Osteoporosis, which means “porous bones” has been called the “silent” disease, because the loss of bone tissue progresses gradually (many times without pain) before a fracture happens. A fracture that occurs during the course of normal activity is called a minimal trauma or stress fracture. Some patients with osteoporosis develop stress fractures of the feet while walking or using the steps. The most common fractures occur to the spine, wrist or hip. It is estimated that 50% of all women and 25% of men over 50 will experience a broken bone due to osteoporosis. Osteoporosis can be prevented by making healthy choices in what we eat to keep our bones strong.
You can’t feel your bones becoming weaker. You could have osteoporosis now or be at risk for it without realizing it. Often, breaking a bone is the first clue that you have osteoporosis. Some osteoporotic fractures may escape detection for years when they do not cause symptoms. 25 billion dollars is the estimated cost of osteoporosis related fractures by 2025.
Prevention
Calcium requirements for seniors are 1,000 to 1,300 milligrams per day. Start thinking DAIRY. Drink a cup of milk and you will have received 300 milligrams of calcium. Some good sources of calcium can be found in yogurt, ice cream and cheese. Who doesn’t like a nice bowl of chocolate ice cream? Generally speaking, do not eat all of your calcium rich foods at once, as only 500 milligrams of calcium can be absorbed by the body at one time.
Get the facts on Osteoporosis here.
