YOUR diet has a huge role to play in helping to prevent and manage osteoporosis, a common condition which causes bones to become fragile over time.
Anyone can get it, but women are at greater risk than men. For everyone, the risk for developing osteoporosis increases with age.
The genes you inherit can cause osteoporosis. But so can smoking, excessive alcohol intake, not enough calcium or vitamin D, and not moving enough.
Osteoporosis can lead to fractures or broken bones. And this can affect your ability to move and stay independent. But, by making healthy choices, you can prevent and manage this condition.
Exercise for osteoporosis
Consider exercises like tai chi and chair yoga for falls prevention.
You can reduce your risk of fractures by doing balance exercises and building your muscle strength.
You’ll decrease your chances of falling, as well as your chances of injury in the event of a fall.
Foods for healthy bones Once you have enough calcium and vitamin D, some other things like protein will support your bone health even further.
Higher protein diets increase calcium absorption and muscle mass, among other things, which can benefit your bones. But you need sufficient calcium in your diet to get the best of these benefits.
Vegetables to eat
Dark leafy greens (cruciferous vegetables) provide fibre and many useful minerals for bone health. This includes calcium, but also potassium, which helps retain calcium in the bones. There’s also magnesium, which helps activate your vitamin D.
And it has some selenium, which is believed to be beneficial to bone health as well.
Source: Welcome to the Upside of Ageing | LiveUp
