But,  according to the journal Nature reports, wine does little to protect from osteoporosis.

High silicon levels in beer slows down the thinning that leads to fractures and boosts new bone formation and beer is also rich in phytoestrogens, which keep bones healthy, the researchers explained.

Bones are made up of a mesh of fibres, minerals, blood vessels and marrow, and healthy ones are denser with smaller spaces between the different parts.

The researchers interviewed 1700 healthy women with an average age of 48 about their drinking habits.

The interviewed women then underwent ultrasound scans, which showed the hand bones of beer drinkers to be denser.

Source: Daily Mail

You can reduce your risk of osteoporosis through diet and exercise.

Women continue to build bone mass until their 30s. After that it is important to continue to maintain your bone mass.

This means consuming enough calcium. Unfortunately, most of us do not get enough calcium as a part of our regular diets.

To increase the amount of calcium you are getting, include reduced or low fat dairy products in your diet on a daily basis. You should have three servings of dairy products each day.

Add green vegetables, especially leafy green vegetables, to your diet as well. Fish with edible bones, like canned salmon, are a good source of calcium.

Vitamins D and K work with calcium to help keep your bones strong. To make sure you get enough of these vitamins, take a multi-vitamin and mineral supplement every day.

Keep your intake of protein moderate. Eating excessive amounts of protein can leach calcium from your bones. Drinking carbonated beverages can also cause you to lose bone mass. Try substituting low fat or skim milk for soda at meals.

If you are a smoker, you are twice as likely to suffer from osteoporosis as a nonsmoker. Drinking alcohol can also make it more likely that you will fall in addition to losing bone mass.

Some medications can increase bone loss. For example, taking corticosteroids can make it difficult for your body to absorb Vitamin D, which your body needs to keep your bones strong.

A common corticosteroid is Predinsone. If you are taking Prednisone, ask your doctor if you need prescription Vitamin D to offset any potential problems.

Walking and weight training are good exercises to help prevent bone loss. These types of exercises are called weight bearing exercise. To lessen the chances that you will fall, you also need exercises that challenge your balance. If you are stable enough, walk on a treadmill without holding on to the handrails, or try sitting on an exercise ball.

Hormone replacement therapy after menopause may help prevent bone loss. Talk with your doctor to see if you are an appropriate candidate.

You should be having regular bone density tests beginning around menopause. If you are experiencing significant bone loss, your doctor may prescribe medication that can help.

However, the economic recession means that some women are continuing to work despite their postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMO).

The Know My Bones Council was created this year and is lead by the Society for Women’s Health Research and the National Osteoporosis Foundation.

Also involved are the National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health, the National Women’s Health Resource Center, the American Business Women’s Association and the American Association of University Women. Further support comes from Amgen.

This group of professional bodies has a stated goal to empower all women suffering from the condition, providing information and strategies to help them. They have a website, Know My Bones.com, which is just the start of their planned attack on the disease and getting the knowledge across.

A recent Survey results run by Harris Interactive on a national level, highlights the problem which the council will have to overcome. Of the women with PMO, as few as one third had discussed the condition with their doctor and a quarter also revealed that they often forgot to take their prescribed drugs.

As for bone density scores, sufferers were no more likely to know what it was than those women without PMO. Thankfully part of the survey included information detailing different aspects of the disease and a large majority stated that they would now change their understanding and likely action of the condition.

The consequences of osteoporosis can be very severe and on rare occasions lead to death. It brings chronic pain, disability and makes individuals very susceptible to breaks and fractures.

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.

Good sources of calcium are milk, yogurt, and cheese, dark-green leafy vegetables (spinach, broccoli, and collard greens), almonds, and fortified foods rich in calcium (orange juice, and bread).

Depending on the amount of calcium intake in the regular diet, calcium supplements can be used for bone density and strongness.

Vitamin D – The research on Vitamin D in developing bone density and bone health has been very promising. It plays a vital role in normal absorption of calcium in the body.

It naturally synthesizes in the body from sun exposure. Exposure to the sun for 10-15 minutes thrice a week is recommended.

The recommended daily intake of Vitamin D ranges between 400 to 800 IU (international units). Cheese, fortified milk, butter, egg yolks, liver, fish, fortified cereals and beverages are food sources of Vitamin D.

Depending on the body’s Vitamin D levels, supplements are recommended to maintain adequate levels. Vitamin D-3 is the best Vitamin D supplement for osteoporosis prevention.

Vitamin K – It has been shown to be effective in reducing bone loss. It is an essential element for bone structure. Recommended daily intake of Vitamin K is 90 micrograms (mcg).

Vitamin K is rich in dark green leafy vegetables (broccoli, spinach, collard greens, and brussels sprouts. Vitamin K supplements are also available. With blood coagulation of vitamin K, blood thinners need to check with their doctor prior to increasing its intake.

