Osteoporosis Prevention, Diets, Vitamins & Exercises!
prevention
How to Prevent Osteoporosis?
What is Osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis is a condition that weakens bones, making them fragile and more likely to break. It develops slowly over several years and is often only diagnosed when a minor fall or sudden impact causes a bone fracture. prevention
The most common injuries in people with osteoporosis are:
- Wrist fractures.
- Hip fractures.
- Fractures of the spinal bones (vertebrae).
What is Bone Loss?
Bone loss is a number of minerals, such as calcium, that your body absorbs (takes) from your bones.
Bone loss can happen for several reasons. Some of the most common reasons include:
1. You Do Not Get Enough Calcium From Food:
- Your body uses calcium to build healthy bones and teeth and stores calcium in your bones.
- Your body also uses calcium to send messages through your nervous system, help your muscles contract, and regulate your heart’s rhythm. But your body does not make calcium.
- You have to get all the calcium your body needs from the foods you eat and drink (or from supplements). prevention prevention prevention
- If you don’t get enough calcium each day, your body will take the calcium it needs from your bones.
2. You are Past Menopause:
- As you get older, your bones don’t make new bone fast enough to keep up with your body’s needs.
- The calcium taken from your bones causes you to lose bone density.
- Bone loss also speeds up after menopause and can lead to weak, brittle bones.
Who gets Osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis affects more women than men. Of the estimated 10 million Americans with osteoporosis, more than (80%) are women. Women are more likely to get osteoporosis because:
- Women usually have smaller, thinner, less dense bones than men.
- Women often live longer than men. Bone loss happens naturally as we age.
- Women also lose more bone mass after menopause with very low levels of the hormone estrogen.
- Higher estrogen levels before menopause help protect bone density.
Osteoporosis is most common in older women. In the United States, osteoporosis affects one in four women 65 or older. But younger women can get osteoporosis. And girls and women of all ages need to take steps to protect their bones.
Signs & Symptoms:
There typically are no symptoms in the early stages of bone loss. But once your bones have been weakened by osteoporosis, you may have signs and symptoms that include:
- Back pain, caused by a fractured or collapsed vertebra.
- Loss of height over time.
- A stooped posture.
- A bone fracture that occurs much more easily than expected.
Causes?
- Your bones are in a constant state of renewal, new bone is made and old bone is broken down.
- When you’re young, your body makes new bone faster than it breaks down old bone and your bone mass increases. prevention prevention prevention prevention
- Most people reach their peak bone mass by their early 20s.
- As people age, bone mass is lost faster than it’s created.
How likely you are to develop osteoporosis depends partly on how much bone mass you attained in your youth. The higher your peak bone mass, the more bone you have “in the bank” and the less likely you are to develop osteoporosis as you age.
2. Risk Factors:
A number of factors can increase the likelihood that you’ll develop osteoporosis — including your age, race, lifestyle choices, and medical conditions and treatments.
Unchangeable Risks:
Some risk factors for osteoporosis are out of your control, including:
- Your sex: Women are much more likely to develop osteoporosis than are men.
- Age: The older you get, the greater your risk of osteoporosis.
- Race: You’re at greatest risk of osteoporosis if you’re white or of Asian descent.
- Family history: Having a parent or sibling with osteoporosis puts you at greater risk, especially if your mother or father experienced a hip fracture.
- Body frame size: Men and women who have small body frames tend to have a higher risk because they may have less bone mass to draw from as they age.
Prevention of Osteoporosis:
According to various experts, osteoporosis is a preventable disease is a certain regiment lifestyle is followed. This lifestyle should consist of proper vitamin supplementation, diet, and exercise. Each of these factors affects and minimize the development of osteoporosis.
For those that suffer from a condition for an extended period of time, it has been observed that osteoporosis can be treated with bisphosphonates and various other medical treatments. For those that would like to preventative and reduce their risk of developing osteoporosis, they look into altering the above-mentioned factors.
Here is Best Ways To Prevent Osteoporosis Disease:
Good nutrition and regular exercise are essential for keeping your bones healthy throughout your life.
1. Protein:
- Protein is one of the building blocks of bone. And while most people get plenty of protein in their diets, some do not.
