Reviveyourlife

I keep seeing ads by drug companies selling osteoporosis prevention pills.
Being naturally sceptical of anything sold by drug companies (remember Vioxx and Celebrex)
I thought it would be a good idea to show you how to prevent osteoporosis.

So how do you strengthen your bones without drugs and their harmful side effects?

In men and women, a lowering of levels of key hormones is at the root of the problem. Estrogen is the main regulator of bone breakdown. Progesterone regulates bone build-up. And the most powerful bone-builder of all is testosterone.

In men and women levels of all these hormones go down as you get older.
This results in decreased bone strength, lower levels of calcium in the bone, and increased risk of breakage.

Like all age-related physical changes, these problems can be easily reversible. Here’s a simple 6-step process to reverse the effects of osteoporosis:

• Exercise: The best way to increase bone density and reduce fractures is body weight exercises (like calisthenics) and resistance (weight) training. Make a habit of doing these exercises two or three times a week. Even thirty minutes of walking a day can lower your risk of fracture by thirty percent. (Willett W. Calcium: too much of a good thing? Report from the Harvard School of Public Health Nutrition Roundtable.)

When you exercise, your muscles pull on your bones where they are attached by the tendons. This pressure creates a challenge that your body responds to by lifting bone density.
The bone crystalline structure gets more compact. This process ensures that you stay physically mobile and independent as you get older. because you are also stronger.

Unfortunately Pilates won’t cut it. You need to lift weight using particular exercises under the supervision of a suitably qualified personal trainer. (Their Fitness Queensland registration will show if they have the training or not).

• Forget calcium supplements and get your calcium from your diet: Eat a variety of small fish, dark, leafy green vegetables, almonds and cashews, or dairy products like milk, cheese, and yogurt. You should be aiming for about 400 mg per day. Most supplements are in a form that is converted by plants into the calcium we eventually absorb. Plants eat crushed rocks, we don’t.

• Take a vitamin D supplement: Recommended dose is 400 IU per day. It helps your body absorb calcium and maintain bone density. Without vitamin D, all calcium supplements are worthless anyway! The best source of vitamin D is the sun – 10 to 15 minutes of exposure a day should be enough. During the winter, take cod liver oil. It’s by far the best supplemental source of vitamin D.

• Get vitamin K in your greens: Vtamin K regulates calcium whilst stabilizing bones. In addition it regulates blood clotting. You should at at least one serving of green vegetables like spinach, kale, collard greens, mustard greens, Brussels sprouts or broccoli every day. One study found people eating just 0.1 milligrams of vitamin K daily (about one large serving of greens) were 30% less likely to break their hips than people who ate less than that amount.

• Eat foods rich in B-complex vitamins: Your body also uses a variety of B vitamins in bone building. The best sources are liver, eggs, lean meats, yeast, fish, raw nuts, asparagus, broccoli and bananas.

• Get a blood test: A simple blood test will tell you how your hormone levels affect your bone health. This is the best way to determine the health of your bones and your risk for fracture. Women may need to take natural progesterone. For both men and women testosterone is the most powerful controller of your bone density.

So there you go.
A simple and easy primer on bones and how to keep them dense.