions characterized by low bone density.

A high intake of green and yellow vegetables has been linked to increased bone mineralization during childhood and the maintenance of bone mass in young adults.

Eating lots of vegetables has also been found to benefit older women.

A study in women over 50 found those who consumed onions most frequently had a 20% lower risk of osteoporosis, compared to women who rarely ate them (Trusted Source).

One major risk factor for osteoporosis in older adults is increased bone turnover, or the process of breaking down and forming new bone (Trusted Source).

In a three-month study, women who consumed more than nine servings of broccoli, cabbage, parsley or other plants high in bone-protective antioxidants had a decrease in bone turnover (Trusted Source).

Consume Enough Protein

Getting enough protein is important for healthy bones. In fact, about 50% of bone is made of protein.

Researchers have reported that low protein intake decreases calcium absorption and may also affect rates of bone formation and breakdown.

However, concerns have also been raised that high-protein diets leach calcium from bones in order to counteract increased acidity in the blood.

Nevertheless, studies have found that this doesn’t occur in people who consume up to 100 grams of protein daily, as long as this is balanced with plenty of plant foods and adequate calcium intake.

In fact, research suggests that older women, in particular, appear to have better bone density when they consume higher amounts of protein.

In a large, six-year observational study of over 144,000 postmenopausal women, higher protein intake was linked to a lower risk of forearm fractures and significantly higher bone density in the hip, spine and total body.

What’s more, diets containing a greater percentage of calories from protein may help preserve bone mass during weight loss.

In a one-year study, women who consumed 86 grams of protein daily on a calorie-restricted diet lost less bone mass from their arm, spine, hip and leg areas than women who consumed 60 grams of protein per day.

Role of Nutrition to Boost Bone Health 

Adequate nutrition is crucial for maintaining good bone health.⁴

Calcium increases bone mineral density, and its dietary sources include dairy products, turnip greens, lady fingers, mustard greens, and broccoli.

Magnesium regulates calcium and vitamin D and is available in vegetables such as lady fingers and beet greens; seeds such as sesame and chia, nuts, legumes, and avocado.

Potassium maintains the acid-base balance and prevents bone loss; fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are the sources of potassium.

Vitamin K is involved in bone matrix formulation, where mineralization happens. Dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach and turnip greens are dietary sources of vitamin K.