Your bones are your body’s structure, its framework, its stability. They play a huge part in your over-all health as well. Statistics show that as many as one in two women over 60 will break a hip this year. Those are sobering numbers – and an important reason for women of all ages to take an interest in keeping their bodies and bones healthy.
To that end, here are a few bone-healthy facts to consider:
• Bones are the storage units for the body. For example, a breast-feeding woman passes extra calcium to her child from her bones – without compromising her health.
• Bones serve as the architecture of the human body – they are living things – they are alive. Bones are able to heal following a fracture because bone cells called osteoblasts work to build new bone while osteoclasts break down old bone. This is a rapid activity when we are young, but slows later in life – which is why successful healing from a break is a longer process as we age.
• Women over 65 with osteoporosis are more likely to fracture a hip than they are to develop uterine, ovarian or breast cancer. Twenty-five percent of those who fracture a hip die within a year.
• Exercise, especially weight bearing exercise, increases bone density.
• The excessive use of alcohol can adversely affect bone density. Alcohol related bone loss can progress to a condition called osteopenia, which is the precursor to osteoporosis.
• Milk is good for your bones, but spinach is even better. Leafy greens contain high levels of calcium. Calcium supplements are less effective in aiding bone health than a calcium-rich diet.
• Vitamin D plays a critical role in keeping bones healthy and makes it possible for bones to absorb much needed calcium.
If you would like to learn more about your bone health or are experiencing issues relating to your bones, we can talk with you about our Healthy Bone Clinic and help you stay on the road to healthy, strong bones.
Call for a consultation, today:
St. John (219) 365-0220 – Crown Point (219) 661-8661 – Lowell (219) 696-6353
