5 ways to prevent osteoporosis and love your bones more
Osteoporosis has to be one of the most common preventable disorders today. Yet, sadly, it is ignored till a fracture reminds us of its existence. World Osteoporosis Day — marked on October 20 — just passed us by, and I feel it is time to refresh our knowledge about this problem, which can be kept in check just as well as it can be prevented.
According to the official World Osteoporosis Day website, worldwide, one in three women and one in five men aged 50 years and over will suffer an osteoporotic fracture and close to nine million fractures occur every year due to this condition. These numbers are huge!
Osteoporosis literally means porous bones, and is a condition where our bones begin to lose both density and strength as the rate of bone degeneration outpaces bone growth and repair. Simply put, our bones become weak and fragile and can break easily even with a minor fall, a bump and, at times, even with a sneeze or a sudden movement. Often these fractures can be life-threatening and lead to pain and long-term disability.
So here I list five well accepted (and effective) steps for osteoporosis prevention:
Regular exercise (use them or lose them)
In fact, exercise works better than even calcium in building strong bones. Although calcium intake is often cited as the most important factor for healthy bones, exercise is really the predominant lifestyle determinant of bone strength. But you need to choose your exercise right.
Swimming and bicycling may be excellent cardiovascular exercises, but they do not have an impact on bones. Weight-bearing workouts that force you to push against gravity, such as walking, weight-lifting and climbing stairs, improve bone health by helping slow the loss of bone density.
The National Osteoporosis Foundation, USA (NOF) gives these examples of weight-bearing exercises: walking, vigorous, gardening, jogging, impact aerobics, climbing stairs, cross-country skiing, soccer, tennis, dancing, inline skating and hiking. But a word of caution: don’t overdo the exercise because "gym rats" (who spend excessive amounts of time and energy working out) and those who believe "you can never be too thin” are at serious risk of developing osteoporosis.
Follow a diet rich in bone healthy nutrients
And it’s not just calcium, the list is long and important. Vitamin D, K, C, B12, and minerals like magnesium and potassium are important. For strong bone density you also need the "right" combination of polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs), which include omega-6s (in grains and meat) and omega-3s (in fish, flax seeds, and walnuts).
Follow an anti-inflammatory diet
According to research published in January 2017 in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, those following diets with lower inflammatory (dietary inflammatory index (DII)) had half the risk of hip fracture than those used to diets with higher inflammatory potential. A diet rich in fruit, vegetables, fish, omega-3 and wholegrain cereals helps.
Avoid smoking and excessive alcohol
Nicotine is toxic to the bone. Literally. In fact, if you don't quit smoking, there's very little anyone can do for your bones. Nicotine counteracts all the good steps. Alcohol in moderation is fine, but in excess, it causes bone loss as it can interfere with the production of vitamin D, which, in turn, interferes with calcium absorption.
Alcoholism has also been linked to an increase in levels of cortisol, a hormone that can decrease bone formation and increase bone breakdown — and it also kills osteoblasts, the bone-making cells.
Finally, look out for risk factors and get tested regularly
Are we doing that? No. We definitely aren't getting tested well in time, we aren't exercising enough, smoking and alcohol abuse is rampant, and there are way too few bone building nutrients in our diet. In fact, a review recently published in the journal Osteoporosis International shows that Indians are consuming the lowest amount of calcium - in the range of 400 to 500mg per day as compared to the Northern European countries registered intakes of greater than 1,000mg a day. And vitamin D deficiency is already an epidemic in the country.
Time to wake up and love our bones more! In fact, the World Osteoporosis Day theme this year is "Love your bones, protect your future". And that’s apt, really! Your future disability can depend on how you take care of your bones today.