Tips to prevent Osteoporosis-2

· Move it or lose it: Weight bearing exercise (e.g. walking, running, gym, strength training, dancing) helps build bone mass and strength in the young, maintains bone density in adults, and slows down bone loss in the elderly.
· Avoid smoking as it hampers the work of bone-building cells and increases the risk of fracture.
· Avoid excessive alcohol consumption, as high intakes (more than 2 standard units per day) have been linked to increased risk of hip and other osteoporotic fractures.
· Use salt and caffeine in moderation, as these can promote calcium loss from the body, especially if calcium intake is inadequate.

Tips to prevent Osteoporosis

· Ensure an adequate calcium intake which meets the relevant dietary recommendations in the country or region concerned, at all stages of your life.
· Maintain a sufficient supply of vitamin D through adequate, safe exposure to the sun, through diet, or through supplements.
· Enjoy a balanced, nutritious diet including adequate protein, and plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables for both bone and general health benefits.
· Safeguard a healthy body weight, as being underweight is a strong risk factor for osteoporosis (body mass index less than 18.5 kg/m2).

Men Warned Of Osteoporosis Problems

A McMaster University researcher is alerting men and their doctors that osteoporosis isn't just a woman's problem but that the bone-wasting disease can severely afflict them, too.

To overcome this common perception, Dr. Aliya A. Khan, a professor of clinical medicine, led a group of five Canadian experts in the development of guidelines for the diagnosis, treatment and management of osteoporosis in men. Their paper appears in the January 30 issue of the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ).

Dr. Khan said the CMAJ paper is intended to make physicians aware of the fact that they can no longer overlook diagnosing osteoporosis in their male patients. "That's the bottom line. We want to bring all the research we have to the forefront and we want to bring it to the desk of Canadian physicians."

The CMAJ paper supplements clinical practice guidelines for the diagnosis and management of osteoporosis published by Osteoporosis Canada in 2002. It provides a review and synthesis of the current literature on the diagnosis and management of osteoporosis in men.
Up until now, Dr. Khan said, doctors have underestimated even how common the condition is in men. One in eight men over 50 years of age has osteoporosis, compared to one in four women after menopause.

In their paper, the researchers describe which men are at the highest risk, how to diagnose and investigate the disease, and offer the most up-to-date information on treatment.
Dr. Khan is also director of the Calcium Disorders Clinic at St. Joseph's Healthcare in Hamilton, Ontario and director of the Oakville Bone Centre in Oakville, Ontario.

She said scientists are "just at the tip of the iceberg" in understanding the implications of osteoporosis for men, unlike women where it's well known which women are at risk, how the disease develops and how to treat it.

"The problem," she said, "is that when men sustain fractures they are more likely to die or suffer a disability."
Statistically, one in three men die following a fracture, compared to one in five women, possibly because of underlying health problems â€" such as heart disease â€" which make it difficult for them to cope with a fracture that could involve hip surgery, prolonged bed rest and rehabilitation.

Recipe: 25g Soy Smoothie

Recipe: 25g Soy Smoothie

1 cup Soy milk, Vanilla + 1 scoop Soy Protein Powder

Mix well in blender until soy protein powder is completely dissolved. Serve immediately
Recipe courtesy of soybean.org

Osteoporosis

The bones of the human skeleton contain 99.5% of the total calcium in the body. The calcium within bones is available to the body should the body need it for other purposes (see the chapter on the symptoms of hyperparathyroidism for more on this topic). It is the activity of bone osteoclasts which absorb the calcium in the bone and release it into the blood stream (more about this on our parathyroid and osteoporosis page). Remember, it is the calcium within the bones which makes them strong.

The daily recommended dietary calcium intake varies by age, sex, and menopausal status. Recent studies have shown that many American girls do not get enough calcium in their diet after the age of 11. Much of this is blamed upon the substitution of sodas in the diet for milk, yet the problem does not seem to be the same for males (for a number of subtle reasons). It is important to know that many women of all ages in the US do not get enough calcium in their diet either.

