Miller County Newsletters
Haley's Comment
Osteoporosis: The Bone Thief
September 5, 2007
Approximately 10 million Americans have osteoporosis, 80 percent of them
women. In fact, one in two women will have a fracture related to osteoporosis in
her lifetime.
Prevention is important because while there are treatments for osteoporosis,
a cure has not yet been found. The National Osteoporosis Foundation recommends a
combination of steps to help prevent osteoporosis:
1. Get your daily recommended amounts of calcium and vitamin D
2. Participate in regular weight-bearing exercise
3. Avoid smoking and excessive alcohol use
4. Talk to your doctor about bone health; and
5. When appropriate, take a bone density test and medication when
appropriate.
More than 99 percent of the body’s calcium is contained in the bones and
teeth. The remaining 1 percent is found in the blood. Calcium is an important
component of bones, and vitamin D is essential for optimum calcium absorption.
Most people know dairy foods contain calcium. However, did you know that
low-fat and fat-free milk, yogurt and cheese actually have more calcium per
serving than the regular versions? Did you know a cup of frozen broccoli has 94
mg of calcium? Or that 10 dried figs 270 mg? Dry roasted almonds pack 75 mg into
each ounce.
Many foods are made with added calcium. Look for calcium-fortified orange
juice, cereals, breads and other foods.
The main dietary sources of vitamin D are fortified milk, some fortified
cereals, cold saltwater fish (salmon, halibut, herring, tuna, oysters, shrimp)
and some calcium and vitamin/mineral supplements. Also, vitamin D can be
manufactured in your skin following direct exposure to sunlight. The amount
varies according to such factors as time of day, season and latitude.
While dietary calcium and vitamin D are important in helping prevent or treat
osteoporosis, the following dietary concerns also come into play.
1. Food is the best calcium source. Most experts agree that food
is the best source of calcium as there may be other factors found in
calcium food sources that also affect use by the body. If you are
between 18 to 50 years of age you need 1000 milligrams of calcium
per day and for those over 50, you need 1200 milligrams per day.
2. Watch how much calcium you consume at one time. Your body can
best handle about 500 mg of calcium at one time, whether from food
or supplements. Consume your calcium foods/supplements throughout
the day rather than all at one time.
3. Too much fiber. Excessive fiber can interfere with calcium
absorption. The fiber occurring in food is probably not a problem.
But, if you’re sprinkling extra fiber on food, such as bran on
cereal, that might affect calcium absorption.
4. Forget that second cup of coffee. Consume less than 400
milligrams of caffeine daily. (A 6-ounce cup of coffee has about 100
milligrams caffeine.) Excessive caffeine can increase urinary
excretion of calcium. Tea, soft drinks and various medications also
can contain caffeine, so check the food label or discuss the
medication with your physician.
5. Put down the salt shaker. Excessive sodium can increase
urinary calcium excretion. Go easy on the salt shaker; taste before
you salt, and use a reduced sodium product. Better yet, learn to
cook with herbs and do away with the salt shaker all together.
6. Beverage of choice. When was the last time you had a glass of
milk with your dinner instead of a soft drink? When soft drinks
replace milk as a beverage, you are drastically reducing the calcium
content of your diet.
7. Don’t load up on protein. Unbalanced, excessively high protein
diets could increase urinary excretion of calcium.
8. Fruits and vegetables are important. Research has found a diet
high in fruits and vegetables contributed to the maintenance of bone
mineral density. So go ahead and have that large salad, because
remember that “More Matters” when it comes to fruits and vegetables.
Dairy products are one of nature’s most concentrated dietary sources of
calcium. But you may not like to drink milk. Here are five easy tips for
including more milk products in your diet without ever drinking a glass of
milk.
1. Add milk to your oatmeal instead of water.
2. Add milk to your coffee, instead of creamer. (But watch how
much caffeinated coffee you drink!)
3. Make soups such as tomato, chowders and cream-type soups with
milk instead of water.
4. Add powdered milk to foods. One tablespoon is equal to 50
milligrams of calcium.
5. Make instant hot cocoa with milk instead of water. Or, when
using packets of hot chocolate, add one-third cup of powdered milk,
which is equivalent to a cup of milk.
If you would like more information on increasing your calcium intake, or on
Osteoporosis in general, contact the University of Arkansas Cooperative
Extension Service at 400 Laurel, Suite 215, Texarkana, Arkansas, call (870)
779-3609, or e-mail Chaley@uaex.edu.
We appreciate your feedback!
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