Osteoporosis Facts
What is Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis means porous bone; in which the bones become fragile and can fractured easily. It is a silent, chronic yet preventable disease.
Calcium poor diet is a contributing factor that can make bones less dense, ultimately weak and brittle. As the body ages, it gets some of the calcium it needs from the bones by breaking down the bone material, but excessive loss of bone material results in the disorder called osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis Causes
Who is at Osteoporosis Risk
If you are a female above 35 years of age, post menopausal, have a family history of osteoporosis, are advanced in age, milk intolerant and consuming a low calcium diet, have limited exposure to sunlight, smoker and alcoholic, tea and coffee addict, addicted to fast food and cola drinks then you are at a high risk for osteoporosis.
There are a number of factors the predispose women to osteoporosis: including post – menopause, premature menopause family history, short stature and small bones, leanness, low calcium intake and inactivity.
Over the last few decades, women have learned about the profound problems of osteoporosis, bone health and inadequate calcium intake. Unfortunately most people detect their calcium intake as too little, too late in life. This is because the need for increased calcium acquisition and storage begins very early in life – especially in the adolescent years. While its true your bones serve as a calcium storage tank which the body can draw upon, mechanism is also in place for replenishing calcium from outside sources: namely your diet.
Osteoporosis Symptoms
Symptoms of Osteoporosis do not arise until much later in the disease. There may not be any symptoms for years together and then it suddenly results in bone fractures. In osteoporosis, what appears to be a trivial fall results in hip fractures, spine fractures or stress fractures of the feet. It is difficult to repair the fracture due to poor bone quality. Spine fractures can cause severe radiating pain, chronic lower back pain, loss of spine curvature or height which results in a hunched back appearance of the upper back.
Treatment for Osteoporosis
Certain medications prevent bone loss and breakdown. Hormone replacement therapy or HRT prevents bone loss, increases bone density, and stops bones from getting fractured. Research has shown that HRT is particularly useful for post menopausal women. Every woman needs to consult her health care practitioner regarding estrogen replacement, the different health risks and benefits associated with hormone replacement. Osteoporosis diet is one which is rich in calcium, vitamin C, vitamin D. It is wise to avoid high sodium foods, limit caffeine consumption and completely avoid smoking and drinking alcohol.
How to Prevent Osteoporosis?
- Detect the condition early. Do not wait for symptoms to arise before you take preventive action.
- Allow maximal absorption of Vitamin D from the sun. Vitamin D is important for better absorption of calcium in the body. Sources of Vitamin D are exposure to sunlight, fish liver oil, butter, egg yolk, tuna fish, sardines.
- Vitamin C helps in absorption of calcium. Sources of Vitamin C are citrus fruits e.g. orange, amla, tomatoes, lemon, guava, raw cabbage, strawberries, peppers and pineapples
- Store as much calcium as possible in the bones.
- Prevent losses from the bones over the years.
- Exercise regularly. Regular weight bearing exercise is particularly helpful.
- Calcium supplementation can reduce your risk of bone loss and fractures caused by osteoporosis.
- To maintain strong bones, the overall goal is to simply, eat or drink the recommended amount of calcium rich food. Go on a Calcium rich diet.
Some calcium rich foods are milk and dairy products like cheese, cottage cheese, bean and grain products (corn tortillas, garbanzo beans, kidney beans, soybeans, all bran cereal, total cereal). Good sources of calcium from vegetables and fruits are fresh broccoli, cabbage, Chinese cabbage (pak choi), collard greens, kale, mustard greens, figs, oranges. Other calcium rich foods include egg substitutes and blackstrap molasses.
