OSTEOPOROSIS

Wednesday 22nd June 2016 - Tagged: Lifestyle

Last night I was speaking with a friend who told me his mother had been diagnosed with osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis is more common in women than men. There are many causes of the disease, but the most common is a drop in oestrogen, the menopause in particular.
Oestrogen promotes growth of the female skeleton and can be protected by foods such as salmon, broccoli, cauliflower, flaxseed, lemon, lime and green tea.

Women can increase the risk of osteoporosis by lack of exercise, overtraining, low calorie intake, poor dietary choices (lack of calcium), smoking and excessive alcohol consumption.

Calcium is a key factor behind bone strength. When the body is lacking in calcium it will be withdrawn from the bones which is why it is important to have it in your ‘diet’.
Vitamin D is necessary for absorption of calcium in the small intestine. If the vitamin is absent then calcium is poorly absorbed. Calcium deficiency can lead to very weak/deformed bones.
The skin produces vitamin D when exposed to the sun… Bring on those sunshine holidays.

Stewart (SMPT)