5 things you can do now to keep your bones strong

1. Maintain a healthy weight.  Being too thin has been linked to a higher risk of osteoporosis and fractures.
2. Exercise. Choose weight-bearing activities like hiking or tennis, or use an elliptical machine or treadmill.
3. Don't smoke. Chemicals in cigarette smoke are bad for bone cells and make it harder for the body to make new bone. 
4. Get enough calcium and vitamin D. The recommended daily intake is 1000 milligrams of calcium for women 50 and under and men under 71; 1,200 mg for those who are older.  Aim for 600 IU of vitamin D daily (800 IU if you’re over 70).
5. Go easy on the alcohol, caffeine, protein and sodium.  When consumed in excess, they are thought to interfere with the body's ability to retain calcium or form new bone. 

5 things you can do now to keep your bones strong

ConsumerLab.com Warns of Problems with Multivitamins and Vitamin Water

WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK – MARCH 31, 2009 – Over 30% of multivitamins recently selected for testing by ConsumerLab.com were found to contain significantly more or less ingredient than claimed or were contaminated with lead. In addition, several products (including three for children) exceeded tolerable upper limits established by the Institute of Medicine for ingredients such as vitamin A, folic acid, niacin and zinc. Results were reported today on the website www.ConsumerLab.com. Multivitamins are the most popular supplement in the U.S., with sales of $4.5 billion in 2007 according to Nutrition Business Journal.

Among twenty-nine products for adults and children that ConsumerLab.com selected, tests showed that eight failed to meet their label claims or other quality standards and twelve others provided levels that may be too high for healthy individuals. For complete article

ConsumerLab.com Warns of Problems with Multivitamins and Vitamin Water