Osteoporosis Prevention: What You Need to Know



Did you know about 10% of your skeleton is rebuilt every year? Your bones are constantly being removed and replaced. It’s called the “bone remodeling process.” You have special cells that remove old, brittle bone– the osteoclasts, and you have special cells that build new, strong bone– the osteoblasts.

Now, the natural bone remodeling process will continue to build new, healthy bone and increase your bone density until you reach peak density at about 40 years of age. At around 40, the natural bone remodeling process becomes unbalanced. Your osteoclasts start to remove bone quicker than your osteoblasts can replace it. This leads to bone loss– you can expect to lose about 1% of your bone density every year from 40 onwards – and eventually osteoporosis. What is Osteoporosis? Osteoporosis is a health 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 fall or sudden impact causes a bone to break or fracture.

The most common injuries in people with osteoporosis are: broken spinal bones (vertebrae) broken wrist broken hip Breaks can also happen in other bones, such as in the arm or pelvis. Sometimes a cough or sneeze can cause a broken rib or the partial collapse of one of the bones of the spine.

Osteoporosis is not usually painful until a bone is broken, but broken bones in the spine are a common cause of long-term pain. Although a broken bone is often the first sign of osteoporosis, some older people develop the characteristic stooped (bent forward) posture. It happens when the bones in the spine have broken, making it difficult to support the weight of the body. Osteoporosis can be treated with bone strengthening medicines.

If you are a woman, you are at risk of developing osteoporosis. A degenerative disease that causes bones to become weak and brittle, osteoporosis affects both men and women of all races, but white and Asian women, especially over the age of 50, are at highest risk. There's a lot of osteoporosis-related fractures, most commonly of the hip, wrist or spine. If you are a woman, you are at risk of developing osteoporosis. A degenerative disease that causes bones to become weak and brittle, osteoporosis affects both men and women of all races, but white and Asian women, especially over the age of 50, are at highest risk. There's a lot of osteoporosis-related fractures, most commonly of the hip, wrist or spine.



Genetic factors play a significant role in determining whether an individual is at heightened risk of osteoporosis. Lifestyle factors such as physical activity and diet also influence bone development in youth and the rate of bone loss later in life.

After your mid-20s, bone thinning is a natural process and cannot be completely stopped. The thicker your bones, the less likely they are to become thin enough to break. Young women in particular need to be aware of their osteoporosis risk and take steps to slow its progress and prevent fractures.

Things you can do to prevent osteoporosis

As an adult, you can do many things to help maintain healthy bones and to avoid premature bone loss. Making simple changes to your diet, taking enough exercise, and kicking bad lifestyle habits will not just help you prevent osteoporosis, but will also benefit your general well-being.

You can actually boost the amount of healthy bone you build from childhood until the age where the bone remodeling becomes unbalanced. This extra bone effectively creates a “bone savings account.” Then, if you do start to lose bone, you can dip into the account and preserve your healthy bone density.

Here are several ways to prevent osteoporosis: As an adult, you can do many things to help maintain healthy bones and to avoid premature bone loss. Making simple changes to your diet, taking enough exercise, and kicking bad lifestyle habits will not just help you prevent osteoporosis, but will also benefit your general well-being.

Exercise Your Bones

Most of us know that exercise is good for fitness, but did you know it’s great for bone health, too? Exercise helps stimulate the cells responsible for building bones.

But not just any exercise will do. To promote bone health, try doing weight-bearing and resistance exercises 3 or 4 days a week.



Resistance exercises use an opposing force, such as weights, an elastic band, or water, to strengthen your muscles and build bone. Having strong muscles and good balance may also help you avoid falls or minimize injury.



Weight-bearing exercises focus on carrying the weight of your body against gravity. Walking is a great weight-bearing activity, as are running, dancing, aerobics, hiking and tennis.

Strength training is a key to preventing osteoporosis. Your muscles pull on your bones when you work them. That builds bone strength. These workouts also make you more flexible and lower the chances that you’ll fall the No. 1 reason for broken hips.



Keep Your Stomach Acid! Many people are on acid blocking drugs, such as Protonix, Tagamet, Prevacid, and Zantac, for problems such as heartburn and hiatal hernia. Stomach acid is necessary to absorb minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and zinc. Blocking stomach acid significantly increases the risk of osteoporosis. These drugs were meant to be used for six to eight weeks at a time, not for years at a time! In fact, most heartburn symptoms are not due to excess stomach acid. Two thirds of the patients on acid blocking agents have too little stomach acid, not too much!





Consume enough calcium

Calcium can prevent you from osteoporosis.

At the point when your body does not get enough calcium, it takes the calcium it needs from your bones. Notwithstanding, on the off chance that you do take in satisfactory sums, your body won't filter calcium from your bones and they have a greatly improved shot of remaining sound and solid.

The measure of calcium you need every day changes relying upon your age and sex. As indicated by the Institute of Medicine:

adults require 1,000 milligrams

men older than 70 and women older than 50 need 1,200 milligrams

children ages 9-18 require 1,300 milligrams

children ages 4 -8 need 1,000 milligrams

children ages 1-3 require 700 milligrams

Good sources of calcium:

Milk and dairy items

canned fish with bones, for example, salmon and sardines

dim green verdant vegetables, for example, kale, collards and broccoli calcium-braced squeezed orange

breads made with calcium-braced flour



Eat Plants and Fermented Foods can Prevent Osteoporosis Many vegetables and fruits contain a number of bone-friendly nutrients, including calcium, magnesium, potassium, vitamin K, vitamin C, and protein. Edible plants also provide anti-inflammatory agents and antioxidants, which counter inflammation and oxidative stress, respectively — two cellular conditions associated with aging and many chronic diseases, including osteoporosis. Research has also linked higher intake of fruits and vegetables with better bone mass.



