Are You At Risk For Osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis, or a disease in which your bones become more porous and therefore break more easily, will affect 1 of 3 women and 1 of 5 men over the age of 50 years. Are you at risk, and what can you do to lessen your risk of osteoporosis?

The International Osteoporosis Foundation (based in Switzerland) has a short quiz to help you determine your risk of osteoporosis. You should check it out!

What can you do to minimize your risk of osteoporosis?

1. Get enough calcium!
2. Get enough vitamin D, which helps our bodies absorb calcium. Children, men and women less than 50 years of age need 200 IU/day, those 51-70 years of age need 400 IU/day, those older than 71 need 600 IU/day. Good sources of vitamin D include: salmon, tuna, milk and some dairy products, fortified foods. Also, being out in the sun for at least 15 minutes will help you get your vitamin D, but watch out for sunburn!
3. Engage in weight-bearing exercise (walking, running, jump roping, dancing, etc) to help strengthen your bones.
4. Stop smoking and minimize alcohol consumption.
5. Maintain a healthy weight (lose weight if you are overweight; gain weight if you are underweight).

If you are concerned about your risk of osteoporosis, talk with your doctor. He or she might be able to schedule a DEXA scan, which can measure how dense your bones are (the denser your bones, the less likely they are to break and the stronger they are).

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