Osteoporosis is a systemic skeletal disease characterised bybone loss and changes in the bone quality that could lead to loss of bonestrength and fractures.
Osteoporosis is a ‘silent’ or asymptomatic disease as isoften only diagnosed by means of a bone mineral density test when a person hashad a fracture.
However, osteoporosis is a preventable disease. Here aresome tips:
· Make sure that you take in sufficient calcium.All young people from age 14 upwards need between 1000 and 1500 mg of calciumdaily in order to build up maximum bone density. That means having betweenthree and four cups of milk (skim milk if you tend to be overweight), yogurt orcottage cheese every day.
· Postmenopausal women over 40 should take inabout 1500 mg of elemental calcium per day. If it is difficult to make thispart of your daily diet, a good calcium supplement, that contains at least 500mg of elemental calcium per tablet, should be considered. Milk, cheese,sardines, tofu and green vegetables are all rich in calcium.
· Men between the ages of 30 and 50 need 800 -1000 mg of calcium daily and men over 50, 1200 mg of calcium per day.
· Make sure that you get enough vitamin D. Generally,most people are exposed to sufficient sunlight in order to produce vitamin D.However, older people who spend a lot of time indoors often need additionalvitamin D. Use a soft margarine that contains a vitamin D-supplement or take anoral vitamin D supplement – usual requirement 600 – 800 IU daily and containedin many calcium tablets.
· Additional magnesium may be needed by diabetics,alcoholics and people who take diuretics. Nuts, seeds and grains are all richin magnesium. Chicken, fish and red meat increase the absorption of magnesiumand other minerals.
· Lose the alcohol and the cigarettes. Reducealcohol intake and stop smoking. Research has shown that between 20 and 25percent of men who drink four or more units of alcohol per day, suffer somefrom of bone loss.
· Exercise at least twice per week. Weight-bearingexercises such as running, and resistance training, where you have to pushagainst your body weight or against weights, apparatus or elastic bands, areessential for building strong bone structure.
· Exercise moderately three times a week. Walkingis an excellent and easy means of exercise and provides the necessary skeletalprotection and benefit. Brisk walking for 30-45 minutes three times a week isadequate. Resistance training may also enhance muscle and skeletal strength,but must be performed cautiously in the patient at high risk for osteoporosis.
Remember, although treatable, the prevention of osteoporosisis much more effective. This requires an understanding of predictive factors sothat the likelihood of osteoporosis may be judged, an awareness of methods tomeasure bone mass, knowledge of lifestyle adaptations and drugs available to preventfurther bone loss.
Do not hesitate to obtain professional medical advice.
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