Five tips to prevent Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a chronic, progressive condition that steals bone from the body leading to fractures of the hip, spine and wrist. Older people can suffer disability and even death from osteoporosis-releated fractures. One in two women and one in eight men will suffer from an osteoporosis-related fracture in his or her lifetime.

Although the above statistics are quite alarming, the good news is osteoporosis prevention is simple, affordable and easy to implement through nutrition and lifestyle changes. Below are five easy tips to prevent osteoporosis:

1. Start a regular exercise program - walking, skipping rope, jogging, golf, racquet sports and swimming are all helpful. Perform for 20 minutes, three to five times per week.
2. Engage in regular weight bearing or resistance exercise that stresses your skeleton and stimulates bone growth. 
3. Calcium is essential to building and protecting your bones. Good sources of Natural Calcium are milk, cheese, yogurt, broccoli, kale, spinach and rhubarb.
4. Excess phosphorus decreases absorption of calcium. Limit foods high in phosphorus such as soda, potato chips, hot dogs, bacon, beer, crackers, and roasted peanuts.
5. Your body needs vitamin D to absorb Calcium. Sunlight exposure is the main source of vitamin D intake. People living in Saratoga in the winter months do not get enough exposure to sunlight, so supplementation is recommended. 

        Hope this helps!  Dr Matt Smith - Chiropractor