Preventing Osteoporosis
One aspect of daily health that too often is overlooked is truly abiding by the actual recommended daily values set by the USDA. Too few people actually measure their intake of specific nutrients, which contributes to a buffet of health-related issues, and therefore osteoporosis. (Epidemiology of this disease.) Vitamin D and calcium are more important to the body than many people think, and it's important to have enough of it in your diet in order to reap its palliative affects. Some experts believe that phytoestrogens, which naturally occur in plan compounds and are structurally similar to estradiol, contribute important things to one's health, but recent research reveals that they do not deliver the same effects as many people expect of them or naturally occurring estrogen. There is also a theory - getting serious credence recently - that an low-acid diet can help maintain bone health. Zinc in the diet may also help.
Although osteoporosis and its clandestine attributes manifest at the most inopportune moments—a collapsed vertebrae, fractured wrist, etc., other factors should also come into sphere of focus. Vertebrae that has undergone some kind of trauma will communicate that something's amiss in conditions like severe back pain, loss of height, or with other spinal deformities such as kyphosis or stooped posture. One early sign is a loss of height caused by curvature or compression of the spine, which is ultimately caused by weakened vertebrae.
Diagnosis of osteoporosis will very likely include a physical examination complete with x-rays, at which a physician will notice the loss of height, which is compounded by a "dowager's hump". This hump or curve of the spine is an indicator that bones are less dense than they need to be to fight off the manifestation of osteoporosis, and a bone density test will be the ultimate confirmation.
Making a concerted effort to incorporate more calcium and vitamin D into the diet as one ages is an easy preventative. The current recommended daily level is 400 IU (International Units), but some experts suggest that increasing it to between 800 and 1000 IU per day will help maintain bone health. One other treatment of which some experts are wary is the oscillating plate. Studies suggest that standing on a special, gently oscillating mechanical plate for 10-20 minutes per day can reduce bone loss and possibly stimulate bone formation, says Harvard Women's Health Watch. Some health experts advocate prophylactic bisphosphonate treatment to those at high risk.
In order to determine bone mineral density, many factors are taken into consideration. Bone mineralization, the microarchitecture, and rate of turnover or remodeling, are important processes in bone health. The most accurate bone density test is DEXA (dual-energy x-ray absortiometry), which uses minimal amounts of radiation and is general done on the spine and hip in about 10 to 15 minutes. Ultrasound bone density of the heel is a quicker and less expensive test, but not widely available or accepted as an accurate screening test, according to the National Institutes of Health.
One drug that has been approved by the FDA and is being utilized by many people is McNeil Nutritionals' Viactiv©. The 2004 U.S. Surgeon General General Report on osteoporosis suggested getting 1,000 mg of calcium per day, or 200 IU of vitamin D for adults under 50 paired with at least 30 minutes of weight-bearing exercise per day significantly reduces one's likelihood of developing osteoporosis.
"Bone health requires a lot of nutrients and you're likely to get most of them in dairy products," says Connie Weaver, Ph.D., who heads the department of foods and nutrition at Purdue University. People who suffer from varying degrees of lactose intolerance can look for products treated to reduce lactose, since a serving of milk or yogurt contains about 350 mg of calcium, and fortified products contain even more. Other sources of calcium are dark-green leafy vegetables like kale and turnip greens. Tofu, canned fish and fortified cereal products should also be incorporated into the diet. It has been suggested that a high protein diet is bad for bone mineralization, but a report in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that was not the case.
Exercise, in its various forms, is important throughout the life cycle to ensure healthy, strong bones, increased muscle strength, coordinator ion, and balance, says the Cleveland Clinic. Because bone is living tissue just as muscle is, exercise, through all of its repetitive forms and functions, help strengthen muscles, purge the body of toxins, and maximize any one person’s physical capabilities. Unfortunate as it is, the reality that bone mass peaks during the third decade of life is not common knowledge. It seems to be steadily downhill from there. See our page on osteoporosis pathogenesis.
The best exercise for prevention of osteoporosis, according to the National Institutes of Health, is the weight-bearing kind. Because our bodies are being forced to work against gravity, the resistance from weight training, dancing, climbing stairs, and any cardiovascular activity is the best thing that we can do. Helping build and maintain strong muscles segues into increasing the possibility of having excellent/fantastic cardiovascular/heart health, which in turn helps lay a strong, hearty foundation for our bones. According to the Surgeon General, at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day will help us be on our way to having healthy, strong bones.
More on living with osteoporosis.
An exercise plan for people with osteoporosis.