How To Keep Bones Strong And Guard Against Osteoporosis

Strong bones are essential to good health. They not only keep us walking tall, but protect our delicate vital organs. Yet when we abuse them by not eating right, not exercising and by smoking and drinking, we open the floodgates to a host of health problems, namely osteoporosis.

Ten million Americans suffer with osteoporosis, a disease in which bones become so fragile that a strain, bump or fall can cause them to break, and 18 million are at risk. Osteoporosis can cause back pain, stooped posture, loss of height and fractures of the hip, spine, wrist and ribs that can be fatal.

Statistics from the National Osteoporosis Foundation show that 10 percent of Black women over age 50 have osteoporosis and another 30 percent are at risk.

While osteoporosis primarily affects women, men get it too. And it can strike at any age.

There is no cure for osteoporosis, but the following steps will help defend your bones against this debilitating disease.

* Eat a balanced diet rich in calcium and vitamin D. A healthy diet is the cornerstone for strong bones. Health experts say your body builds bone efficiently only from childhood until about age 30, when bone production slows. In women, bone loss hastens after menopause, when ovaries stop making estrogen, which guards against bone loss.

To build strong bones during that peak period, and preserve them afterward, you need foods rich in calcium (milk, yogurt, cheese) and vitamin D (fortified dairy products, egg yolk, saltwater fish, liver). Calcium fortifies bones and keeps the heart, muscles and nerves working smoothly; vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium.

* Start moving! Regular exercise not only builds muscles, but bones as well. Weight-bearing exercises (walking, jogging, stair climbing, dancing) and resistance exercises (weight lifting), make bones stronger, denser and able to withstand the effects of age. Experts say the earlier you start exercising, the better your bones will be later in life. If you've been inactive for a long time, or have been diagnosed with osteoporosis, check with a physician before you start any fitness regimen.

* Get diagnosed early. Osteoporosis is often called the silent disease because it can progress painlessly for decades until a fracture occurs. Women, older adults, Whites and Asians, thin people and those with a family history of osteoporosis are more prone to the disease. But cigarette smoking, excessive alcohol use, a calcium-poor diet, eating disorders, certain medications and a sedentary lifestyle also can put you at risk.

Talk to your doctor to discover if you are at risk, and get screened for osteoporosis. If you find out early, you can save your bones before it's too late.