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Osteoporosis is a kind of health problem in which bones are more likely to break and be fragile. According to a report released by the National Osteoporosis Foundation in 2010, there is currently about 10 million people in the U.S who suffer from this disease. And did you know that most of them are dominated by women -- that’s why gender is one of the unchangeable risk factors of osteoporosis (women is more likely to develop this disease than men). The big question is “can osteoporosis be reversed?’
Furthermore, there are about 34 million people in the U.S that may have low/poor bone mass, which can put them at higher risk of developing osteoporosis!
What are the causes of osteoporosis?
You should clearly understand that your bone is a living tissue. It requires mechanisms what we call deposit (creation new bone cells) and withdrawal (removal old bone cells). In the bone, the mechanisms of creating and replacing bone cells run continuously. The problem can occur when the level of deposit is lower than the level withdrawal. This can lead to low bone density, which then cause fragile bone and it is more likely to break.
During childhood, the creation of new bone tissues that are added to the skeleton is faster than the old bone cells that are removed /replaced. This usually also occurs during teenage years. As a result, the bone grows bigger, higher in density, and heavier (higher in mass).
To measure the bone density, there is a measurement what we call as ‘BMD’. It stands for ‘Bone mineral density’. BMD test is one of common choices for doctor to get to know the strength of your bone before making a diagnosis of osteoporosis.
And as people age, there is a time for the mass of bone to reach the peak level. It usually occurs about the third decade of life or about the age of 30.
After the peak level of your bone mass, the creation of new bone cells (deposit) is more likely to slow down. And on the other hand the replacement process of old bone cells doesn’t decrease or even may increase in midlife. And eventually the level of deposit of new bone cells is not enough to replace the old bone cells that are removed. As a result, the bones in the body become lower in mass and density.
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From these explanations, we get a conclusion that the age is the most major risk factor of osteoporosis. Furthermore, it is also important for children and young adults to get adequate intake of essential nutrients to reach the maximum level of their ‘peak bone mass’! The more bone mass that we attained in the childhood and youth, the better we will be protected from the risk of osteoporosis.
Other conditions that increase your risk may include:
- Family history! If your parents or other family members are diagnosed with osteoporosis or broken bones, then you are more likely to experience the same condition.
- Having smaller bones or frames. This can be an indication that you may have low bone mass.
- Taking certain medications! There are also some medicines that may increase the risk of osteoporosis in some people. Talk more with a doctor to confirm this issue!
- Low sex hormones! Low testosterone in men and low estrogen in women (it typically occurs after menopause) also can increase the risk of osteoporosis.
- Bad habits, particularly like excessive alcohol use and cigarette smoking.
- Some studies also found that this disease is more common in white and Asian decent than in other races.
Can osteoporosis be reversed?
Is osteoporosis reversible? Yes, osteoporosis can be reversed, particularly for the consequences of this disease! With the right treatments and lifestyle choices, the risk of the complications of the disease can be decreased.
But when it comes to ‘how to completely reverse osteoporosis’ -- unfortunately there is still no current treatment to do it. Though the treatment doesn’t make the quality of overall bone back to normal, but however it is useful to result a better bone quality in patients with this disease! As mentioned before, the most effective choice that we can do is to curb the disease!
In many cases, the realistic goal of osteoporosis treatment is intended to prevent the fractures (broken bones) which then so helpful to prevent the risk of developing consequences of the disease. Therefore, the treatment is usually more focused to maintain or improve the density of bones.
Osteoporosis natural remedies
Some natural remedies that may help the treatment and reverse the consequences of the disease may include:
- If you are a heavy drunker, you need to avoid this bad habit! Many studies found that there is a link between excessive alcohol consumption and problems associated with bone. Excessively consumption of alcohol is believed may reduce the body’s ability to use/absorb calcium and decrease the formation of bone.
- If you are smoker, you need to quit! We all agree that cigarette smoking is very bad for the health, including for the health of the bones! Don’t forget also to avoid second-hand smoke!
- Changes in dietary! Doctor usually also recommends foods that contain essential nutrients to maintain /improve the bone density.
Don’t forget to prevent falls! Consider what you wear (particularly such as shoes or slippers) and other conditions in your house (such as slippery surfaces and electrical cords) that may cause you to fall or trip.
How can you prevent osteoporosis?
Having adequate amounts of vitamin D, calcium, and having regular exercise are the most important factors that you should concern to prevent osteoporosis, particularly in the childhood and youth!
Why you need vitamin D to keep your bone healthy?
We require vitamin D to help our body to absorb calcium more optimally. There are many choices to get adequate amounts of vitamin D. One of these choices is from the sunlight, especially in the morning. We can also get vitamin D through foods that we eat.
In general, a good starting point of vitamin D for adults per day is about 600-800 IU (international units) -- according to a published article on MayoClinic. But if you have certain health condition or if you have low vitamin D in the blood, your doctor may recommend higher doses! Talk with a doctor for more in-depth information!
And why you need adequate amounts of calcium?
Many studies found that low calcium intake is linked to higher fracture rates and rapid bone loss (poor bone mass). Therefore, it’s important to get adequate amounts of calcium through your diet.
Women and men between the ages of ‘50 to 18’ should get adequate amounts of calcium for about 1,000 mg per day. And this daily requirement increase to about 1,200 mg of calcium when men turn 70 and women turn 50! However, taking excessive calcium is not recommended (it should not be more than 2,000 - 2,500 mg/day -- according to the Institute of Medicine).
If you have problems that restrict you to get adequate intake of calcium from your diet, you may consider taking the appropriately calcium supplements.
Some foods that can be a good source of calcium include:
- Low-fat cheese, low-fat yogurt, low-fat milk, and other low-fat dairy products.
- Fresh vegetables, particularly such as spinach, collard greens, broccoli, etc.
- Tofu, tempe, or other soy products.
- Almonds, orange juice, and foods fortified with calcium.
- Sardine with bone is also good source of calcium.
How about with exercise?
Another important thing to slow bone loss and build strong bone is exercise. Bone is able to respond to exercise that you do. It is similar to your muscle that can be strong through exercise! So, no matter how old you are, exercise can be essential to provide a lot of health benefits, such as to reduce bone loss and build strong bone.
There are many types of exercise to choose from (such as jogging, game sports, swimming, weight training, aerobics, or even just walking in the morning). Choose one that you like to keep and maintain your healthy bone!
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Reference: WebMD and MayoClinic
