Farnham Pilates Weekly Blog –
Get Stronger Saturday
Best foods for strong bones
Here is your weekly post on Bone health.
A few Osteoporosis/Bone Health Facts and Figures
Bone remodelling is a lifelong process, but unfortunately bone loss starts to outpace bone gain as we age. This starts to happen around aged 34 when peak bone mass is achieved for most people….this is not an ‘old person’s issue’! The decline in oestrogen production also has a negative impact on bone remodelling activity for both sexes – this isn’t, as many think, a ‘female only ‘ issue. Men are less susceptible to developing osteoporosis but their stats are still pretty compelling.
· The first 3-5 years following the onset of menopause are associated with an accelerated period of bone mass loss before the decline, settling to a more linear decline as menopause progresses. Most women are hitting Peri-Menopause in their late 40’s and Menopause in their early 50’s.
· As bone mass declines and the threshold for osteoporosis is approached and exceeded, the risk of fractures to the hip, spine and other fall fractures is also greatly increased.
· In the UK and the US 1 in 2 women and 1 in 5 men over 50 will experience a fracture.
· Research by the National Osteoporosis Society estimates that the daily cost of caring for those who experience disability due to hip fractures is somewhere in the region of £6 Million PER DAY!!
· The mortality rate for those who experience hip fracture increases by 20% in the 12 months post fracture.
· There are actually more ‘fragility fractures’ – (300,00) in the UK than strokes (275,000) and heart attacks (110,000)
· Hip fractures cause the most morbidity with reported mortality rates up to 20-24% in the first year after a hip fracture, and greater risk of dying may persist for at least 5 years afterwards. Loss of function and independence among survivors is profound, with 40% unable to walk independently, 60% requiring assistance a year later. Because of these losses, 33% are totally dependent or in a nursing home in the year following a hip fracture.
· A 50 year old woman has a 2.8% risk of death related to hip fracture during her remaining lifetime, equivalent to her risk of death from breast cancer.
· Studies have shown that bone mineral density in postmenopausal women can be maintained or increased with therapeutic exercise.
How diet can help increase bone density for strong bones
Here at Farnham Pilates we marked World Osteoporosis Day with a bone density health check for all Pilates clients. This week we are looking at ways your diet can make a difference to your bone health.
Calcium is vital to bone health and vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium. This is why food supplements often pair them together. If you would rather not take food supplements, consider adjusting your diet to include calcium-rich foods.
Calcium-rich foods
If you tolerate it, including cows’ milk and milk products in your diet is a great way to improve bone density. Other calcium-rich foods include:
- Figs
- Plums
- Dark, leafy greens
- Sweet potatoes
- Almonds
- Molasses.
Good sources of vitamin D:
- oily fish, such as salmon, sardines and mackerel
- eggs
- fortified fat spreads
- fortified breakfast cereals
- some powdered milks
If you’ve been diagnosed with osteoporosis, your doctor may prescribe calcium and vitamin D supplements as well as osteoporosis drug treatments if they have concerns that your calcium intake may be low.Extra tips –
– Cook soups using bone broth from Sunday’s chicken (cook the bones and use as the stock!). I also use miso which is good for skin.
– It’s also helpful to reduce your caffeine intake (caffeine affects how the body absorbs calcium) and to eat a healthy amount of protein every day.
– Reduce salt – excess salt is excreted in the urine along with calcium.
– Alcohol – Chronic alcohol consumption increases level of the parathyroid hormone, which leads to a leaching of calcium from bone; alcohol also has a role in decreasing osteoblast (the bone-making cell) formation.
– Check medications such as steroids – steroids can cause Steroid Induced Osteoporosis
– Reduce high sugar drinks – as phosphoric acid – found in Coca-Cola type drinks has been linked to lower bone density in some epidemiological studies – great information in this blog via Healthy But Smart and it’s also been included in a discussion in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
– Smoking – Research also suggests that smoking impedes the hormone calcitonin, which helps build bones; Nicotine and free radicals generated whilst smoking destroy ssteoblasts.
– Excess Sugar + Diabetes – High blood sugar slows new bone formation, accelerates bone resorption and impairs fracture healing.
Next week we will look at lifestyle changes you can make to improve your bone health.
Squeeze and breathe
Hannah