NUTRITION
Strong Bones for Life
How plant-based nutrition and lifestyle support healthy aging BY ANDREA KATZ Certified integrative nutrition coach, specialist in digestive health and behaviour modification and owner of Best You Nutrition, from Winnipeg, MB. BESTYOUNUTRITIONCOACH
BESTYOUNUTRITION
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one health is something many people do not think about—until it becomes a problem. Yet osteoporosis affects more than 2.3 million Canadians, and women account for nearly 80 per cent of diagnosed cases. While bone loss is a natural part of aging, especially after menopause, the way we eat and live each day plays a powerful role in how strong and resilient our bones remain as we age. Healthy bones are what allow us to keep doing what we love—walking, traveling, lifting, dancing, and staying engaged in an active, fulfilling life as we get older. The encouraging news? Bone health is not built overnight—but it is built daily. Nutrition, movement, and lifestyle habits can meaningfully slow bone loss, reduce fracture risk, and support long-term independence.
WHY BONE LOSS ACCELERATES WITH AGE Most people reach their peak bone mass by age 30, which means the habits we build early in life matter. However, bone loss typically begins in our mid-30s for both men and women. For women, the rate of bone loss accelerates significantly during perimenopause and menopause, when estrogen levels decline. Estrogen plays a vital role in bone remodeling—a constant process where old bone is broken down and new bone is built. As estrogen drops, bone breakdown begins to outpace bone formation. Women can lose two to three per cent of bone mass per year during the menopausal transition, with the most rapid decline occurring in the first decade after menopause. This matters because fractures are not minor events. Research shows that 22 per cent of women and 33 per cent of men who experience a hip fracture die within a year, highlighting why prevention is so important.