Osteoporosis can be prevented
According to the US National Osteoporosis Foundation, osteoporosis and the broken bones it can cause are not part of normal ageing and can be prevented.
There is a lot you can do to protect your bones throughout your life and you are never too old or too young to practise good bone health. In fact, osteoporosis prevention should begin in childhood as the habits you adopt in younger years can affect your bone health for the rest of your life. However, whatever age you are, now is the time to begin to practise good bone health.
In protecting your bones you should ensure that you:
*Get enough calcium and vitamin D and eat a well balanced diet.
*Engage in regular exercise.
*Eat foods that are good for bone health, such as fruits and vegetables.
*Avoid smoking and limit alcohol to 2-3 drinks per day.
*Bear in mind that calcium and vitamin D are the two most important nutrients for bone health.
Remember that the amount of calcium you need every day depends on your age and sex. For women aged 50 and younger, 1,000 mg calcium daily is required; women aged 51 and older, 1,200 mg daily; for men aged 70 and younger, 1,000 mg of calcium daily is required; and for men aged 71 and older 1,200 mg daily is required.
Remember, too, that to determine how much calcium is in a particular food, check the nutrition facts panel of the food label for the daily value (DV) of calcium.
