Health

Here’s What To Eat To Keep Your Bones Strong

Oily fish is also rich in vitamin D, which helps the body to absorb calcium. A deficiency in this nutrient is associated with fatigue, reduced muscle function and higher fall risk.

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4 weeks ago

July 27, 2026

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Credit: BBC/ Getty images

Milk cheese and yoghurtCalcium, vitamin D and protein are the primary drivers of bone health and nutrients like vitamin K, magnesium, zinc and phosphorus are all important for maintaining healthy bones and muscles.

It’s common knowledge that foods rich in dairy are indeed rich in calcium – one 200ml (6.8 fl oz) glass of milk provides about 260mg.

In a recent trial, researchers looked at the effects of increased dairy and protein consumption in 7,195 older adults living in care homes and found that over two years, those in the higher-dairy group had an 11% lower risk of falls and a 46% lower risk of hip fractures.

Because the intervention increased both calcium and protein, the researchers suggest it could be the combination of the two that provided the protective effect.

As for how much to consume, recommendations vary between countries.

In the UK adults are recommended to consume about 700mg of calcium per day. If you’re at risk of osteoporosis, the recommendation is 1,000mg per day. Postmenopausal women meanwhile should aim for 1,200mg.

In the US the recommendation is for adults to consume between 1,000-1,200mg of calcium each day, depending on your age and gender.

Soy

There are plenty of non-dairy food sources that help you get calcium into your diet, says Ward. One of these are soy foods, such as tofu and edamame beans – 100g (3.5oz) of tofu contains 200mg of calcium.

There is emerging evidence that soy foods could reduce the risk of fractures.Soy contains a type of naturally occurring plant compound that resembles oestrogen, called isoflavone. Studies have also found that postmenopausal women with a high intake of soy supplements have better bone density.

Chia seeds

Chia seeds are an excellent source of calcium, magnesium and phosphorus, and we only need a small amount to get numerous nutrients.

One tablespoon contains 95mg of calcium.They are also rich in omega-3 fats, which help reduce inflammation. This is particularly important, because chronic inflammation can cause the body to break down old bone tissue faster than it can rebuild it.

Over time, this imbalance can increase the risk of osteoporosis. In animal research, rats fed chia seeds for over a year had better bone mineral content than those on a standard diet. While the findings are promising, more research is needed to understand if the same effect would occur in people.

Dried fruit like prunes and figs

You may not immediately think of dried fruit when it comes to bone health, but foods such as figs and apricots are rich in calcium – two dried figs contain about 100mg of calcium. Fresh fruit can also be a source, with one orange containing about 50mg.

Figs and apricots also contain magnesium, which helps support bone formation and mineral balance. Additionally, many fruits are rich in polyphenols, which are natural plant compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which may help to slow bone breakdown.

Canned fish

One small tin of sardines can provide as much as 30% of the calcium you need per day, (a 60g tin contains about 240mg of calcium).

Canned salmon is also high in calcium, as well as being rich in protein, which plays a vital role in maintaining healthy bones, preserving muscle mass and supporting the body’s repair processes.

Bone and muscle should really be thought of as a single system,” says Dawson-Hughes.

“If you can preserve muscle strength, you will lower risk of falls and you will dramatically lower your fracture risk.”

Oily fish is also rich in vitamin D, which helps the body to absorb calcium. A deficiency in this nutrient is associated with fatigue, reduced muscle function and higher fall risk.

Source: BBC

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Health

Gov Mbah Invest in world-class Enugu International Hospital

The hospital, equipped with state-of-the-art medical equipment and advanced digital and electronic systems, is expected to attract top medical professionals from Nigeria and around the world.

Published

1 week ago

August 14, 2026

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Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, says the Enugu International Hospital is designed to provide world-class healthcare services to people across all socioeconomic classes.

The Enugu International Hospital is located at Rangers Avenue, Independence Layout, Enugu.

Mbah stated this during a pre-launch tour of the facility ahead of its official commissioning.

The hospital, equipped with state-of-the-art medical equipment and advanced digital and electronic systems, is expected to attract top medical professionals from Nigeria and around the world.

The governor expressed satisfaction with the quality of the equipment installed at the facility, saying the investment would help position Enugu as a medical tourism hub in Nigeria.

