WAYS TO STOP BONE LOSS AFTER AGE 50
from the article "7 Ways to Stop Bone Loss After Age 50"
By Carole Jacobs, Special to Lifescript
Published March 13, 2011
Reviewed By Edward C. Geehr, M.D.
Were you a wild child – drinking, smoking and eating badly in your younger years? If so, you might be at risk for osteoporosis. Here’s how to prevent additional bone loss in 7 simple steps…
The excesses of youth – smoking, drinking and starving yourself skinny – are now showing up as bone loss and osteoporosis in women.
About 8 million women in the U.S. have osteoporosis, and 30 million more may get the disease, which can cause bones to break with something as harmless as a sneeze, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF).
But even if you’ve abused your body in the past, you still have time to save your bones with simple changes, like getting enough vitamin D, eating more fresh fruits and veggies and, yes, adding some weight if you’re too thin.
Read on for the latest studies and doctor-recommended tips.
1. Know where you stand
Not sure where you fall on the bone-strength scale? Head to your doctor’s office for a couple of helpful tests.
- FRAX (Fracture Risk Assessment Tool).
- Bone-density test - dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scan
2. Bone up with calcium
Your bones store up to 99% of the calcium your body needs for nearly every function, including blood clotting, muscle and nerve function. And women can lose up to 20% of their bone density during the 5-7 years following menopause because of a decrease in estrogen.
That’s why women over 50 should get about 1,200 milligrams of calcium daily, according to updated guidelines issued by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) in November 2010.
Your best sources for the mineral are low-fat and fat-free dairy products, such as milk, ice cream, cheese and yogurt, but calcium supplements can fill nutritional gaps, says Katherine Brooking, M.S., R.D., a New York-based dietitian.
“Just don’t overdo it," Cosman adds.
Too much calcium – more than 2,500 mg for adults 19-50, or more than 2,000 mg if you’re over 51 – can cause constipation and kidney stones, and it could interfere with the body’s ability to absorb other essential minerals such as iron and zinc, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements of the National Institutes of Health.
3. Get more vitamin D
“Without enough vitamin D, [women] could lose up to 4% of their skeletal mass per year,” says Michael F. Holick, Ph.D., M.D., professor of medicine at Boston University Medical Center, who discovered calcitriol (vitamin D3), the hormonally active form of the vitamin. He’s also the author of The Vitamin D Solution (Penguin).
That’s why increasing vitamin D intake is essential. It helps maintain normal calcium levels in the bones and aids in its absorption.
You can get D from leafy greens and fortified dairy products, but the major source is sunlight, which triggers production of the vitamin in your skin.
But you’ll probably need a vitamin D supplement if you live in a cloudy climate, use sunscreen religiously and/or have dark skin, Holick says.
4. Eat your veggies
Milk and vitamin D aren’t the only ways to build strong bones. Fruits and vegetables also have high levels of nutrients essential for skeletal health, including magnesium, potassium, vitamin C, vitamin K and several B vitamins, according to a large 2009 study conducted by the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston.
Five servings of fruits and veggies a day is all you need, according to a 2005 landmark study at the Clinical Research and Regional Bone Centers at Helen Hayes Hospital in West Haverstraw, N.Y. Calcium-rich produce includes broccoli (180 mg/cup), cooked spinach (240 mg/cup), arugula (125 mg/cup), orange juice (300 mg/cup), kiwi (50 mg/cup) and dry figs (300 mg/cup).
5. Kick butts
Here’s another reason to quit smoking: It’s a leading cause of bone loss and fractures in women older than 40, according to a three-year study conducted on 4,332 women at Universidade Federal de São Paulo in Brazil and published in 2010.
“Nicotine seems to have toxic effects on bone-forming cells and lowers estrogen levels, which in turn reduces bone density and leads to an earlier menopause,” Cosman says.
Cigarette smoking may increase spontaneous bone loss in women not taking estrogen, according to a two-year study on 270 postmenopausal women conducted at the Center for Clinical and Basic Research in Denmark.
6. Drink moderately
If you drank heavily during your adolescent and teenage years – the critical bone-building time – you may have irreversible skeletal damage and a greater risk of future fractures and osteoporosis, according to a 2010 Loyola University Study on rats.
Moderate drinking may affect estrogen concentrations or suppress bone breakdown to release minerals used in the rest of the body, researchers theorize.
So go ahead and enjoy just one glass of wine with dinner, Cosman says.
7. You really can be too thin
Here’s a good excuse to hang on to those love handles: A little extra padding protects your bones.
A low body weight often goes hand in hand with low bone mass and increased fracture risk, according to a 2006 Rutgers University Study. And those extra pounds may even protect you from fractures if you take a tumble.
Trying to lose weight? A 10% weight loss results in up to 2% bone loss, the Rutgers researchers say.
Weight protects you in several ways, the study shows. First, just carrying around an extra load has a weight-bearing benefit. Also, fat is associated with bone-building hormones, such as estrogen. And when you lose weight, circulating estrogen decreases.
