Osteoporosis prevention is a lifelong enterprise
It’s a fact. Maximizing bone growth during childhood and adolescence is as important as minimizing bone loss in later years.
The bone bank
Your body is constantly exchanging calcium and other minerals back and forth between your bones and your blood stream (a process called bone metabolism). The process is controlled by hormones, vitamins and nutrients.
Think of your bones as a savings account. Deposits into the bank begin in utero and continue into your mid- to late-twenties. Withdrawals from the bank begin in your forties and fifties for both men and woman.
Keeping your account in balance
Like all body tissue, bone formation depends on an adequate diet and the absence of inhibiting factors. The keys to success are to enhance bone formation and delay bone loss (resorbtion) throughout your lifetime.
- Get an adequate amount of dietary calcium–the key nutrient in preventing osteoporosis.
- Maximize absorption of calcium by getting sufficient Vitamin D.
- Eat a healthy diet.
- Exercise regularly, taking part in weight-bearing activities and using resistance. If you are over 60, there are some specialized exercises that you should take part in.
- Identify any extra factors like cigarette smoking and alcohol intake that may put you at higher risk and eliminate them.