Fitness or Frailness

Osteoporosis is a disease that weakens your bones by causing them to become less dense. Anyone can get osteoporosis but there are certain high risk factors such as being a female over age 35, having a thin body frame,

reaching menopause before age 45, smoking, drinking to excess, and not exercising or having enough calcium.

From puberty to about age 30 greater bone mass can be realized by obtaining nutrients from a healthy diet, exercising, and good lifestyle habits such as proper rest. As we age we begin to lose bone density. We increase this loss by having an unhealthy lifestyle which may include smoking, excessive drinking, stress, lack of weight bearing exercise, lack of sunlight and a highly acidic diet. These factors draw calcium away from the bones and release it into the blood to aid in bodily functions that should be handled by the calcium suppliers. Calcium is not only needed for bones and teeth but for our nervous system, blood clotting and heartbeat regulation. Calcium can be obtained from diary products, certain cereals and fish, and vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, and kale.

Other important minerals are also necessary for healthy bones. If our diet is very acidic from high levels of protein from red meat and excess of unabsorbed amino acids, calcium and magnesium will be released from the bones in order to neutralize the acids. It is important to eat fruits and vegetables which are high alkaloids and combat acids in your body. Potassium is needed for calcium absorption as excess unabsorbed calcium can settle in joints and lead to arthritis, or form deposits in the kidneys. Foods high in potassium are bananas, cantaloupe, almonds and fresh orange juice. Other foods which are alkaline rather than acidic are lentils, yams, raspberries and dark green leafy vegetables. Vitamin D helps the body to absorb calcium. Vitamin D is found in certain milk and cereal, egg yolks, and salt water fish. Also sunshine provides for the absorption of vitamin D in our bodies. Magnesium is another mineral necessary for high bone mineral density and heart health. Foods high in magnesium are spinach, low-fat yogurt, brown rice, almonds, and bananas.

The endocrine system, which includes our glands and the hormones they produce also interact with our diet and lifestyle to promote or retard bone growth. For example in a time of high stress the adrenal glands signal the bones to release calcium to combat an emergency. Rest and exercise act to lower stress levels and promote bone growth. Weight bearing exercise such as walking, yoga and resistance training assist in bone growth. They support proper posture, balance, flexibility and deep breathing. Resistance training tones the muscles, which reduces unusual demands on the joints. The bending and twisting done in a yoga practice seem to regulate blood flow and hormonal activity by locking, squeezing and releasing blood and lymphatic fluids creating a healthy flow of new, rich oxygenated blood throughout our systems.

As you can see there is an interaction among our bodily systems effecting bone density. Therefore it is very important to follow a healthy lifestyle of exercise, rest, and proper nutrition. These factors taken together will help to lesson the effects of bone loss as we age.

Recommend daily allowances and Sources

Calcium 1,000 – 1,200 mg

Dairy products, certain cereals and fish, vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, kale

Vitamin D 400 IU

Certain milk and cereal, egg yolks, saltwater fish (sunshine aids in absorption of Vitamin D)

Magnesium 400 mg

Spinach, low-fat yogurt, brown rice, almonds, and bananas

Potassium 2,000 mg

Good sources of potassium: Bananas, cantaloupe, almonds and fresh orange juice.

Sources:

Yoga for Healthy Bones, Linda Sparrowe

Mayo Clinic Report 6/03

Tufts Health and Nutrition Letter 6/03

NIH Facts on Osteoporosis

National Institute on aging 1992 Report on Osteoporosis

Article by Bob McDowell, Certified Personal Trainer.