In osteoporosis management, a healthy lifestyle that includes regular weight bearing exercises, supported by a well-balanced diet that provides sufficient calcium and vitamin D is crucial in maintaining bone health and strength.
Ensure you get enough Vitamin D
Vitamin D helps your body absorb the calcium in your diet. Your body is capable of making its own vitamin D through sunshine on your skin. Allow healthy amounts of sunshine on your arms and legs several times a day, this is best done for about 5 to 30 minutes each time.
Accommodate simple exercises
Exercise helps strengthen your muscles and bones while improving your balance and gait. It is never too late to start exercising! There are all types of safe exercises for patients with osteoporosis:
- Weight bearing aerobic exercise, such as brisk walking, skipping, dancing, tai chi
- Strength and resistance training like gentle weights training, resistance bands
- Flexibility exercises such as yoga, pilates
- Stability and balance exercises
Find the safest, most enjoyable activities for you to support your overall health. Do avoid high impact exercises or bending and twisting movements which may cause injury and fractures in osteoporotic bone.
It is also advisable to consult a doctor or health professional if you are unsure about your bone health and what exercises to do. High valued advice can also be given from an orthopaedic surgeon.
Watch your dietary calcium intake
Adequate intake of calcium is important to maintain bones and bodily functions. Everyday calcium is lost through urine, faeces, sweat and the shedding of hair, nails and skin. Calcium may be replaced by eating calcium-rich foods such as dairy products, calcium fortified products and even non-dairy food.
Calcium is best absorbed when taken in small amounts throughout the day, so spread your calcium intake over breakfast, lunch and dinner. Here are some easy guidelines for selecting foods high in calcium:
- Dairy products have the highest calcium content. Dairy products include milk, yogurt and cheese. A cup (8 ounces) of milk contains 300 mg of calcium. The calcium content is the same for skim, low fat and whole milk.
- Dark green, leafy vegetables contain high amounts of calcium. Broccoli, kale and collards are all good sources of calcium, especially when eaten raw or lightly steamed (boiling vegetables can take out much of their mineral content).
- A serving of canned salmon or sardines has about 200 mg of calcium. It is found in the soft bones of the fish.
- Cereal, pasta, breads and other food made with grains may add calcium to the diet. Look for cereals that are fortified with minerals, including calcium.
- Besides cereal, calcium is sometimes added to fruit juices, soy and rice beverages and tofu. Read product labels to find out if a food item has added calcium.
It is best to get all your calcium and vitamin D from food and sun exposure alone. If you are unable to get enough of either nutrient, consider a calcium or a vitamin D supplement.
Calcium supplementation
The amount of calcium needed for healthy bones and teeth varies by age. The National Institute of Health suggests these levels of daily intake for adults:
- Adults 19-50 years: 1,000 mg.
- Adult men 51-70 years: 1,000 mg.
- Adult women 51-70 years: 1,200 mg.
- Adults 71 years and older: 1,200 mg.
- Pregnant and breastfeeding teens: 1,300 mg.
- Pregnant and breastfeeding adults: 1,000 mg.
The amount of calcium we absorb from the supplement depends on its form and how well it dissolves in our intestines. The two main forms of calcium supplements are calcium carbonate and calcium citrate.
Calcium carbonate supplements dissolve better in an acid environment and so should be taken with a meal.
Calcium citrate supplements do not need acid to dissolve so can be taken any time. For this reason, people who have problems absorbing medications should consider taking calcium citrate. This includes people taking medication for heartburn or reflux, and patients who have had intestinal bypass surgery.
What happens if I take too much calcium?
Adults ages 19 through 50 should not get more than 2,500 mg calcium total per day (including food and supplements). Adults over age 50 should not exceed 2,000 mg total per day. Dietary calcium is considered safe, but too much calcium in the form of supplements might have some health risks.
Too much calcium has the potential to increase the risk of kidney stones, constipation or even calcium build-up in your blood vessels, along with difficulty absorbing iron and zinc.
Avoid overloading on your calcium intake with the following tips:
- Stock up on fluids. Drink enough water to rehydrate your body and maintain the amount of fluids in your blood.
- Record your intake. If you are combining supplements, multivitamins and food for your calcium intake, it is advisable to track how much calcium you are taking in.
- Schedule a follow-up. Check in with your doctor from time to time to ensure that things are on the right track. Your doctor can also help to identify if your calcium levels are too low or too high.
At Orion Orthopaedic, we believe in providing a tailored approach for individual patients to help them achieve better standards of living. Schedule a consultation with our orthopaedic surgeon Dr Mizan Marican today to understand more about osteoporosis and how we can help you achieve a better quality of life.
