Osteoporosis is a condition where bone loss outpaces bone regeneration, causing bone to weaken and lose mass. As bones weaken and become more porous, fractures can result. According to the "Merck Manual Home Edition," in the United States, 8 million women and 2 million men suffer from osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is responsible for approximately 250,000 hip fractures and an annual total of 1.5 million fractures in the United States. While several non-modifiable factors such as family history and advancing age predispose individuals to developing osteoporosis, exercise and a diet rich in calcium and vitamin D may decrease the risk for osteoporosis.
Step 1
Include plenty of calcium and magnesium-rich foods in your diet. Spinach, nuts and fish are sources of both magnesium and calcium. Magnesium is necessary for converting vitamin D into its active form and for regulating the secretion of parathyroid hormone and calcitonin, the hormones in charge of maintaining calcium concentrations in the blood. Aim to get 400 to 800mg of magnesium and 1,000 to 1,200mg of calcium a day.
Step 2
Supply your body with vitamins D and K. "Total Nutrition: The Only Guide You'll Ever Need" notes that drinking vitamin-D fortified milk or consuming other sources of the vitamin can increase the absorption of calcium, resulting in stronger, healthier bones. Vitamin K is important for production of osteocalcin, which works against resorption.
Step 3
Load up on fruits and vegetables. Results from the DASH study indicate a positive correlation between consumption of fruits and vegetables and healthy bones. A daily intake of 3 to 9 servings lowered urinary calcium loss by almost 50mg each day.
Step 4
Eliminate carbonated sodas. Aside from high sugar content, carbonated soda, especially those dark in color, contain phosphates that bind to calcium, inhibiting its absorption. Also, caffeine contained in most carbonated beverages promotes urinary excretion of calcium.
References
- "Bone"; The Worldwide Problem of Osteoporosis: Insights Afforded by Epidemiology; B.L. Riggs and J.L. Melton; November 1995
- "Total Nutrition: The Only Guide You'll Ever Need"; Victor Herbert, Gesell J. Subak-Sharpe; 1995
- "Journal of Nutrition"; The DASH diet and sodium reduction improve markers of bone turnover and calcium metabolism in adults. Lin PH, Ginty F, Appel LJ, et al; October 2003
