How Can Osteoporosis Be Prevented
Prevention of osteoporosis is entirely possible. “How can osteoporosis be prevented?” you might ask. First thing you should know is that prevention of osteoporosis should start in childhood and go on throughout the entire life. There are some general directions that experts agree will prevent the development of osteoporosis.
How Can Osteoporosis Be Prevented With Vitamins
Receiving the sufficient amount of vitamin D and calcium in reducing the likeliness of developing osteoporosis and will prevent your bones to become weaker, even if you already have developed the condition. Sometimes it is even possible to replace a bone that has already been lost. During childhood and adolescence, when the bones are growing, is the time when the body needs calcium the most. Also, breast-feeding women, post-menopausal women and older men have an increased need for calcium. With age, the body becomes less capable of absorption of calcium, so increased intake of vitamin K is necessary. Vitamin K and vitamin D regulate the absorption of calcium in the body. Also, include food that is rich in magnesium and zinc – they can prevent the worst effects of osteoporosis from occurring. Foods rich in boron should also be included in the diet. Boron reduces the excretion of magnesium and calcium from the body and elevates the estrogen production. Don’t forget the antioxidants, like vitamins A, C and E. Omega 3 oils are also good; they slow down the loss of calcium in the urine.
You will have most benefits if you start exercising at an early age and continue with regular workouts throughout your life. The best results come from combining strength-training workout with weight-bearing workout. Strength exercise helps your bones and muscles in your arms and upper torso strengthen, and weight-bearing training, like jogging and running have a positive effect on the bones and muscles in your legs and lower body. Swimming, elliptical machines and cycling can be also helpful, but not as much as weight-bearing training, since there is no impact involved.
A bone density scan usually involves x-ray scan, CT and/or MRI scan to determine how many grams of solid bone material or minerals one segment of the bone contains. Of course, the higher the minerals count, the higher the solid bone mass is. And the denser the bones are, the stronger they are and less they are prone to fractures. The bone density is the only way doctors can determine if you have developed or are at risk of developing osteoporosis. Certain categories of people are advised to take a regular bone density screening since they are at higher risk of developing the condition. These categories of people include post-menopausal women, women who enter menopause too early, men older than the age of 70, women who stopped receiving hormonal therapy and alike.
Even though experts are not completely sure what causes osteoporosis, they do have ideas what increases the risk and how can osteoporosis be prevented. Some of the factors that affect the development of the bone degeneration condition are smoking, excessive alcohol use, eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia and sedentary lifestyle.
