Why Your Bones Are Busier Than You Think
Your skeleton replaces itself roughly every ten years and talks to the rest of your body. Here's how to keep it strong.
Bone looks solid and still, but it is living tissue. Cells called osteoclasts dissolve old bone while osteoblasts lay down new material, renewing about a tenth of your skeleton every year.
More than a frame
Bones store calcium, make blood cells and release hormones that influence blood sugar and even appetite. When the rebuilding slows with age, bones thin and fracture more easily.
The best protection is unglamorous: weight-bearing exercise, enough protein, calcium and vitamin D, and not smoking.