Osteoporosis, a disease lurking for your bones

One of the most feared of all diseases is osteoporosis because it can immobilize the patient, leaving him/her confined to a place, with the fear that your bones might break at any endeavor.

What is Osteoporosis?

Bones consist mainly of calcium and phosphorus, and its formation is regulated by a complex system involving the parathyroid hormone and vitamin D, which is associated with the calcium we consume. In addition, sex hormones, testosterone and estrogen, have a direct effect in reducing the rate at which it is reabsorbed into the body.

Before age 30, 20 percent of bone calcium is replaced annually. After this, the body creates less new bone and becomes less efficient to absorb calcium. As a result, about 1 percent of muscle mass is lost each year.

In osteoporosis, the inside part of the bones becomes porous because of calcium loss. That means there is bone loss. Over time, this weakens the bones and makes them more likely to break.

Osteoporosis is much more common in women than in men. This is because women have less bone mass than men, tend to live longer, take less calcium and needs of the female hormone estrogen to keep the bones strong. If men live long enough, they are also at risk of getting osteoporosis when they reach old age.

There are no symptoms in osteoporosis, and you may not know you have osteoporosis until your body shows serious symptoms, including broken bones, pain in the lower back or a hunched back. You may also see the classic hump, sign that the column has begun to collapse. These problems tend to occur after you have already lost a large amount of calcium in the bones.

Take advantage of the calcium from your diet

Exercise and proper diet rich in calcium and vitamin D will help maintain the density and bone mass. However, bone loss is not completely restored.

Before menopause, you need about 1,000 mg of calcium each day. After menopause, you need 1,000 of calcium every day if you are taking estrogen and 1,500 mg of calcium per day if you are not taking it.

Usually, it’s best to try to get calcium from food. Low-fat dairy products are good sources of calcium. Other sources include nuts, sardines and broccoli.

Each of these contains approximately 300 mg of calcium. 1 cup of milk or yogurt, 2 cups broccoli, sardines or 6-7. If you do not get enough calcium from the food you eat, your doctor may suggest taking a calcium tablet. Obviously, always consult your doctor before choosing any supplement to improve your diet.

Anyway, a good smoothie with milk will help to increase calcium intake in your daily diet.
It is also easy to make and delicious, and you can also prepare some juices.

Juice against osteoporosis

Ingredients

• 250 grams of cranberries
• 125 grams of grapefruit
• 250 grams of apple
• 2.5 cm of ginger root, peeled and coarsely chopped

Preparation

1. Wash well the ingredients, especially cranberries.
2. Cut the apple and remove the seeds
3. Peel the grapefruit leaving the whites.
4. Pass through the extractor.
5. Stir well and serve in a tall glass with ice.
6. Garnish with thin slices of ginger.

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