The vast majority of endocrinologists encourage their female patients to take supplemental calcium daily. One of the easiest and most effective methods of increasing your calcium intake is to take an oral calcium supplement daily. There are several forms of oral calcium readily available over the counter (without a perscription) such as Citracal which can help maintain healthy bones and prevent osteoporosis. The following list shows the recommended calcium intake according to age, sex and hormone status.

Other Types of Calcium Supplements

One important factor affecting calcium absorption is how well the supplement dissolves. Try buying calcium supplements of US Pharmacopeia's standards. The "USP" on the label indicates that the calcium supplement meets the USP standards of supplying adequate elemental calcium and how well it dissolves in our intestines.
Dolomite, Bone Meal or Oyster Shell: These naturally occurring calcium supplements may contain heavy metal or lead. At the moment, calcium supplements are not tested by any regulatory agency for lead content. Therefore, it's best to avoid.
Calcium Gluconate and Calcium Lactate: These types of calcium supplements contain low content of elemental calcium. Hence, one may need to take a large amount of tablets to meet the calcium requirement!
Coral Calcium: This type of calcium is marketed for more than bone health. Its infomercial claimed that it can cure 200 human diseases. It's indeed only Calcium Carbonate.

Strontium ranelate

Oral Strontium ranelate (Protelos/Protos/Protaxo/Osseor - Servier) is the first in a new class of drugs called a Dual Action Bone Agents (DABA's). It has proven efficacy in the prevention of both vertebral and non-vertebral fractures (including hip fracture) in patients over the age of 80, who are the most at risk where osteoporosis is concerned. Strontium Ranelate works by stimulating the proliferation of osteoblast (bone building) cells (there is some debate about this), and inhibiting the proliferation of osteoclast (bone absorbing) cells.

This means that strontium Ranelate increases BMD by forming new bone, rather than just preserving existing bone. In comparison to bisphosphonates which only act on one aspect of bone remodeling, strontium ranelate also preserves bone turnover, allowing the microarchitecture of the bone to be continuously repaired as it would in healthy bone.

Strontium ranelate is taken as a 2g oral suspension daily, and is licenced for the treatment of osteoporosis to prevent vertebral and hip fracture (this may differ by country and is not approved in the USA). Strontium ranelate has side effect benefits over the bisphosphonates, as it does not cause any form of upper GI side effect, which is the most common cause for medication withdrawal in osteoporosis.

Types of Osteoporosis

The most common cause of osteoporosis is age. The older you get, the more bone loss you are likely to have, especially if you don't take in enough calcium.
Osteoporosis also can be caused by diseases or other factors, such as:
hormone problems
poor diet
certain medications
too much smoking or drinking .

Calcium Citrate e.g. Citracal or Solgar:
Absorption: Calcium is best absorbed in an acidic environment, hence calcium citrate is the best absorbed supplemental form of calcium. It does not require extra stomach acid for absorption, hence we may take it anytime in a day, even on an empty stomach.
Calcium content: Calcium Citrate usually provides less elemental calcium per pill than Calcium Carbonate, therefore one may need to take a relatively more numbers of pills per day to meet the needs.
Pill Size: Calcium Citrate is usually small in capsule form.
If you suffer from acid stomach, it is best to avoid Calcium Citrate.

Calcite

Calcium Carbonate e.g. Tums or Caltrate
Absorption: Calcium Carbonate is alkaline based, it requires extra stomach acid for better absorption, hence it is best taken right after meals or with a glass of acidic juice such as orange juice.
Calcium Content: Calcium Carbonate is the most prevalent calcium supplements in the market . It provides more elemental calcium than Calcium Citrate hence you may not need take as many pills.
Pill Size: Calcium Carbonate usually comes in a bigger tablet, some people may find it harder to swallow.