- Vegetarians and vegans can get enough protein in the diet if they intentionally seek suitable sources, such as soy, nuts, legumes, and dairy and eggs if allowed.
- Older adults may also eat less protein for various reasons. Protein supplementation is an option.
2. Body Weight:
- Being underweight increases the chance of bone loss and fractures.
- Excess weight is now known to increase the risk of fractures in your arm and wrist.
- As such, maintaining an appropriate body weight is good for bones just as it is for health in general.
xxx
3. Calcium:
Men and women between the ages of 18 and 50 need 1,000 milligrams of calcium a day. This daily amount increases to 1,200 milligrams when women turn 50 and men turn 70.
Good sources of calcium include:
- Low-fat dairy products.
- Dark green leafy vegetables.
- Canned salmon or sardines with bones.
- Soy products, such as tofu.
- Calcium-fortified cereals and orange juice.
If you find it difficult to get enough calcium from your diet, consider taking calcium supplements. However, too much calcium has been linked to kidney stones. Although yet unclear, some experts suggest that too much calcium, especially in supplements, can increase the risk of heart disease.
The Institute of Medicine recommends that total calcium intake, from supplements and diet combined, should be no more than 2,000 milligrams daily for people older than 50.
xxx
4. Vitamin D:
Vitamin D improves your body’s ability to absorb calcium and improves bone health in other ways. People can get adequate amounts of vitamin D from sunlight, but this may not be a good source. if you live in a high latitude, if you’re housebound, or if you regularly use sunscreen or avoid the sun entirely because of the risk of skin cancer.
Scientists don’t yet know the optimal daily dose of vitamin D for each person.
A good starting point for adults is 600 to 800 international units (IU) a day, through food or supplements. For people without other sources of vitamin D and especially with limited sun exposure, a supplement may be needed. Most multivitamin products contain between 600 and 800 IU of vitamin D. Up to 4,000 IU of vitamin D a day is safe for most people.
5. Exercise:
Exercise can help you build strong bones and slow bone loss. Exercise will benefit your bones no matter when you start. you’ll gain the most benefits if you start exercising regularly when you’re young and continue to exercise throughout your life.
- Combine strength training exercises with weight-bearing and balance exercises.
- Strength training helps strengthen muscles and bones in your arms and upper spine, and weight-bearing exercises.
- such as walking, jogging, running, stair climbing, skipping rope, skiing and impact-producing sports affect mainly the bones in your legs, hips, and lower spine.
- Balance exercises such as tai chi can reduce your risk of falling especially as you get older.
- Swimming, cycling and exercising on machines such as elliptical trainers can provide a good cardiovascular workout, but they’re not as helpful for improving bone health.
6. Limit Alcohol Intake:
Alcohol lowers calcium absorption into the body and damages the liver which lowers calcium absorption even further.
7. Quit Smoking:
Smoking hampers calcium absorption and leads to long-term leeching of calcium from the bones.
8. Reduce Caffeine intake:
Heavy tea and coffee drinkers generally lose more calcium from their body than those who are not addicted to coffee, tea, and sodas.
The Bottom Line:
- Osteoporosis is a widespread disease that affects millions of people per year.
- Unfortunately, it is hard to detect until the later stages due to minimal symptoms experienced.
- Most people, should, therefore, be proactive and follow certain health regiments.
- Eat healthy, supplement your body with quality vitamins, and strengthen your muscles and bones for the longevity of your health.
- Sometimes, we can not avoid developing a certain condition, but we can definitely try and overcome it through active effort.
- A healthy diet regimen consists of enough calcium, vitamin D and other essential minerals for the bones and muscles will also help reduce the chances of getting Osteoporosis. These are all natural osteoporosis treatments.
Osteoporosis is a problem that needs to be faced by anyone in their later years and you should do all that you can to keep your bones strong and prevent osteoporosis starting from now.
Related Topics:
If you find this article useful, don’t forget to share it with your friends and family, as you might help someone in need. Thanks.
Disclaimer: “Nothing in this article makes any claim to offer cures or treatment for any disease or illness. If you are sick please consult with your doctor.”
Read more about Osteoporosis Causes & Symptoms and more about healthy eating and healthy topics, Please: Click Here
Eat Healthily. Live Healthily!
Liked the article? Share the love!