Osteoporosis Prevention – Exercise

Like building muscle mass, exercises also build bone mass and improves bone health. The odds of having bone fracture associated with osteoporosis also decreases with regular exercises. Weight-bearing exercise is the best for bones, as it impacts more on working against gravity.

Recommended exercises for osteoporosis prevention:

• Weight-bearing exercises – walking, running, jumping, jogging, dancing
• Balancing exercises – yoga, double leg press, exercise ball, tai chi
• Resistance exercises – weight machines, free weights, calf raises, knee flexion, hip flexion, hip extensions, resistance bands

Osteoporosis Prevention – Lifestyle Changes

Smoking

Smoking is injurious to bones. It reduces bone strength and increases risk of bone fractures. It makes calcium absorption less from the diets. Avoid smoking by finding the easy ways to stop.

Alcohol

Excessive alcohol consumption badly affects bones. It leads to bone loss and bone fractures and puts you at risk of falling and bone fragility. Studies suggest that moderate drinking leads to high bone density.

Osteoporosis Prevention – Medications

Continuous use of specific medications can result in unhealthy bones. Glucocorticoids are the medications used for a wide range of diseases such as arthritis and asthma that can lead to a loss of bone density and an increased risk of bone fractures.

Bone Mineral Density (BMD) test determines an individual’s bone density. It also measures the risk of having bone fracture. A regular bone density testing (yearly twice) is recommended for all women over age fifty.

Any changes to the diet, exercise routine, lifestyle habits and medications, for osteoporosis prevention, need to be discussed with the physician for optimum results!

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.

With osteoporosis treatment, you can decrease the rate of bone loss; increase bone density; lessen the bone fractures rate; reduce the pain due to fractures; increase your capability to function physically.

Even though there is no cure for osteoporosis there are several different medications available for osteoporosis treatment.

Remember that to gain full benefits of these medications you should follow the course constantly. Bone loss resumes once you stop using medicines.

Calcium is very essential for maintaining healthy bones. So, take calcium either through your diet or using supplements. Intake of calcium should be 1.2gm-1.5gm per day.

Calcium levels can be increased with calcium carbonate and calcium citrates, as they help absorb more calcium into the body.

Increasing calcium levels alone cannot improve bone density instead you increase intake of Vitamin D for bone strength and for calcium absorption into the body.

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) using drugs increases your estrogen and progesterone levels in the body, which usually decreases after menopause stage. It is an approved osteoporosis treatment option.

Bisphosphonate is a group of drugs that are rich in minerals, particularly calcium, to the bones. It helps reduce break down of bones and increases bone density. Some of these drugs should be taken daily while others weekly or monthly.

Calcitonin is a hormone in the body that decelerates the break down of bones. The calcitonin supplements come in the form of injection or nasal spray. You can also get this hormone through natural sources. It is an approved osteoporosis treatment option.

Teriparatide is an approved osteoporosis treatment option. It is the first drug for osteoporosis. It is a natural hormone (known as parathyroid hormone) that controls your body’s calcium levels.

It helps in bone formation and increases bone density. It usually comes in the form of daily injections.

Raloxifene is also a standard osteoporosis treatment option that is taken orally. It should be avoided if you are using HRT. It acts like estrogen in the bones without making a general estrogen effect.

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.

Reduce Caffeine: It is fact that each cup of coffee can make you lose 150 mg of calcium in your urine. So, naturally decaffeinated teas are a better alternative. But if you want to have caffeinated coffee, then increase your calcium intake by 150 mg for every cup of coffee you consume.

Obtain The Right Brand Of Calcium: Tums is a worst source for calcium. It contains calcium carbonate, which is a poorly absorbed form of calcium that can decrease the stomach acid even more. Instead prefer the best forms of calcium such as calcium citrate and calcium hydroxyapatite.

However, take these on an empty stomach for better absorption. Moreover, take only 500 mg at a time.

Obtain Some Sun: Vitamin D helps absorb calcium and put it in the bones. You can get vitamin D upon exposure to sunlight. Usage of sunscreen blocks over ninety percent of vitamin D production. So obtain more vitamin D from sun to increase your calcium absorption and reducing the chances of osteoporosis.

Check Your Hormone Levels Regularly: Decrease in hormone levels is one of the most common causes for osteoporosis. Proper levels of estrogen, progesterone, testosterone and DHEA are important for bone maintenance. However, too much cortisol, insulin and parathyroid hormones can cause osteoporosis. So, check your hormone levels regularly to avoid bone loss.

Diet Change: Excess sugars and starches can increase the risk of osteoporosis. So, “low glycemic index” diet is best because the foods in this diet do not raise blood sugar or insulin levels quickly. Low glycemic index foods include lean proteins, beans, vegetables, and good fats (nuts, olives, olive oil, fish, fish oils, avocados).

Regular Exercise: Weight bearing exercises such as walking, bicycling, and weightlifting for a minimum of 15-30 minutes a day can increase bone density. Even, floor exercises such as leg lifts and sit-ups, will work effectively in lowering the risk of osteoporosis.