Like most pharmaceuticals, medications for osteoporosis have a list of possible side effects that can be alarming. Several types of drugs may be prescribed for people with osteoporosis, including hormone replacement therapy, selective estrogen receptor modulators and bisphosphonates; side effects of these medications include increased risk of hormone-sensitive cancers, blood clots and musculoskeletal pain, respectively. For people concerned with these and other side effects of osteoporosis medications, the alternative is a bone-strengthening lifestyle that involves an alkalizing diet, regular exercise and supplements.
Diet
One of the key principles for maintaining bone tissue is keeping the pH of the body within a healthy range. Acids are a normal metabolic byproduct of many body processes; minerals are needed to buffer these acids. Food can provide these critical buffers, or, if not, a readily available source exists in the form of the body's mineral reserves, our bones. The diet, then, should be rich in mineral buffers for the body. Too often, this is not the case; rather, the standard American diet features foods that add to the acid burden, thus contributing to the problem, not the solution. Generally speaking, alkaline-forming foods are vegetables (particularly green vegetables), fruit and nuts (see Resources).
Exercise
In a June 2009 issue of "Sports Medicine," researchers reported finding that,"for those with osteoporosis, weight-bearing exercise in general, and resistance exercise in particular, as tolerated, along with exercise targeted to improve balance, mobility and posture, should be recommended to reduce the likelihood of falling and its associated morbidity and mortality." In addition, a 2003 "Bulletin of the World Health Organization" encourages exercise for the prevention and management of osteoporosis, noting that exercise "minimizes bone loss later in life."
Supplements
Several supplements are beneficial for bone health. Calcium is critical for building bone; 1000 mg should be taken daily in the form of calcium citrate, aspartate or chelate. Calcium carbonate is generally not well absorbed and is best avoided. Magnesium and vitamin D are both key to the effective absorption and assimilation of calcium. A good initial dosage of magnesium is 600 mg daily of either magnesium citrate, aspartate, glycinate or chelate; and the recommended daily intake of vitamin D of 400 International Units (IU) per day is a bare minimum. With age, the conversion of vitamin D from its inactive to its active forms becomes less efficient in the body. Most people over the age of 50, particularly those with osteoporosis, should have their vitamin D level checked by their doctor and supplemented if needed. Several trace minerals, including boron, vanadium and manganese, are important for the proper utilization of calcium within the body; a trace mineral supplement, therefore, is recommended. Finally, people with osteoporosis may consider supplementing with strontium. In the October 2009 issue of "Osteoporosis International," researchers reported that strontium is a safe and effective long-term treatment for osteoporosis.
References
- "Osteoporosis International;" Effects of long-term strontium ranelate treatment on vertebral fracture risk in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis; P. J. Meunier, C. Roux, S. Ortolani, M. Diaz-Curiel, J. Compston, P. Marquis, C. Cormier, G. Isaia, J. Badurski, J. D. Wark, J. Collette, and J. Y. Reginster; October 2009.
- "Sports Medicine;" Exercise and bone mass in adults; Guadalupe-Grau A, Fuentes T, Guerra B, Calbet JA; 2009.
- "Bulletin of the World Health Organization;" Exercise interventions: defusing the world's osteoporosis time bomb; Ming Chan Kai, Mary Anderson, and Edith M. C. Lau; 2003.
