Many readers are probably not aware of the fact that this disease of brittle, brittle bones takes more lives than breast cancer.
Here are a few cautionary truths that could jeopardize bone health.
Calcium in the form of supplements is not the only solution. Calcium is critical to maintaining bone health, but it's not all you need. In fact, many studies show that certain foods protect bones more effectively than pills. Maintaining bone health is easier with foods that contain vitamin D, which is needed for calcium absorption (milk, egg yolks, fortified cereals) and vitamin K, which can also help calcium absorption (brussels sprouts, dark green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, kale, cabbage). The organism should be regularly exposed to sunlight, daylight.
Breaking a bone in your 30s is not just bad luck. Unless it's a car accident or falling out of a window, a young woman shouldn't break a bone easily. If a woman breaks a bone just after a simple stumble while walking or suffers a fracture for no apparent reason, her doctor should send her for a bone density test. Understandably, this also applies to men.
The risk of developing osteoporosis increases if...
- you are female - you are older than 65 years - you experienced a bone fracture after the age of 30, which was not caused by any trauma - did your mother, grandmother, or sister experience bone fractures as an adult - you smoke - you are of delicate build - you take some medications, especially corticosteroids - you don't exercise, but mostly sit during the day - there is a constant lack of calcium in the diet
Your parents' poor posture is also your problem
Osteoporosis runs in families. Genetics is very important in this disease. If your father, mother or grandmother lost four to five centimeters in height or slouched, or either parent suffered a broken bone in their older years, take preventive measures. Ask your doctor for advice on whether it would be beneficial to start hormone therapy in addition to making dietary changes and starting regular exercise.
It's not just women
Many men think that osteoporosis is a woman's disease. They think wrong. Millions of men have osteoporosis. Although bone loss is less in men, they also experience back pain and fractures, mainly in the spine, hip and wrist. Men aged 25 to 65 should consume at least one gram of calcium per day, and those over 65 should consume one and a half grams. Physical activity is also important (walking, jogging, etc.), because it protects bone mass density.
Bone density tests do not necessarily reveal a risk condition. If these tests are performed only on some parts of the skeleton (say, the wrist, fingers, heels), they may give a normal result, but this does not necessarily mean that it is an accurate assessment of the health of the skeleton. Bone loss is not equal throughout the body.
One can lose more in one place than in another. It is important to measure in critical places (hip, spine), where the most serious fractures occur.
There are no pills to cure osteoporosis, however...
The pharmaceutical industry puts drugs on the market that can replace some of the bone mass that has been lost and can reduce the risk of bone fractures, but, unfortunately, they cannot completely restore what has been lost.
It is similar to hormone replacement therapy which increases calcium resorption, decreases calcium loss and inhibits bone destruction, however any bone protection ceases once hormone replacement therapy is discontinued.
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