How to Reduce Your Risk of Osteoporosis
How to Reduce Your Risk of Osteoporosis - Osteoporosis is a disease that causes a person’s bones to become weak and fragile. Weakened bones are more likely to break, even from simple activities such as walking across a room. However, the good news is that you can take a number of steps that will help you reduce your risk of developing osteoporosis.
The primary mineral in our bones is calcium. Most of us don’t get enough calcium from our diets, especially as we age. For this reason, foods rich in calcium should be a part of everyone’s daily diet. These foods include dairy foods and leafy green vegetables, such as kale, spinach and even broccoli. Low or reduced fat versions of dairy products contain just as much calcium as the full fat versions and may help you lower your consumption of saturated fat. Too much saturated fat allows the body to produce high levels of homocysteine, which can also decrease your bone mass.
In addition to calcium, you need other minerals and vitamins as well to help facilitate the absorption of calcium. You should take a multi-vitamin and mineral supplement every day that includes vitamins K and D to help build strong bones. Also, consider taking a regular calcium supplement. Your doctor can help you choose a calcium supplement that will work well for you, as there are many different types of supplements on the market today. Or, if you already have considerable bone loss, your doctor may prescribe prescription medication to help prevent further bone loss.
You should avoid eating excessive amounts of protein, as too much protein can cause your blood levels to become acidic. In these instances, your body will leech calcium from your bones to buffer the acid levels of your blood. This means that not only will any calcium you eat not be used by your bones, but your bones will be losing calcium as well.
You should also talk to your doctor about any medications you’re currently taking. For example, corticosteroids can make it harder for your body to absorb Vitamin D, one of the vitamins that helps make bones stronger. If you’re taking prednisone, for example, you may need to take prescription Vitamin D to offset this side effect.
If you’re a smoker, stopping smoking can help reduce your risk of broken bones due to osteoporosis by half. If you’re a drinker, stopping drinking can also help prevent bone loss and lessen the likelihood that you fall and damage already brittle bones.
The best exercise for preventing osteoporosis is weight bearing exercise, such as walking and weight training. Performing exercises to help increase your balance can also be helpful, as they will lessen your chances of falling.
If you’re a woman, talk to your doctor about hormone replacement therapy following menopause. However, if you’re a man, you aren’t immune to osteoporosis. Being Caucasian, Asian, smoking, drinking, having a small frame and having low levels of testosterone are all risk factors for developing osteoporosis. Talk to your doctor about your options if you fall into any of these high risk groups.
