Five Ways to Prevent Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a disease that causes bone thinning over the course of several years. People who are diagnosed with osteoporosis are more prone to bone fractures. Although women are often most likely to develop osteoporosis, Caucasians, those with a family history of osteoporosis are also at risk. The good news is that even if you haven’t exactly been leading a healthy lifestyle, preventing osteoporosis is still easily possible!

Ways to Prevent Osteoporosis:

1. Increase Calcium Intake – Adults should consume at least 1,000 milligrams of calcium each day. Calcium is easy to add into your diet, as it can be obtained by eating common foods such as yogurt and cheese and drinking milk. If you are lactose intolerant, foods such as chickpeas, canned salmon (with bones), and tofu are rich in calcium. If you find that you can’t incorporate enough calcium into your diet, calcium supplements are an additional option.

2. Increase Vitamin D Intake – Vitamin D allows your body to absorb calcium better. Increasing you intake of vitamin D is easy; by eating foods like salt water fish, egg yolks and liver or even a walk in the sunshine, you can increase your consumption of vitamin D.

3. Exercise! – Regular exercise promotes strong bone development. Cardio exercises involving impact, such as dancing, running or jogging, are beneficial in preventing osteoporosis. Weight training is the key to developing bones in the upper body and will also help to develop balance, which reduces the chance of falling and breaking bones.

4. Limit Alcohol Intake – Stick to one or two drinks per day, as excessive amounts of alcohol heightens your risk of osteoporosis.

5. Don’t Smoke – On top of all its other negative side effects, smoking increases the bone thinning once it begins. Studies have shown a direct link between cigarette smoking and osteoporosis, demonstrating that smokers are not only more prone to fractures and low bone mass, but that they also take more time to heal from fractures. If you smoke, the best way to prevent osteoporosis is obvious, just quit.

Preventing osteoporosis begins early in life, with good nutrition and regular exercise; however, even if you aren’t living healthily, with a few lifestyle changes, it’s easy to prevent osteoporosis and other health ailments.