Your body constantly makes new bone tissue to keep itself strong, but after your 20s, the rate of production slows. You reach peak bone mass in your 30s, and then bone loss starts to overtake new growth.
It’s not always an issue, but for some, this loss of bone mass can become a problem called osteoporosis. Bones become so porous that they will break with very little force, a common problem for some elderly people.
While you can turn to the experts at Alpha Internal Medicine for treatment if you develop osteoporosis, there are also changes you can make to your lifestyle to promote bone growth while slowing its loss. Here are 5 ways you can improve your bone health.
It seems that a healthy, balanced diet is on the list for virtually every condition that results from getting older. Osteoporosis is no exception. You are what you eat, so as a bone-healthy adult, you consume plenty of vegetables. Vitamin C is in strong supply and it stimulates bone formation as well as providing antioxidant protection against bone cell damage.
Protein is another key building block, since bones are about 50% protein. Both low and high levels of protein are linked to bone problems through calcium absorption. The target is in the middle, about 100 grams of protein accompanied with lots of plant-based foods and adequate amounts of calcium.
If you’re getting plenty of aerobic exercise, great! Staying active is a fantastic benefit to your overall health. Consider adding weight-bearing exercise to give bone health a boost. Weight-bearing, high-impact exercise stimulates new bone growth while simultaneously resisting bone loss. Resistance bands are also a great way to get bone-friendly workout time.
Achieving and maintaining an optimal body weight is the best condition for your bones. Being underweight can increase your risk of osteoporosis, particularly if you’re a postmenopausal woman. Being overweight adds stress to bones and may also interfere with bone quality.
Sudden weight loss and extremely low calorie diets can both rob you of bone mass. If you’re overweight and want to stay bone friendly, choose an eating and exercise plan that targets gradual weight loss over time.
Vitamin D is important for calcium absorption, so even if you’re getting adequate amounts of calcium through your diet, it may be wasted if you’re vitamin D deficient. Sunlight is a common way to boost vitamin D, which is also available through fatty fish and cheese. Vitamin D and calcium supplements are frequently part of your osteoporosis treatment if you require medical attention for the issue.
If you smoke, there’s little you can do to stop the advance of osteoporosis. Nicotine is toxic to bone tissue, so even if you’re doing everything else right, you can still expect accelerated bone loss. Moderate amounts of alcohol shouldn’t have an effect on bone density, but more than a few drinks a week could have an effect similar to nicotine.
Women can be affected by osteoporosis over four times more than men, so the women’s health specialists at Alpha Internal Medicine are the experts you need to protect your bone health. Book a consultation by phone or online. Same-day appointments may be available so call now.
