By Linda Tremer, Wellness Coach
Osteoporosis is debilitating. It occurs more frequently in women than in men causing bone fractures, weak bones, loss in height and loose teeth.
Osteoporosis means porous bones. When you have osteoporosis your bones have tiny holes in them. The bones look like a sea sponge. Osteoporosis causes a softening of the bones and thinning of the bones.
Bones are living tissue that constantly break down and reform. If they break down and don’t reform fast enough osteoporosis results. About 5 to 10 percent of our bones are replaced every year.
Additionally, calcium in the bones is used to keep the blood at a constant pH. The blood must stay within a small range of acidity. If the blood’s pH level is too low (too acidic) calcium will be taken from the bones to buffer (alkalize) the blood.
A seven year study of 9,000 women showed that women with acid overload had a greater risk of bone loss than those with a normal pH. Acid overload occurs from stress and diet.
Bone loss in women occurs sooner and more rapidly than men’s bones. One reason is that women have smaller bones than men. The other reason is estrogen.
Estrogen plays a significant role in building new bone and in retaining your bones. Estrogen helps to take the calcium from the blood into bones. After menopause women no longer have the protective effect of estrogen and that is why their bone loss accelerates during and after menopause.
As we age, getting enough calcium is much harder. We don’t absorb calcium as readily as we once did. Taking calcium supplements is necessary. However calcium alone is not readily absorbed. It needs to be combined with Vitamin D, magnesium, boron and manganese. Various combinations of these and other bone building supplements can be found at your neighborhood health food store.
Progesterone stimulates new bone growth. Using a natural progesterone skin cream will help prevent bone loss.
If your mother, sister or close relative had osteoporosis you will be more inclined to it. Family history is a risk factor.
Weight bearing exercises will help reverse osteoporosis. Astronauts exercise while in space to prevent bone loss. Yoga can help prevent bone loss.
Keeping you body more alkaline will help. The blood becomes too acidic from eating refined carbohydrates, caffeine, soda pop, processed food, white flour, alcohol and animal protein. Stress will also acidify the blood. Phosphoric acid found in soft drinks interferes with calcium absorption. These foods cause calcium to leach from the bones.
Eating super green foods will help to keep the blood alkaline. Leafy green vegetables also help. Any food containing chlorophyll will help to alkalize the blood and prevent osteoporosis.
Some alternative doctors recommend DHEA and melatonin. Please check with a doctor before using these two hormones.
After the age of 55 women generally experience a 30 to 40 percent bone loss. Thus the best treatment for osteoporosis is prevention. Once bone loss occurs it is very hard to correct it.