Ten Steps to Bone Health
by author Melissa Carr, DrTCM, RAc

1. Ensure adequate levels of calcium in your diet.

2. Get plenty of vitamin D through diet or by absorbing sunshine.

Age	Calcium requirement	Vitamin D requirement
4-8	800 mg	200 IU
9-18	1,300 mg	200 IU
19-50	1,000 mg	400 IU
50+	1,500 mg	800 IU
Pregnant or lactating women 18+	1,000 mg	400 IU

Source: Osteoporosis Canada

Food Sources of Calcium

• dark leafy greens such as kale, collard leaves, dandelion greens, and turnip greens
• tofu
• yogourt
• nuts and seeds
• chickpeas
• broccoli
• fish with bones (e.g., canned salmon)

3. Participate in regular exercise, including weight-bearing, muscle-strengthening, postural, and balance exercises.

Bone-Healthy Exercises

Weight-bearing is any exercise where the entire weight of the body is supported by the legs. Here are some examples:

• walking
• running
• hiking
• line dancing or ballroom dancing
• low-impact aerobics
• racquet sports
• basketball
• volleyball
• cross-country skiing
• weight lifting

4. Take a quality calcium supplement if dietary calcium is insufficient to maintain recommended daily requirements.

What to Look For

Choosing the right calcium supplement is often a personal choice, but here are some helpful guidelines:

• liquid form of calcium citrate may be more easily absorbed and used by the body than calcium carbonate solid tablets or capsules
• best absorbed in divided doses, one to one and a half hours after meals

5. Avoid tobacco products as smoking lowers estrogen and testosterone levels, which can accelerate bone loss and also interrupts the bone remodeling process, increasing the risk of osteoporosis disease.

6. Limit alcohol consumption to fewer than two drinks per day as alcohol can harm the cells that help build bones and also reduces the amount of calcium in the body.

7. Limit caffeine consumption to fewer than four caffeine-containing drinks per day (e.g., coffee, cola, some energy drinks). Excess caffeine consumption can result in loss of calcium through kidneys and intestines.

Calcium Crooks

Some food components and substances interfere with the body’s ability to retain calcium that has been ingested and absorbed. This means that despite maintaining a diet rich in calcium, you may be depleting these precious stores of bone-building nutrients by ingesting the following substances in excess:

• salt
• caffeine
• tobacco
• alcohol

8. Reduce stress! Stress produces a hormone called cortisol, which lowers calcium stores in the bones. Practise stress relaxation techniques such as meditation and breathing exercises for osteoporosis prevention.

9. Identify your personal risk factors for osteoporosis (visit osteoporosiscanada.ca).

10. Get a bone-mineral density test if your risk factors for osteoporosis indicate you may be susceptible to potential bone loss.

Source: alive Web Exclusive, October 2007