Osteoporosis can be a debilitating problem for any person. While the degenerative process that often occurs from osteoporosis can seem overwhelming, there are things that can be done to protect against the onset deterioration of osteoporosis. In addition, there are osteoporosis treatments that are available for people who are suffering from this condition that can significantly improve their body's bone strength and mass.
Currently, osteoporosis is a disorder that affects 25 million Americans each year. Also, another 25-40 million Americans suffer from bone loss each year. The statistics show that 80 percent of those people who suffer from osteoporosis are women. Many of them are women that are going through menopause. This is usually the time when women first realize they have osteoporosis. The most damaging affects of osteoporosis are loss of good posture, bone deformation, and a higher rate of bone fractures.
The best osteoporosis treatment for people is ensuring there is a daily regiment of heightened calcium intake as the person ages. Since the degradation of the bones is caused by a loss of bone mass from calcium deficiency and old age, building strong bones is the best counter offensive. This is primarily done through an increase of calcium, vitamin D and exercise.
Most people begin to show more signs of bone loss as they get beyond the age of 50. This is the case for both men and women. However, bone loss in women is a much more extensive problem than it is in men. This is in part because of the effects of menopause. The best way to balance bone loss that occurs from aging and menopause is by adding calcium and Vitamin D to a person's daily diet, as well as increasing their weekly impact exercise regiment. For men, the RDA for calcium is 1,000 milligrams if they are age 50 or older. For women, the amount of RDA for calcium needed is slightly higher at 1,200 milligrams per day.
It should be noted that it is essential for people who are taking in calcium supplements daily to make sure they are also taking in the proper amount of Vitamin D. This is to ensure that the calcium is being absorbed properly for both men and women at the amount of 600 IU per day. While people can get a fair amount of calcium from their normal diet, many people that are older are deficient in the amount of calcium that they take in daily. Foods that are high in calcium include low fat dairy products, leafy green vegetables, almonds, nuts and soy.
Other osteoporosis treatments include getting into a regular exercise regiment, using natural remedies, and in more extreme cases using prescription medicines. Each of these can help sufferers of osteoporosis to battle its affects. For a good exercise regiment, using a combination of strength training exercises and weight-bearing exercises can help build and maintain strong bones. These exercises would include: walking, jogging, running, skipping rope, light weight lifting, stair climbing, as well as other minimal impact bearing sports.
The good news is there are answers to strengthening and building up the body's calcium levels and bone mass. However, the closer a person is to the age of 50 is when they should seriously start addressing the concerns of osteoporosis. Through diet, calcium, vitamin D supplements and exercise, damage from this disease can be minimal.