This conversation between your brain and bones can make an important impact on your bone density…And because bone density is such an important health indicator as you age, this connection could be the key to unlocking a healthier aging process.
After age 50, your body’s natural process of rebuilding new bone starts to lag. In other words, you start losing bone faster than your body can create it (12, 13). Around this stage of life, many people start regularly checking their bone density, doing special exercises for strengthening bones, and taking supplements like collagen that help replenish some of the bone density they have lost.
But many people still end up developing osteoporosis, a common bone disease caused by a decrease in bone density (14). This weakens your bones and increases your risk of a fracture (15). When you have osteoporosis, the brain-bone connection can make a difference in how the disease progresses, as low bone density and cognitive impairment often occur or progress together (16, 17).
Others have proposed that age-related changes in inflammation may simultaneously contribute to bone loss and slow cognitive processing (18, 19, 20). Some experts have theorized that the mineral concentrations created by osteoporosis may even form some of the brain plaques associated with Alzheimer’s disease (21, 22, 23).
And then, of course, there’s stress. Did you know that older adults have a higher level of stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline? This stress not only impacts your brain but can also interfere with bone metabolism and contribute to the development of osteoporosis (5).
Experts have found that a wide range of brain-related health issues, including stroke, epilepsy, depression, addiction, vertigo, post-traumatic stress disorder, and others can lower your bone density and increase your risk of fractures (24).
In short: By keeping your bones healthy and strong, your brain could be more likely to stay healthy and strong, too. And vice versa!
