Any informed person knows that high blood pressure has earned the dubious moniker as “The Silent Killer” due to its ability to silently reek havoc in the body until its damage culminates in a heart attack, a stoke, erectile dysfunction, or other health problems. However, few people know that osteoporosis—thinning of the bones, which leaves one prone to fractures—is similarly stealth!
Indeed, the statistics are eerily alarming. During a lifetime, 50% of American women and 25% of men will sustain broken bones due to osteoporosis! Each year in the US, osteoporosis is responsible for 1.5 million fractures, including 300,000 hip fractures. Sadly, 25% of people who sustain hip fractures die from associated complications.
Unlike conditions like headaches and low back pain, osteoporosis sends out no warning signals announcing its presence. In fact, the first sign of this silent disease is often times a fracture caused by relatively minor trauma. Fortunately, osteoporosis is completely preventable. The following strategies have been shown to help prevent thinning of the bones:
●Daily Weight-Bearing Exercise: Most experts agree that weight-bearing exercise (e.g. walking and running) is the cornerstone of bone health. Physical stress causes bones to thicken and resist fractures. You should exercise most days of the week for at lest 30 minutes each session.
●Daily Calcium Consumption: Calcium is one of the most important minerals involved in bone remodeling. The best sources of calcium are low-fat dairy products and green leafy vegetables such as broccoli, collards, turnip greens, and bok choy. If you are unable to tolerate calcium-rich foods, you’ll want to take a calcium supplement. Calcium can cause constipation, so split the dosage, and take them twice daily. Premenopausal women and men need 1000 mg/day, while postmenopausal women need 1500 mg/day.
●Daily Magnesium Intake: Calcium absorption requires vitamin D. Our bodies can produce vitamin D upon exposure to the sun (about 30-60 accumulated minutes per week). Be sure to not exceed more than the recommended sun exposure in order to protect against skin cancer. Other sources of vitamin D include vitamin D-fortified foods. If you elect to take a supplement, you need to take in at least 400 IU/day.
●Don’t Use Tobacco Products: This habit has been shown to thin the bones. To quit tobacco products, you have to learn how to NOT smoke. For most people, quitting tobacco is very difficult. However, attending a formal tobacco cessation program, such as the one developed by the American Lung Association, is just what the doctor ordered—your chances of quitting increases.
●Use Alcohol in Moderation: Like tobacco, alcohol abuse can lead to thinning of bones. Men should keep their alcohol to less than 2 drinks daily; women and lighter weight men should limit their daily intake of alcohol to 1 drink.
CAUTION: Osteoporosis does not lend itself to self-diagnosis. Consult your healthcare provider to get an accurate diagnosis before starting any treatment plan. If you’d like to sit down with me for an hour-long consultation about this or other medical condition, call Ph# 931-0910, in Okinawa, Japan for an appointment. I charge $50/hour.
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