As you age, osteoporosis is likely on your mind. After all, it’s a common disease that is responsible for an estimated two million broken bones each year, according to studies. Ouch! What’s worse is that you may not even know you have osteoporosis before the big break… Or even afterwards, since an estimated 80% of older Americans who suffer from a bone break are not tested or treated for osteoporosis. What does this mean for you? Well, if you’re a woman over the age of 50, you have a 33% chance of experiencing a broken bone due to osteoporosis. If you’re a man, you have a 20% chance of experiencing a broken bone due to osteoporosis. But most importantly, since osteoporosis isn’t regularly tested for, it is up to you to be proactive when it comes to your bone health. The good news is that doing so is actually quite simple. There are a variety of things you can do right now and in the comfort of your own home to lower your risk of developing osteoporosis and experiencing an injury from it. So, whether you’re already diagnosed and want to avoid those potential injuries or are looking for ways to prevent osteoporosis altogether, we’ve got you covered with everything you need to know about improving your bone health.
Contents
The 101 on Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is something you’ve heard of before, whether it was from a doctor who was informing you of the risks, or from a friend who experienced a spill and break from it. It’s a fairly common disease, particularly in people over the age of 50, that weakens the bones so much that they can easily break. If you’ve ever heard of the term ‘frail’, osteoporosis is pretty much the culprit, with hips, spine and wrist being the most affected. Unfortunately, this doesn’t mean your other bones aren’t at risk, they just aren’t as commonly affected as the others.
What’s scary about this disease (as if that wasn’t enough to frighten you), osteoporosis is often referred to as a silent disease. This means that people often have no idea they have it, as symptoms are rarely present… until a bone breaks, that is. And even then, you may not be tested for osteoporosis. It’s quite upsetting, especially considering osteoporosis can be prevented and even after a break or diagnosis, the bones can be strengthened and repaired to prevent future injuries.
But there is something good to take out of all of this and it’s that a proactive approach can make all the difference.
Are You At Risk of Osteoporosis?
The number one contender for osteoporosis is age, and the risk of developing osteoporosis grows the older you get. This is primarily because your bones get replenished and replaced through a process called ‘bone remodelling’ when you’re younger. Once you reach the age of 30, your bone density reaches its peak and eventually, your bones start to lose their bone mass. However, there are also a variety of other factors that can speed up the development of osteoporosis or put you at a higher risk for developing it, such as:
- Gender: women over 50 are four times more likely to develop osteoporosis
- Family history: you may be more likely to develop osteoporosis if other close blood-related family members had/have it
- Thin bone structure and light body weight: people (particularly women) who are thin and have a smaller frame are more likely to develop osteoporosis
- Previous fractures/breaks: your bones may not be as strong, which can increase your risk of osteoporosis
- Ethnicity: according to studies, Caucasian and Asian women are more likely to develop osteoporosis when compared to women of other ethnicities
- Diseases and health conditions: some diseases, such as arthritis, kidney disease, Cushing’s syndrome, and an overactive thyroid can make you more susceptible to developing osteoporosis
- Medications: certain medications can weaken your bones and can result in increased bone loss, which increases your risk of developing osteoporosis
- Smoking: using nicotine products is harmful for your bones and can increase your risk
- Heavy alcohol intake: excessive drinking can cause your bones to thin, and fractures more likely to happen
- Estrogen deficiencies: being deficient in estrogen accelerates bone loss and makes it more likely for fractures to occur
- Calcium deficiencies: a lack of can result in brittle bones, early bone loss and diminished bone density
- Inactive lifestyle: a lack of regular physical activity can result in weaker bone health and strength
Preventing Osteoporosis
Just by taking a look at the list of potential risk factors for osteoporosis, you can easily see that many can’t be avoided, such as your age, gender and ethnicity. However, there are many others that are within your control, meaning that you can improve your bone health and lower your risk of developing osteoporosis. And in most cases, all that is required of you are some simple lifestyle and diet changes, such as:
- Taking calcium supplements
- Eating a calcium-rich diet
- Taking vitamin D supplements to ensure proper absorption of calcium
- Exercise regularly to maintain bone health and strength
- Follow a weight training plan to keep bones strong
- Eat more protein but avoid non-dairy animal protein as they can weaken the bones
- Eat a diet high in fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains to get plenty of magnesium, potassium and vitamin K (all are essential for bone health)
- Quit bad habits, such as smoking, and excess caffeine and alcohol consumption
Osteoporosis Natural Treatments
As we know, osteoporosis cannot be cured, but proper treatment can help strengthen your bones to slow down the progression, spur new bone growth and reduce the impact of osteoporosis. This is most commonly done with prescription medication. However, most prescription medications come with a long list of potential side effects that can sometimes even be worse than what you are using them to treat in the first place. As such, many people choose to opt for natural treatment options that are designed to do the same things, only naturally.
Supplements
A common and popular choice for treating osteoporosis is to use nutritional supplements and there are many out there that will benefit your bone health. However, it’s recommended that you speak with a doctor or pharmacist before taking any supplements, as they can provide you with proper instruction to ensure safe supplementation. This is incredibly important, as some supplements can have potential side effects and can have a negative interaction with certain medications. Fortunately, when done properly, they can be incredibly beneficial for osteoporosis, making them an effective form of natural treatment.
Here are some supplements you may want to consider taking:
- Black cohosh: contains estrogen substances that can help prevent bone loss
- Calcium with vitamin D: the combination can boost your bone health and reduce the risk of breaks
- Horsetail: helps with bone loss by stimulating bone regeneration
- Red clover: contains estrogen-like compounds that can protect the bones and slow down bone loss
- Magnesium: may improve bone density
- Vitamin K: helps regulate bone remodelling and decrease bone loss
- Soy isoflavones: act like estrogen and activates certain estrogen receptors to slow down bone loss
- Zinc: increase bone density
The Osteoporosis Diet
Making some simple changes in your diet to make it a more osteoporosis-friendly diet is an excellent way to strengthen your bones and prevent potential injuries, naturally. Feel free to substitute any of the supplements mentioned above with the real thing, or compliment the supplements with an extra sprinkle in your next meal. Here are some foods to start enjoying more to keep your bones healthy and strong:
- Beans (Phytates)
- Canned sardines and salmon (calcium)
- Collard greens, kale, turnip greens, mustard greens and broccoli (calcium)
- Dairy products (calcium and some vitamin D)
- Dark leafy greens (Vitamin K)
- Meat (Protein)
- Salmon, mackerel, tuna and sardines (vitamin D)
- Spinach, tomatoes, artichokes, potatoes, collard greens and raisins (magnesium)
- Tomatoes, potatoes, raisins, spinach, papaya, oranges, bananas and prune (potassium)
- Red peppers, green peppers, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, pineapples and papaya (vitamin C)
Exercises for Osteoporosis
Regular exercise is a key component for maintaining overall health and wellness, but it can come with a lot of hesitation especially if you’re at risk for breaks due to osteoporosis. Fortunately, there are many exercises that are osteoporosis-safe, such as the following:
- Climbing stairs
- Dancing
- Low-impact aerobics
- Water aerobics
- Resistance training
- Weight training, using tools such as
- Yoga
Keep in mind, that there are also a plethora of activities that will help keep your body active and bones strong, such as gardening, playing tennis and even a brisk walk around the block. So, don’t hesitate to get creative and get a friend involved to keep it fun. Add in some supplementation and a healthier diet, and you are well on your way to strengthening and protecting your bones to lower your risk of developing osteoporosis and reducing your risk of fractures.
There are also valuable programs that touch on this issue, and The Bone Density Solution program is one of our recommendations to check out.
