by: Gray Rollins
According to the U.S. News & World Report Health Center, ?Osteoporosis is a disease in which bones become fragile and more likely to break. Literally meaning ?porous bone,? it results in an increased loss of bone mass and strength.? Osteoporosis debilitates millions of people every year, but there is good news ? prevention is possible!
The skeletal structure of the body provides support for our muscles and protection for our vital organs; our bones are also a storehouse of calcium and other minerals. More than 99 percent of the body?s calcium is stored in our bones and teeth, the other 1 percent travels throughout our body in our blood. Calcium is vital for heart and muscle function.
Our skeletons are made up of a smooth, tough outer layer of dense bone, a spongier mid section and a soft core of marrow where new cells are made to rebuild our bones. Our bones are constantly changing because our bodies depend on a steady supply of calcium to function properly. When we don?t get enough calcium from our regular diet our bodies break down and rebuild bone to meet our needs. This is called ?bone remodeling.?
Many things can influence bone remodeling, like injury, illness, medications, exercise, diet, hormonal changes, smoking, heavy drinking and of course the normal aging process. When the body requires more calcium than we are able to consume, or if we aren?t able to store the calcium we consume adequately it is leached from the spongy mid layer of our bones. They gradually lose their density making them weak and porous, and more prone to fractures. This is osteoporosis.
Most of our bone mass is established before the age of 30, and after about age 35, as a part of the normal aging process, our bodies begin to breakdown our bone faster than we are able to rebuild it. The natural decline in hormonal production is another contributing factor. When women reach menopause and their ovaries stop producing estrogen and bone loss accelerates. In men a reduction in the hormone testosterone also encourages bone loss.
There is no cure for osteoporosis, so disease prevention is vital to maintaining bone density. There are three key areas to consider when it comes to preventing osteoporosis: diet, lifestyle choices and medications. http://www.osteoperosishelp.com/howtopreventosteoporosis
To maintain strong healthy bones a diet sufficient in calcium and vitamin D are important from preadolescence and throughout adulthood. Calcium needs become greater in older adults whose bodies can no longer rebuild bone mass. Recent studies suggest that bone fractures can be reduced by 30-50% in individuals with low dietary calcium simply with the addition of a calcium and vitamin D supplement.
A few easy lifestyle changes can also influence our risk of getting osteoporosis. Smoking, low body weight and a lack of exercise are all contributing factors to raising our susceptibility to the disease. Weight-bearing exercises like walking, stair climbing, dancing and weight training help to increase bone density, keep muscles flexible and ensure better physical balance in people of all ages. Exercise also helps to regulate body weight to a healthy level. There is a direct link between tobacco use and lower bone density so smoking cessation is also recommended.
The use of medications can and does play an important role in the prevention of osteoporosis. Calcium and vitamin D supplements as mentioned previously are often paired with bisphosphonates like Alendronate and Risedronate, selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) like Raloxifene, and hormonal replacements like Estrogen and Testosterone. All medications have some side effects and these are best discussed with your doctor.
Though there is no known cure for osteoporosis there is hope and help in preventing this common and often debilitating disease of the elderly. By starting now and working to prevent bone density loss you?ll have a stronger, healthier future.
About The Author
Gray Rollins is a featured writer for http://www.osteoperosishelp.com, an excellent resource site for osteoporosis help and prevention. There's also excellent tips on how to live with osteoporosis - http://www.osteoperosishelp.com/osteoporosistips/.
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Diet Pills - A Risky Idea
Diet Pills - A Risky Idea
by: Jeff Dedrick
I wish I had a nickel for every weight loss aid and pill on the market. You and I could both retire. Many of these have been associated with serious medical risks, including heart attack, heart abnormalities, tachycardia, stroke, seizures and death. That's pretty scary!
Most diet pills are appetite suppressants of one kind or another, generally stimulants with effects similar to those of amphetamine. They're okayed for treatment of obesity, where it's considered that the health risks associated with obesity outweigh the risks of the medication.
But is you have less than 30 pounds to lose, the risks are far less cut-and-dried. Over the counter medications and their risks are not as well-documented as the effects of prescription diet pills. Herbal preparation effects are documented even less, especially those whose makers don't officially make weight loss claims.
Here's part of the problem....
Diet Pills - A Risky Idea
Weight loss > Diet Pills - A Risky Idea
The Secret To Reaching Your Ideal Weight
The Secret To Reaching Your Ideal Weight
by: Sonia Devine
There are many books and internet articles written about weight control. However, if you already know the stuff you should be doing, you might want to skip past the next section of this article. For those of you who are starting at the beginning, here?s some useful information:
Energy is measured in units called calories or kilojoules. If you want to lose weight, then the total calories that your body absorbs through eating and drinking must be less than the calories that your body expends throughout the day. And of course, if you wish to gain weight, the opposite is true.
You can also help your weight control along by participating in regular daily exercise, because this helps your body burn more calories. It does this not only during the exercise session, but also for hours later, by raising your body's metabolic rate. When you exercise, you produce feel good chemicals in the...
The Secret To Reaching Your Ideal Weight
Weight loss > The Secret To Reaching Your Ideal Weight
A One Day Diet Let You Diet Every Other Day
A One Day Diet Let You Diet Every Other Day
by: Terje Brooks Ellingsen
And on the days you're not dieting, you eat the same food and in the same amount as you did before you started the diet. With this one day diet you're losing weight fast and easy, actually as much as 20 plus pounds a month.
Here is what you do:
On diet days
You eat nutritional supplements which contain the vitamins, minerals and salt you need for a day.
These supplements are available in pill, powder, liquid or bar form
In addition, you can eat as much as you want of all kinds of raw fruit
Drink water
On food days
You must eat what you ate before you started dieting in the same amount.
This mean you can and shall eat nothing but your favourite foods and drinks. It is important that you take in as many calories as your body was used to getting before you started.
Motivation is easy
It is much...
A One Day Diet Let You Diet Every Other Day
Weight loss > A One Day Diet Let You Diet Every Other Day
This is Your time to Shine Bright
This is Your time to Shine Bright
by: Debbie Friedman
I personally love the analogy of candles on a birthday cake.
Like a candle on a birthday cake, each and every one of us has come here with a special light, special talents or gifts, to contribute to the celebration of life. If we are playing small, ignoring our gifts or barely living, our light cannot shine bright and the celebration is diminished. When we all step into our full power, realizing our...
Weight loss
Weight loss > This is Your time to Shine Bright