8 things you didn't know were ageing you

What's ageing your... bones?

Lack of alcohol

No, really... It's been found that a moderate amount of alcohol boosts bone density. In trials by Dr Katherine Tucker at Massachusetts' Tufts University, women who had two drinks a day had thicker bones than teetotallers. "Silicon, a major constituent of beer, is linked to bone growth," says Dr Tucker, adding that in wine, it's likely to be the antioxidant resveratrol that's playing a role.

Halt the decline By having one or two drinks a day only, four or five times a week. If you're teetotal, focus on dairy products for good bone health. Other trials have found that bones are eight per cent stronger when they get calcium from food sources than from supplements. Four servings of
milk or yoghurt a day will do the job.

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