| Prevention of osteoporosis |
The prevention of osteoporosis began years ago but despite your current age it is never too late to start.
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| How can you prevent osteoporosis?
The National Osteoporosis Foundation lists 5 measures that you can take for prevention of osteoporosis:
1. Take in your Recommended Daily Allowance of calcium and vitamin D
2. Engage in regular, weight-bearing exercise
3. Avoid smoking and excessive alcohol intake
4. Talk with your clinician about osteoporosis
5. Get a bone-density test when appropriate
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1. Take the recommended amount of calcium and vitamin D each day
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Recommended amount of daily intake of calcium
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| 1,000 mg of calcium per day
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Women in their reproductive years
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| 1,500 mg of calcium per day
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Menopausal women
not taking hormone replacement
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| 1,200 mg of calcium per day
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Pregnant and nursing mothers
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Recommended amount of daily intake of vitamin D
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1,000-2,000 IU per day
| Direct sun exposure
Sardines, anchovies, salmon, eggs
Vitamin D supplements
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2. Engage in regular, weight-bearing exercise
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| Weight-bearing Exercise
Any form of exercise in which your skeleton bears the brunt of your weight is considered "weight-bearing". Although strength training with weights is good for developing and maintaining strength, it is not specifically weight-bearing and alone is not sufficient. Such forms of exercise such as WALKING, dancing or running are considered weight-bearing. Swimming and cycling are excellent for cardiovascular health, but are not weight-bearing.
So grab a friend and go for a walk at lunchtime or take a dance class!
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3. Do not smoke or drink excessive amounts of alcohol
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Women who smoke have significantly lower bone mass than non-smokers.
•nicotine inhibits the production of estrogen
•smokers tend to go into menopause at an earlier age
Smoking also prevents an adequate blood supply of oxygen to all the tissues in the body which will impact the healing process. Smokers who have fractures will take much longer to heal. And of course smoking increases the risk of heart disease and subsequent heart attack as well as cancer.
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Although there are many health benefits to moderate consumption of alcohol, women who chronically abuse alcohol are at risk for poor bone health.
Chronic alcohol abuse:
•lowers vitamin D levels which in turn inhibits the absorption of calcium into the bones
•increases the amount of parathyroid hormone which then decreases the amount of calcium in your body
•lowers estrogen levels which impairs the absorption of calcium into the bones
•increases levels of circulating cortisol impairing new bone formation
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And if you drink too much, this can affect your balance. If you fall with weak bones, you are more likely to fracture a bone.
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4. Talk to your doctor about osteoporosis
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| Review your lifestyle habits, diet, and supplements with your doctor. Develop a plan to improve your bone health
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5. Get a Bone Density Test, when appropriate
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| Bone density tests are recommended for women in menopause. Although some women will have bone loss prior to menopause, most insurance companies will only cover it during the menopausal years. If there is bone loss the test is repeated in 2 years. Most insurances will not pay for the test more frequently than 2 years.
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