Plenty of these conditions themselves may weaken bone over time too, as a result of the inflammation, Dr. Templeton adds. And with IBD, which includes Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis, your gut may not absorb nutrients like calcium and vitamin D properly, she says, which can negatively impact your bone health in the long run too.
5. You have liver or kidney disease.
Dr. Templeton notes that having either of these diseases is a recipe for low bone mass at some point in life because of how they can disrupt the balance of key vitamins and minerals in your system. Both can impact metabolism of vitamin D, minimizing your ability to absorb calcium from food. If your kidneys are impaired, they also can’t adequately filter out phosphorus, which strips your blood of calcium; and if your liver is diseased, it won’t be able to pump out as much insulin-like growth factor, which is necessary for bone formation.
6. You have a history of RED-S or an eating disorder.
“RED-S, or relative energy deficiency in sport, is a condition that crops up more often in women athletes and occurs when you don’t take in enough calories to balance out the amount you’re expending with training,” Dr. Templeton says. The result is typically very low body weight, similar to what can happen in some people with an eating disorder—and in either case, your bones can bear the brunt, she says.
7. You’ve recently lost a significant amount of weight.
Any form of major or rapid weight loss (whether due to diet changes, a GLP-1 drug, or gastric bypass surgery) can impact bone health. “Research suggests we lose about 1% to 2% of our bone mass for every 10% of body weight lost,” Dr. Templeton says. In general, weight loss means less load on your bones, which reduces the stimulus to create new bone cells.