He said the hospital would also help reduce the number of Nigerians travelling abroad for specialist medical treatment while creating an environment that would encourage Enugu-trained medical professionals to return home.

According to Mbah, several Enugu-qualified medical practitioners based abroad have already reached out to express interest in working at the international hospital and contributing to the development of the state’s health sector.

The governor further said the facility would create job opportunities for medical graduates, healthcare professionals and other workers, with the potential to boost economic activity in the state.

During the tour, Mbah inspected several specialist units, including the Precision Oncology and Nuclear Medicine Unit, specialised surgery theatres, intensive care units, advanced diagnostics and imaging, and renal care and dialysis facilities.

He also toured the cancer, heart and vascular, nuclear medicine and molecular imaging, neuroscience, and renal centres.

Accompanied by the Director of the facility, Professor Sam Agwu, and other specialists, the governor received briefings on the various services and specialist care the hospital is expected to provide.

The Enugu International Hospital operates as a comprehensive quaternary care facility with more than 300 beds and was established to provide world-class specialist healthcare.

The facility is expected to strengthen access to advanced medical care, support medical professionals, create employment and contribute to Enugu State’s emergence as a destination for medical tourism.

Health

Bayer to establish reproductive health commodities plant in Nigeria

The plant is expected to manufacture family planning commodities locally, reducing Nigeria’s dependence on imported products, creating jobs and contributing to economic growth.

Published

2 weeks ago

August 13, 2026

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•The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate

Global pharmaceutical company, Bayer, is to establish a reproductive health commodities manufacturing plant in Nigeria, with the facility currently under construction in Anambra State.

The plant is expected to manufacture family planning commodities locally, reducing Nigeria’s dependence on imported products, creating jobs and contributing to economic growth.

The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, disclosed this in Abuja at the inauguration of the High-Level Inter-Ministerial Platform (IMP) on Family Planning, Health, Human Capital and Sustainable National Development.

Pate described the investment as evidence that President Bola Tinubu’s Executive Order on the pharmaceutical sector was beginning to attract significant investments in local pharmaceutical manufacturing, diagnostics and health technology.

Also speaking, the Managing Director of FP2030 West and Central Africa Office, Dr Alain Damiba, described the initiative as a major step towards strengthening cross-sector collaboration to improve health outcomes and accelerate Nigeria’s socio-economic development.

Damiba commended the Federal Government for adopting a whole-of-government approach, noting that the new platform demonstrated that health and family planning were national development priorities and not issues that should be left to the health sector alone.

“Health, including family planning, is a smart investment in human capital and Nigeria’s future,” Damiba said.

Source: The Guardian Nigeria

Health

Medical Oxygen Killing More Than 600,000 Nigerians Annually

The project started its first phase by carrying out intervention work in three industrial areas of the state: quarry industrial site in Onueke, rice mill in Abakaliki, and timber market

Published

2 weeks ago

August 11, 2026

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•Professor Jesse Uneke

The Vice Chancellor of David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences (DUFUS), Ebonyi State, Professor Jesse Uneke, has estimated that more than 600,000 Nigerians died yearly due to issues relating to the administration of medical oxygen.

Uneke, who is the Nigerian and State Lead/Principal Investigator for the EQUI-RESP Africa Research Project, disclosed this in Abakaliki, during the First Stakeholders’ Engagement Event/Co-Creation Workshop on Medical Oxygen Economy organised by the university in conjunction with the University of Edinburgh, UK, supported by the National Institute for Health and Research (NIHR), UK.

He explained that the administration of medical oxygen issues was happening because there was no platform where stakeholders in the medical oxygen space could come together to discuss the research-policy interface and see how to contextualise some of the strategies against the problems for the country.

“That is why, in this phase of this project, we have decided to start with this kind of stakeholders’ engagement. I am excited that we have every key stakeholder in the medical oxygen space represented here,” Uneke said.

He opined that the project started its first phase by carrying out intervention work in three industrial areas of the state: quarry industrial site in Onueke, rice mill in Abakaliki, and timber market.

This project has to do with respiratory health, and the idea is to come up with strategies that will lead to interventions that will improve health outcomes as far as respiratory health is concerned.