Osteoporosis

Alcohol Consumption and Osteoporosis
Consuming more than two alcoholic beverages a day may decrease bone formation and reduce the bone’s ability to absorb calcium.

Exercise and Osteoporosis
Weight-bearing exercises help build strong, dense bones and guard against bone loss. Exercises that can help prevent osteoporosis include walking, jogging, running, stair climbing, rope jumping, skiing, aerobic dancing, and impact-producing sports such as tennis or volleyball.

HRT and Osteoporosis
Women who are menopausal or post-menopausal should talk to their physician about other ways to help prevent osteoporosis, such as hormone replacement therapy (HRT) or other prescription medications.

No Bones About It: A New Drug for Osteoporosis
For women who suffer with osteoporosis, the news is good: A new medication promises to revolutionize treatment for the bone-thinning disease, particularly in women with the most severe problems. The drug, a synthetic version of human parathyroid hormone called PTH, works by helping the body build new bone -- even after dramatic loss has occurred.
Unlike other treatments for osteoporosis, which can help stop bone loss, parathyroid hormone actually helps the body build new bone, so that a woman has a chance to put back what her skeleton has lost over time to osteoporosis.

Prevent Osteoporosis with Dietary Calcium
Milk, cheese, yogurt, citrus fruits, and shellfish are good sources of calcium. Vegetables that are rich in calcium include broccoli, spinach, kale, and collard greens.

Preventing Osteoporosis
Post-menopausal women, and men with low testosterone, are most at risk for osteoporosis, a disease that causes bones to become brittle and weak.

Preventive tips for over-50-year-olds:

Include 1,500 milligrams of dietary calcium and 800 international units of vitamin D in your daily diet.
Do weight-bearing exercises -- like walking, jogging, dancing or aerobics -- at least three times a week.
Add resistance training to your workout routine: lift free weights, use weight-training machines, play racquet or impact sports.
Practice proper lifting techniques -- bend from your knees, not your back.
Have an annual physical exam and ask your doctor to order a bone density test.

Smoking and Osteoporosis
Smoking interferes with the absorption of calcium and increases your chances of developing osteoporosis.

Vitamin D and Osteoporosis
Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium and deposit it into bones. Vitamin D may be obtained from vitamin-D fortified milk and foods such as liver, fish, and egg yolks.

Vitamin D and Our Bones
Vitamin D plus calcium supplements have been shown to decrease the risks of bone loss and fracture in the elderly when consumed at recommended levels.

Why Men are Less Prone to Osteoporosis
why it is only women who have to worry about osteoporosis as they get older? One reason may be that male menopause, sometimes called andopause or andropause, comes later and is a lot slower than menopause in women. But it may also be a matter of estrogen production. After menopause, women still produce estrogen -- in breast tissue, where it doesn't do much good. But men also produce estrogen -- in bones, where it helps prevent osteoporosis.