Bones serve as a storehouse for minerals that are important for all other systems of your body. Bone diseases affect 10 million people in the United States and cause approximately 1.5 million fractures per year, according to the Office of the Surgeon General. Healthy bones allow for mobility and protect you against injury while bone disease can have a heavy toll physically, emotionally and financially.
Risks of Osteoporosis
If you are not able to build and maintain bone health, you may suffer from osteoporosis as a result. According to MayoClinic.com, osteoporosis means "porous bones," and this disorder causes bones to become so fragile that a small fall or stress such as coughing can break them. Osteoporosis is preventable by implementing proper nutrition and exercise in childhood continuing into adulthood. Fractures are most likely to occur in the spine, hip or wrist and can be painful and debilitating.
Measuring Bone Health
A bone mineral density test, or BMD, can be used to determine the strength of your bones and your risk of osteoporosis. According to the National Institutes of Health, this test is the best predictor of whether you will have a fracture in the future. The BMD uses a measurement called a T-score to compare your bone density to that of a healthy young adult. A T-score between -1 and +1 is normal, while a T -score between -1 and -2.5 indicates low bone density. A score below -2.5 indicates extremely poor bone health, or osteoporosis.
Preventing Osteoporosis
Maintaining bone health from an early age is critical to avoiding osteoporosis as an adult. As stated by the Centers for Disease Control, the average woman has acquired most of her skeletal mass by the age of 20. If you develop bone health as a young adult you are more likely to maintain higher bone mass as you age. The two most important factors for building peak bone mass are calcium intake and physical activity.
Maintaining Good Bone Health
Physical activity and calcium intake are also important in maintaining bone health. As an adult younger than age 20, you require 1,300 mg/day of calcium. Between the ages of 19 and 50, you require 1,000 mg/day and then this increases to 1,200 mg/day after age 50. Dietary sources of calcium include low-fat dairy products, dark leafy vegetables such as broccoli and spinach, nuts and cereals that are fortified with calcium. Vitamin D helps with the absorption of calcium and is another important factor in bone health. Vitamin D can be obtained through sunlight exposure of 20 minutes twice per week.
Considerations
While elderly women who are small framed have the highest risk of osteoporosis, this condition is not limited to that population. According to the Office of the Surgeon General, four out of 10 women aged 50 or older will experience a fracture during their lifetime as will 13 percent of men the same age. Elderly people who sustain hip fractures are more likely to die during the three months after fracture, are more likely to end up in a nursing home and may suffer with chronic pain as a result of the fracture. With appropriate dietary intake of calcium and with a life-long commitment to physical activity, bone health can be achieved and then preserved for your entire life.
