Osteoporosis - it's an old person's problem, right? Maybe your grandmother broke her hip and the doctor said it was due to osteoporosis. Sure, you feel badly for her, but you don't see any need to even think about the disease being a problem for you. You're young, healthy and eat well, so you think you'd know if you had a problem with your bones.
Not really. Because osteoporosis is a "silent" disease. And it can start when you are in college.
Osteoporosis means "porous bones" and is called the silent disease because it is a gradual decline of bone mass due primarily to a lack of calcium. This leads to fragile bones and eventual fractures.
Bone throughout your body is constantly lost and replaced -- an essential component to maintaining healthy bones.
Until age 35, more bone is formed than lost.
But after age 35 the trend reverses and the body loses more bone than it makes.
Most people do not know that osteoporosis is developing until they suddenly get a fracture.
Surprise! So, yes, you can have a problem with your bones and never know it.
There are many factors that influence bone strength, but there are three main ones:
- Gender
- Intake of calcium and vitamin D
- Age
What Is Your Risk?
So you may be wondering if you're risk for developing osteoporosis. You are if you fall into the following categories. The more categories that apply to you, the greater your risk:
- Sex:
Females have a higher risk because of their skeletal structure. - Age:
Most people think that this is a disease of the elderly, but we are beginning to see more of it in your age due mainly to a lack of calcium. More and more people are choosing soda and other drinks over milk, so the intake of calcium over the years is poor. - Estrogen:
Reduced estrogen production from missed periods from over- exercising, eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia, or irregular periods from other causes. - Heredity:
Family history of fractures in adulthood.n Race: Caucasian and Asian more likely than African American or Latino to develop osteoporosis.n Body weight and structure: Thin, smaller boned women are more at risk.
- Poor life style habits:
Cigarette smoking, too much alcohol, too little exercise , and too little calcium in the diet. - Chronic Disease:
Arthritis, thyroid disease, seizures and some intestinal diseases play a role. - Long term medicines:
Prednisone, thyroid medicine, and some anticonvulsants have an affect.
Getting Enough Calcium
How much calcium do you need to prevent osteoporosis? The calcium requirements differ as you get older. For the college population, the daily requirement is 1000 mg per day, and unfortunately, about 90 percent of teenage females do not get enough daily calcium.
Amounts of calcium in foods vary. Dairy products are a good source, but they too vary. Surprisingly, fat-free dairy products give you more calcium per serving.If you do not like milk or dairy products, there are many other good sources of calcium.
Some examples are calcium-fortified orange juice (350 mg of calcium), a baked potato with cheese (350 mg) and green vegetables, such as spinach and broccoli.
Calcium Supplements
Some people choose to take calcium supplements rather than trying to get enough in their diet. This calcium is good, but absorption is highest when the medicine is taken with a meal. When choosing a calcium supplement, look at the elemental calcium on the label to see just how much calcium is available to the body.
Five hundred mg of calcium carbonate contains 200 mg of elemental calcium. For those who have problems taking pills or just do not like to take pills, another good source of calcium is a soft chewable caramel called Viactiv. This caramel provides 500 mg of elemental calcium and comes in a variety of flavors.
All these supplements can be found in a grocery store, drug store or anywhere selling over-the-counter medicines.
Lowering Your Risk
Now that you understand that osteoporosis is not just a disease of old people, let's talk about how you can lower your risk.If you are careful about your lifestyle, osteoporosis can be prevented, but you need to think about it now Don't wait until it's too late and it has already set it. Look at three main lifestyle choices:Diet is essential for bone growth and replacement; you need adequate calories to maintain a healthy weight, and adequate calcium consumption and Vitamin D intake for bone growth.
Exercise helps to maintain bone health with weight bearing exercises, such as jogging, walking, stair climbing and dancing, and resistance exercises, such as weight lifting.Smoking accelerates bone loss by lowering estrogen levels. One pack per day during adulthood causes a 5 to 10 percent decrease in bone density by menopause.Some minor lifestyle changes today can mean better bone health and prevention of future problems.
