“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never break me.” How many times did you say this as a kid? While I am still not sure about words breaking you or not, certainly other things besides sticks and stones can break our bones, like aging. Aging makes our bones weaker, becoming prone to breaking and diseases as osteoporosis.
What Is Osteoporosis?
As we age we lose bone mass or density. This loss is more significant in women after menopause when your body starts reabsorbing significant amounts of calcium and phosphate. This makes the bones weaker and prone to breakage. This phenomenon is called osteoporosis. In 2010 a study found out that there were over 99 million adults 50 years and older that suffer from osteoporosis in the United States. (1)
Who Is At Risk Of Osteoporosis?
Factors like gender, age, race, and family history are a big indicator of who is more prone to osteoporosis.
Women rapidly lose bone mass after menopause, and they are four times more likely to have osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis can present at any age but certainly the older you get the more likely to suffer from. After you hit 30 your body starts to break down bone at a faster rate that is able to replace it.
Race can also play a role. Caucasian women over 50 years of age that are affected by osteoporosis are 20 percent compared to 10 percent of Latino and just 5 percent of African American women. (2)
Ribs, hips, and the bones in the spine and wrists are the most affected by osteoporosis.
How To Boost Your Bone Health?
Knowing that you are at a higher risk of osteoporosis due to a genetic cause can be discouraging. However, there are certain lifestyle choices that you can make today to improve your bone health.
Calcium and Vitamin D Combo
Our bones have 99.5% of the total amount of calcium in our bodies. The recommended daily intake of calcium varies from 1,000 to 1,200 mg depending on gender and age. Yogurt, milk, cheese, sesame, and some other green veggies are a good source of calcium.
While calcium is the main component of our bone health, we need vitamin D for our bodies to absorb it. Most of the vitamin D we get comes from sunlight. You may consider taking some vitamin D supplements if you don’t live at a tropical beach with tons of clear blue skies days. The recommended amounts of vitamin D goes from 600 IU to 800 IU (International Unit ) per day.
Healthy Weight for Bone Health
Although it is good to have weight goals, fluctuation in our weight can affect our health. When you get on a crash diet and lose a lot of weight, you are also losing bone mass. This has a negative impact on your bone health and puts you at a higher risk of osteoporosis. On the other hand, obesity puts you at a higher risk of bone fractures and breakage. Maintaining a normal weight is your best bet for healthier bones.
Exercise for Bone Health
It is important to incorporate exercise into our daily routine because of its many health benefits. Any type of exercise is good for you, although weight-bearing exercises have proven very effective to improve bone health.
Exercises such as leg presses, climbing stairs, squats, and weight training using resistance bands and dumbbells are beneficial for your bone health.
These kinds of exercises make your muscles pull and push against your bones. Consequently, your body forms new bone tissue, strengthening your bones. (3)
Let go of Bad Habits for Bone Health
Besides incorporating new healthy habits to help to boost your bone health, you can also let go of some not-so-good for your health habits.
Smoking can decrease your bone density. Some studies had shown that smoking cigarettes can delay bone healing after a fracture of up to 60%.
Nothing wrong with a nice, warm cup of coffee in your morning routine but too much caffeine can diminish your bone mass. Doctors recommend keeping your caffeine intake up to 4 cups of filter coffee a day. More than that is too much for good bone health. (4)
Bottom Line
Until the fountain of eternal youth is found, we should be conscious of our choices. Nowadays, more new treatments and medications are being used to treat diseases associated with old age. This medical advancement is really good news, but remember prevention is the best medicine. Your life choices of today will greatly matter later. Keep safe!
