When the
vertebrae weaken due to osteoporosis, they gradually become wedge-shaped,
resulting in the "dowager's hump," a prominent curve in the upper
back. After that, neither starch nor willpower will be able to help you
straighten your spine.
According to
a study published in 2014 in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research,
osteoporosis is very common, affecting up to 10% of adults over the age of 50.
It isn't, however, a necessary part of growing older.
Bones are
living structures that are constantly remodeling themselves by adding and
subtracting material. Your bone mass reaches its maximum in your third decade
of life. Following that, it's a downward spiral, which accelerates in women
after menopause as estrogen levels drop.
Men, like
women, can develop osteoporosis as they get older, though bone loss begins
later in men — around the age of 65 or 70 — than it does in women. Aside from
age, having a family history of the disease, being small and thin, smoking,
drinking too much alcohol, and being physically inactive are all risk factors.
The Bones, Calcium, and Vitamin D
Not getting
enough dietary calcium, a mineral that helps with muscle contractions and nerve
signal transmission, is another risk factor for osteoporosis. When your calcium
levels in your blood drop, your bones "give up" calcium to get back
to normal. Bones are similar to a mineral savings account: if you keep
withdrawing calcium and other minerals, your bones will deteriorate.
Doctors have
recommended calcium and vitamin D supplements to older people for years in
order to maintain bone density. For women over 50 and men over 70, the
Institute of Medicine recommends 1,200 milligrams (mg) of calcium and 600
international units (IU) of vitamin D per day.
The big
question is whether these supplements can help you keep your bone density.
According to
two papers published in the British Medical Journal in September 2015, the
answer is probably no. The first paper looked at 59 studies to see how getting
more calcium from food or supplements (calcium with or without vitamin D)
affected bone mineral density. For the first year or two, the extra calcium
resulted in small increases in bone mineral density, but this change was found
to be unlikely to reduce the risk of bone fractures (the most dreaded consequence
of osteoporosis).
The second
BMJ article focused specifically on bone fracture prevention. The researchers
looked at studies that looked at the effects of dietary calcium, milk and other
dairy products, and calcium supplements on the risk of fracture in women over
50. What was their conclusion? None of these treatments provided significant
protection against bone fractures. Calcium supplements can also cause
constipation, cardiovascular events (such as heart attacks, strokes, and
angina), and kidney stones, among other things. The second British Medical
Journal (BMJ)
So, how can
you protect your bones and avoid the pain and disability that comes with
broken, fragile bones? Bone-preserving behaviors, it turns out, also help to
prevent other major diseases like heart disease and cancer. There are a few
things you can do to preserve your bones in addition to avoiding tobacco and
heavy drinking.
1. Do some weight-bearing exercises.
Weight-bearing
and muscle-strengthening exercises help to promote bone formation and slow the
aging process.
The
following are some weight-bearing activities:
- Walking
- Jogging
- Rope jumping
- Stair climbing
- Skiing
Muscle-strengthening
exercises (also known as resistance training) require you to work against
additional weight in the form of free weights, weight machines, elastic bands,
or your own body (push-ups and chin-ups, for example). If you enjoy yoga,
you'll be happy to learn that a 12-minute daily yoga routine increased bone
mineral density in the spine, femur (thigh bone), and possibly the hips,
according to a 10-year study published in Topics in Geriatric Rehabilitation.
Check out
the National Osteoporosis Foundation's website for more information on
bone-preserving exercises. In addition, the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention offers instructional videos for at-home and gym exercises.
Before
jumping on the treadmill, consult your doctor if you have osteoporosis or any
other chronic condition.
Avoid heavy
lifting, sit-ups, abdominal "crunches," and any other activities that
require extreme bending or twisting if you have osteoporosis in your spine.
2. Eat plant-based and fermented
foods
Calcium,
magnesium, potassium, vitamin K, vitamin C, and protein are all found in a
variety of fruits and vegetables. Edible plants also contain anti-inflammatory
and antioxidant compounds that fight inflammation and oxidative stress, two
cellular conditions linked to aging and a variety of chronic diseases, including
osteoporosis. Increased consumption of fruits and vegetables has also been
linked to improved bone mass in studies.
A Swedish
study published in the Journal of Bone Mineral Research in 2015 found that men
and women aged 45 to 83 who avoided plant foods had an 88 percent higher rate
of hip fracture than those who ate the recommended five daily servings of
fruits and vegetables.
Fermented
foods like yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, and kimchi may also help with bone
health: They contain probiotics (live microorganisms, primarily bacteria) that
are beneficial to your health, and these "good" microbes colonize
your intestinal tract and other bodily surfaces. Animals raised in a germ-free
environment with no intestinal microbes lose bone at a faster rate than those with
normal, healthy microbes. Probiotics in fermented foods or supplements, in
theory, support a healthy population of gut microbes. Probiotic supplements and
fermented milk products appear to increase bone mineral density in lab animals,
according to preliminary research.
Men and
women over 50 who sleep less than six hours per night have a significantly
increased risk of osteoporosis, according to a study published in the Journal
of the American Geriatrics Society in 2015. To wake up refreshed, most adults need
seven to eight hours of sleep; if you can stay awake for 20 minutes of C-SPAN, you're
probably getting enough.
We hope you
always stand tall with this bone-fortifying recipe from 500 Time-Tested Home
Remedies and the Science Behind Them.
Super
Green Sauté
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, pounded
- ¼ cup of diced pecans
- ¼ cup of raisins
- 4 cups of collards, sliced, stems removed
- 4 cups of turnip greens, sliced
- ½ cup of water salt and freshly minced black pepper
- Sprigs of basil
Preparation:
In a large
skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Cook for about a minute after
adding the garlic. Stir in the pecans, raisins, and greens, and continue to
cook for another 4 to 5 minutes, or until the greens have wilted. Remove from
the heat, transfer to plates, season to taste with salt and pepper, and garnish
with parsley.
2 servings
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