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Osteoporosis affects roughly 25
million American women. Though osteoporosis most
often affects post-menopausal women, women (and men)
of all ages should take preventive measures to help
maintain strong, healthy bones. This section offers
five tips for preventing osteoporosis in women.
Maintain a Calcium-Rich
Diet
Calcium is essential in
maintaining strong, healthy bones and preventing
bone loss.
Young women rely on calcium to help build bone while
studies have shown that calcium can help reduce bone
loss and the risk of fractures in post-menopausal
women. Milk,
cheese, yogurt, citrus fruits, and shellfish are
good sources of calcium. Vegetables that are rich in calcium
include broccoli, spinach, kale, and collard
greens.
Calcium supplements are also available.
The recommended daily intake of calcium for
women between 25 and 50 years of age is 1,000
milligrams (mg). For post-menopausal women who are not
taking estrogen replacement therapy, the recommended
daily intake of calcium is 1,500 mg. Click
here to view a
chart of recommended daily calcium intakes for each
age group.
Get
Plenty of Vitamin D
Vitamin D helps the body
absorb calcium and deposit it into bones. The recommended
daily intake of vitamin D is 400 international units
(IU).
Vitamin D may be obtained from vitamin-D fortified
milk and foods such as liver, fish, and egg
yolks.
Vitamin D supplements or a multiple vitamin that
contains 400 IU of vitamin D are also good
sources.
Sunshine on the skin
also helps the body make Vitamin D. Generally, 15 minutes
of sun exposure per day is enough to maintain
sufficient Vitamin D levels. However, factors such
as weather, latitude, time of year, etc. may
influence absorption. It is important to use sunscreen and
take other preventive measures when outside to help
prevent skin diseases (such as skin cancer).
Engage in
Weight-Bearing Exercise
Weight-bearing exercises
help build strong, dense bones and guard against
bone loss. Weight-bearing exercises are those which
require the muscles to work against gravity to move
the body.
Exercises that can help prevent osteoporosis include
walking, jogging, running, stair climbing, rope
jumping, skiing, aerobic dancing, and
impact-producing sports such as tennis or
volleyball.
Women who are older, have not been active for
awhile, or have other medical problems (such as
heart disease) should talk to their physicians
before beginning an exercise program.
CONTINUED
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