Low Bone Density Alert!

As time passes your body undergoes a lot of changes which you either ignore or hide behind a belief that you are hale and healthy. But when you sit down and spend some time for yourself, you might find problems or discomfort that your body is facing. One problem which most of the women and men are ignorant of is loss of bone density. Men and women start to show symptoms of low bone density in their late 30s.

What is bone density?

The framework of our body is nothing but bones. Imagine your body without bones; you wouldn’t be able to move, the organs would be left unprotected, the muscle would be suspended without having a place to stick on, minerals and fat wouldn’t have a storage place, and most of all the body would be shapeless. The density of your bones defines how strong your bones are.

Bone density is nothing but the amount of calcium and other minerals inside the bone. The higher the minerals stronger your bones. Every day your bones undergo a rebuilding process. This rebuilding slows down when you age. And here comes the low bone density problem.

Is low bone density…osteoporosis?

Low bone density is when your bone density is lower than normal. Can we conclude that it is osteoporosis? NO, when your bone density starts to recede you may have greater chances of getting osteoporosis. Women start to show bone density loss more than men where half the women population have osteoporosis by the age of 60, by stats.

Osteoporosis is a condition where bone resorption slows down and new bone formation becomes null in severe conditions. Your bones become so feeble that it is more prone to fractures. One in five women will have hip fractures in their lifetime.

It cannot be said that osteoporosis develops as we age. Medication used to treat asthma, arthritis, and breast cancer can also cause osteoporosis

Low bone density Treatment

If you search for what is causing osteoporosis, it will be low calcium content in your diet. And other factors like smoking, and not exercising contribute to bone loss.

Treatments for osteoporosis focus on slowing down bone loss and rebuilding bones. It can be done through medication and lifestyle changes.

You can reverse bone density loss…Dos and Don’ts

Exercising

If you have osteoporosis, low-impact exercises like walking, dancing, or aerobics can be carried out. Avoid activities like jumping, running, and jogging as they produce stress on your weak bones.

If your bones are healthy enough then you can take up high-impact weight-bearing exercises to make your bones stronger.

Food

Fruits and vegetables are great for bones. Your bones need vitamin C for repairing damage and rebuilding. Fruits and vegetables being an excellent source of vitamins will help in increasing bone density and rise minerals levels inside the bones.

Add fish, almonds, cereals, orange juice

A high intake of onions, broccoli, and green and yellow vegetables helps to reverse bone density loss.

Foods you should avoid

• Carbonated drinks and soft drinks
• Excess of protein intake
• Caffeine
• Excess intake of added sugars

Calcium-rich diet

It is important to spread calcium intake throughout the day to maintain your bone health. Calcium being the main mineral in bone, it has to be included in your food to optimize bone strength and structure. Intake of 1000mg of calcium is necessary to seal the bone density.

Maintaining your weight…

Being underweight or obese increases the risk of osteoporosis. If you are very thin your bones get weak and if obese, excess weight leaves stress on bones and you might increase the risk of fracture. So maintaining an optimum weight is essential in conditions like osteoporosis.

Bone health is very important in all stages of life. By taking a nutritious diet and sufficient physical activities you can get healthy bones that are stronger and tougher.