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By John Goh
Osteoporosis is a bone disease that develops slowly.
Osteoporosis causes your
bones to become fragile and more likely to break. Here is a summary of 6
preventive measures you can take to prevent osteoporosis.
1. Do regular weight-bearing exercise
Muscle pulling on bone builds bone, so weight-bearing exercise builds denser,
stronger bones. The exercises also improve your posture. Exercising the back
muscles helps the whole body become more upright.
The best exercises for building bone include weight-lifting, jogging, hiking,
stair-climbing, step aerobics, dancing, racquet sports, and other activities
that require your muscles to work against gravity. Swimming and walking,
although good for cardiovascular fitness, are not the best exercises for
building bone.
2. Go for a bone mineral density test
A Bone Mineral Density test (BMD) is the only way to diagnose osteoporosis
and determine your risk for future fracture. Since osteoporosis can remain
undetected for decades until a fracture occurs, early diagnosis is important.
A BMD measures the density of your bones or your bone mass. The test
determines whether you need medication to help maintain your bone mass, prevent
further bone loss and reduce fracture risk.
3. Take enough calcium in your diet
Inadequate calcium intake is known to contribute to the development of
osteoporosis. Taking calcium from diary products is over-rated though as our
bodies were never designed to take in the milk of cows.
Depending on your age, an appropriate calcium intake falls between 1000 and
1300 mg a day. Avoid phytic acid, oxalic acid and sodium as they affect your
body’s ability to absorb calcium.
4. Get enough Vitamin D
Vitamin D is needed for the body to absorb calcium from the foods you eat.
Vitamin D comes from two sources: through the skin following direct exposure to
sunlight and from the diet. An exposure of 10 to 15 minutes of sun for at least
two times per week is usually sufficient to provide adequate vitamin D. If you
cannot get sunlight, vitamin D can be derived from foods like salmon, mackerel,
tuna and egg yolk.
5. Take ample fruits and vegetables
Take five or more servings of fruits and vegetables daily. A recent study
found that women who consumed 3.5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily had
greater bone density than those who did not. Fruits and vegetables are good
sources of magnesium and potassium, two major nutrients that protect bones
besides calcium and vitamin D.
6. Change your cooking oil to coconut oil
Coconut oil has been used to treat people that have deficiency in calcium.
Coconut oil enhances the absorption and retention of minerals like calcium and
magnesium. The medium chain fatty acids in coconut oil been used to treat
children suffering from rickets, which is a condition that involves demineralization
and softening of the bones.
The free radicals from oxidized vegetable oils interfere with bone formation,
promoting the development of osteoporosis. The saturated fats in coconut oil act
as anti-oxidants that protect the bones from destructive free radicals. That is
why one should avoid processed vegetable oils and use coconut oil for cooking
instead.
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