Archive for the 'Osteoporosis' Category

As age progresses, the strength and density of the bone reduces resulting in osteoporosis with porous bone fragility and high risk of bone fracture, particularly in the hip, spine and wrist.

Osteoporosis can strike at any age, but women are at greatest risk after menopause stage.

The National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) states that in the United States, over ten million individuals are with osteoporosis.

The researchers estimate that about one out of every five American women over the age of fifty has osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis Prevention

By the age 20, an individual acquires about ninety-eight percent of skeletal mass. Building strong healthy bones during adolescence is the great defensive way against developing osteoporosis in later stages of life.

Osteoporosis prevention and bone health are influenced by several elements including: diet, exercise, healthy lifestyle, and medications.

Osteoporosis Prevention - Diet

The bones in the body continually undergo remodeling (replacing the old with the new). For this to happen, the bone requires specific nutrients:

Calcium - It has been shown to be effective in remodeling as well as building bone mass. To maintain adequate levels of calcium, depending on the age, diet and health conditions, recommended intake ranges between 1000-1500 mg/day.

Osteoporosis is known as porous bones. “Osteo” refers to bone, and “porosis” refers to porous.

It is a condition where your bones become extremely porous that results in more fragile and weakened bones.

Osteoporosis treatment can help prevent or slow down the growth of bone loss or bone thinning [Preventive measures for osteoporosis].

Bone thinning is a natural process that occurs as you age. Mostly it occurs in women, as the estrogen levels decreases after menopause stage. However, sometimes, it occurs even at very young age.

The factors that lead to this condition may be a combination of hereditary, hormonal imbalance, age-related, food and lifestyle changes.

It gradually affects each and every bone in your body that may result in fractures. The most common places where these fractures occur are the back, spine, hips, and wrists. It is estimated that every year, in the U.S., about 1.5 million fractures takes place due to osteoporosis.

For osteoporosis treatment, your doctor will consider the factors such as your age, general health condition, and past medical history, bone density, forbearance for medications, therapies and procedures, and personal preference.

Osteoporosis is a silent disease characterized by low bone mass (bone thinning) that leads to brittle bones.

Thus, osteoporotic bones are more susceptible to fracture and there will be an increased risk of fractures of the hip, spine, and wrist.

It occurs especially in women following menopause. Osteoporosis is so common that half of all women up to age sixty are prone to this disease.

As there is no cure for osteoporosis, it is good to evade the things that can increase your risk of developing this disease.

The preventive measures to reverse osteoporosis include:

Stop the Pop: Intake of carbonated beverages such as soft drinks, champagne, and sparkling water can remove calcium from your bones because carbonated beverages contain large amounts of phosphates, which causes more calcium loss.

Cut down on Protein: Excess intake of protein can lead to acidity in your body. This acidity in turn causes calcium to be lost in the urine. It is good to take only two to four ounces of lean protein, thrice a day.

Maintain Stomach Acid: Stomach acid is essential to absorb mineral deposits such as calcium, magnesium, and zinc. Blocking stomach acid significantly increases the risk of developing osteoporosis.