Understanding Bone Health and Function for Women

Strong bones aren’t just important for preventing fractures – they’re the foundation of a strong and healthy body. The 206 bones that make up your skeleton provide structure, protect organs, anchor muscles, and store essential minerals like calcium. Taking care of your bones lowers your risk of fractures (broken bones) and is essential for lifelong mobility and independence.

Women naturally experience greater bone loss due to hormonal changes and a lower overall bone mass, which means they face unique bone health challenges. For example, nearly half of women over the age of 50 will experience an osteoporosis-related fracture. The good news is, steps can be taken to promote good bone health. Read on to learn more about how your bones keep you healthy, and how you can strengthen your skeleton for life.

What Bones Do: Bone Function Overview

Bones give the body structure, shape, and weight. They protect vital organs such as the heart, lungs, and brain, and allow for coordinated movement by providing muscle attachments.

Bones also store and release calcium, a mineral required for all cells in the body to function. Getting enough calcium in your diet is necessary for building and maintaining strong bones. Your skeleton stores and supplies calcium to be used as a “backup” when your diet doesn’t provide enough. Bones also store and release phosphorus, and, together with calcium, help maintain the essential mineral balance in the body.  

Another key role of bones is housing your bone marrow, which produces red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.

How Bones are Built: Types of Bone Tissue

Bones may look like fossils, but they’re actually alive! The hard part of the bone you see is just the shell– that dense, thick layer is called cortical (compact) bone. Cortical bone provides strength by encasing the trabecular (spongy) bone, the inner mesh-like structure where bone remodeling (regeneration) takes place. Bone marrow is found within the trabecular bone.

How Bones are Built: Bone Cells and Their Roles

The cells in our bones help form, maintain, and remodel bones as we age. There are a few different types of bone cells, each with a very important function: osteoblasts build new bone tissue, osteoclasts break down old or damaged bone, and osteocytes help regulate bone turnover by sensing mechanical (physical) stress like injuries or arthritis.

Bone Remodeling: A Lifelong Renewal Process

Bone remodeling is the continuous cycle in which old bone is removed and new bone is formed, keeping the skeleton strong and healthy. The entire skeleton fully remodels approximately every ten years.

To achieve remodeling, bone cells must work together. Osteoclasts allow for bone resorption, while osteoblasts help with bone formation. Under healthy conditions, this is a balanced cycle.

The hormone changes during menopause can cause women to lose bone quicker than normal, which disrupts the remodeling balance. As a result, women over 50 are especially vulnerable to osteoporosis and bone fractures.

The Role of Hormones in Bone Health

Several hormones in the body impact bone health. Health conditions or medications that impact these hormone levels can also impact bone health.

Estrogen: Estrogen is a major regulator of bone remodeling. As a result, things that cause low estrogen, like menopause and the “female athlete triad”, also cause decreased bone density. This speeds up bone loss and increases fracture risk.

Thyroid hormone: Having too much thyroid hormone increases bone breakdown and leads to bone loss.

Parathyroid hormone (PTH): PTH helps regulate calcium levels by stimulating bone resorption (osteoclast cells) when levels of calcium in the blood are low.

Vitamin D (Calcitriol): Vitamin D is essential for calcium absorption and overall bone health. Low vitamin D impairs bone mineralization.

Calcitonin: Calcitonin helps maintain the balance of calcium in the body by preventing excessive bone breakdown when calcium levels are high.

Factors that Influence Bone Health Across Life

Many things can influence bone health throughout your lifespan. Some of these factors are based on lifestyle and can be changed, while others cannot. For example, consuming enough calcium and vitamin D in your diet, regularly participating in weight-bearing exercises, avoiding smoking, and limiting alcohol can all improve your bone health.  Age, genetics, smaller body frame, and family history of osteoporosis also contribute to your overall bone health as you age.

Some conditions and medications can affect bones. Among others, these include thyroid disorders, early menopause, long-term corticosteroid use, and autoimmune conditions, which can weaken bone.

Empowering Women to Protect Their Bone Health

Understanding bone function, remodeling, and hormonal impacts can help you make informed decisions to support your long-term skeletal health. Small, simple lifestyle changes, like exercising, consistent medical care, and having a nutrient-rich diet can significantly improve bone strength and reduce fracture risk to keep you strong and healthy for years to come.

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