Attention all women!
Did you know that, according to the International Osteoporosis Foundation, osteoporosis affects 10 percent of the world's population of women aged 60? The percentage rises as women grow older, with up to 200 million women 60 and over worldwide who suffer from the disease! Osteoporosis is so dangerous and prevalent, the disease is responsible for a bone fracture every three seconds.
The reason women are more prone to osteoporosis than men is that females generally have smaller bones than males, and after menopause, a woman's estrogen levels drop. This is crucial because estrogen is directly related to healthy bone mass and density, explains an article in the medical journal Joint Bone Spine. Men must also be wary, however. The International Osteoporosis Foundation says men are more likely to die from osteoporosis-related bone fractures than are women. And in fact, according to Harvard Health Publications, two million American men suffer from osteoporosis.
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It is never early enough to start thinking about bone health. The International Osteoporosis Foundation says once you hit your mid-twenties, your bones reach their "peak bone mass," which means they will not get any thicker. This is why it is crucial for women in their teens and twenties to take special care to strengthen and thicken their bones before it's too late.
To strengthen bones before your mid-twenties, eat a diet rich in calcium and vitamin D. You may want to talk to your doctor about taking a supplement if your diet does not fulfill the recommended daily intake. It is important to regularly exercise, never smoke and avoid secondhand smoke.
As a woman goes through adulthood, it is important she continues focusing on consuming 1,000 mg of calcium daily. Calcium is found in dairy products like milk, cheese and yogurt, as well as collard greens, broccoli rabe, sardines and soybeans. The National Osteoporosis Foundation recommends consuming nonfat powdered milk on a daily basis. A single tablespoon contains 50 mg of calcium, and two to four tablespoons can easily be added to most recipes.
Vitamin D is essential for absorbing calcium. For women under the age of 50, 400 to 800 IU of the vitamin is recommended daily. The body absorbs most of its vitamin D from sunlight, which is why it is essential to exercise outdoors throughout one's lifetime. Taking a daily stroll when the afternoon sun is high in the sky is a simple way to improve bone health. Vitamin D is also found in fatty fish like mackerel, tuna and salmon and is often added to dairy products, orange juice, soymilk and cereals.
If you are postmenopausal, it is important to watch out for early signs and symptoms of osteoporosis. According to Everyday Health, one of the most common first signs of osteoporosis is a fracture in the wrist, back, hip or other bone, as a result of tripping or other mild to moderate trauma or impact.
Other symptoms you may be unaware of are receding gums, decreased grip strength, brittle fingernails, leg and foot cramps at night, height loss and lowered overall fitness. Dr. Susan Brown, Ph.D., in an article for Better Bones urges postmenopausal women who experience one or more of these symptoms to ask their doctors for a bone density scan. It is the only surefire way to detect the loss of bone mass and to test for osteoporosis.
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It is possible a bone density scan reveals bone loss but not osteoporosis. This is just as important because it gives you and your doctor the information necessary to devise a diet and exercise plan designed specifically to prevent further bone loss and stave off osteoporosis.
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