MY THOUGHTS
i should start learning to like milk. i have no problem with veggies and getting enough sun. but milk has never been a favorite. much less a habit.
from the article "7 Ways to Stop Bone Loss After Age 50"
By Carole Jacobs, Special to Lifescript
Published March 13, 2011
Reviewed By Edward C. Geehr, M.D.
Were you a wild child – drinking, smoking and eating badly in your younger years? If so, you might be at risk for osteoporosis. Here’s how to prevent additional bone loss in 7 simple steps…
The excesses of youth – smoking, drinking and starving yourself skinny – are now showing up as bone loss and osteoporosis in women.
About 8 million women in the U.S. have osteoporosis, and 30 million more may get the disease, which can cause bones to break with something as harmless as a sneeze, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF).
But even if you’ve abused your body in the past, you still have time to save your bones with simple changes, like getting enough vitamin D, eating more fresh fruits and veggies and, yes, adding some weight if you’re too thin.
Read on for the latest studies and doctor-recommended tips.
1. Know where you stand
Not sure where you fall on the bone-strength scale? Head to your doctor’s office for a couple of helpful tests.
- FRAX (Fracture Risk Assessment Tool).
- Bone-density test - dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scan
2. Bone up with calcium
Your bones store up to 99% of the calcium your body needs for nearly every function, including blood clotting, muscle and nerve function. And women can lose up to 20% of their bone density during the 5-7 years following menopause because of a decrease in estrogen.
That’s why women over 50 should get about 1,200 milligrams of calcium daily, according to updated guidelines issued by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) in November 2010.
Your best sources for the mineral are low-fat and fat-free dairy products, such as milk, ice cream, cheese and yogurt, but calcium supplements can fill nutritional gaps, says Katherine Brooking, M.S., R.D., a New York-based dietitian.
“Just don’t overdo it," Cosman adds.
Too much calcium – more than 2,500 mg for adults 19-50, or more than 2,000 mg if you’re over 51 – can cause constipation and kidney stones, and it could interfere with the body’s ability to absorb other essential minerals such as iron and zinc, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements of the National Institutes of Health.
3. Get more vitamin D
“Without enough vitamin D, [women] could lose up to 4% of their skeletal mass per year,” says Michael F. Holick, Ph.D., M.D., professor of medicine at Boston University Medical Center, who discovered calcitriol (vitamin D3), the hormonally active form of the vitamin. He’s also the author of The Vitamin D Solution (Penguin).
That’s why increasing vitamin D intake is essential. It helps maintain normal calcium levels in the bones and aids in its absorption.
You can get D from leafy greens and fortified dairy products, but the major source is sunlight, which triggers production of the vitamin in your skin.
But you’ll probably need a vitamin D supplement if you live in a cloudy climate, use sunscreen religiously and/or have dark skin, Holick says.
4. Eat your veggies
Milk and vitamin D aren’t the only ways to build strong bones. Fruits and vegetables also have high levels of nutrients essential for skeletal health, including magnesium, potassium, vitamin C, vitamin K and several B vitamins, according to a large 2009 study conducted by the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston.
Five servings of fruits and veggies a day is all you need, according to a 2005 landmark study at the Clinical Research and Regional Bone Centers at Helen Hayes Hospital in West Haverstraw, N.Y. Calcium-rich produce includes broccoli (180 mg/cup), cooked spinach (240 mg/cup), arugula (125 mg/cup), orange juice (300 mg/cup), kiwi (50 mg/cup) and dry figs (300 mg/cup).
5. Kick butts
Here’s another reason to quit smoking: It’s a leading cause of bone loss and fractures in women older than 40, according to a three-year study conducted on 4,332 women at Universidade Federal de São Paulo in Brazil and published in 2010.
“Nicotine seems to have toxic effects on bone-forming cells and lowers estrogen levels, which in turn reduces bone density and leads to an earlier menopause,” Cosman says.
Cigarette smoking may increase spontaneous bone loss in women not taking estrogen, according to a two-year study on 270 postmenopausal women conducted at the Center for Clinical and Basic Research in Denmark.
6. Drink moderately
If you drank heavily during your adolescent and teenage years – the critical bone-building time – you may have irreversible skeletal damage and a greater risk of future fractures and osteoporosis, according to a 2010 Loyola University Study on rats.
Moderate drinking may affect estrogen concentrations or suppress bone breakdown to release minerals used in the rest of the body, researchers theorize.
So go ahead and enjoy just one glass of wine with dinner, Cosman says.
7. You really can be too thin
Here’s a good excuse to hang on to those love handles: A little extra padding protects your bones.
A low body weight often goes hand in hand with low bone mass and increased fracture risk, according to a 2006 Rutgers University Study. And those extra pounds may even protect you from fractures if you take a tumble.
Trying to lose weight? A 10% weight loss results in up to 2% bone loss, the Rutgers researchers say.
Weight protects you in several ways, the study shows. First, just carrying around an extra load has a weight-bearing benefit. Also, fat is associated with bone-building hormones, such as estrogen. And when you lose weight, circulating estrogen decreases.
MY THOUGHTS
i should start learning to like milk. i have no problem with veggies and getting enough sun. but milk has never been a favorite. much less a habit.
No comments:
Post a Comment