Originally published December 14 2005
U.S. healthcare aims to educate the public about osteoporosis
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
U.S. health officials are trying to raise national awareness about osteoporosis, which many Americans don't fully understand.
Taking care of your body's bones is a little like maintaining a vehicle.
"Osteoporosis and thinning bones is a major but underappreciated public health problem," says Miriam Nelson, professor of nutrition at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science at Boston's Tufts University and author of "Strong Women, Strong Bones."
"One in two women and one in five men will be affected by osteoporosis as they go into old age.
Some 34 million Americans are living with a condition called osteopenia, or thinning bones, as calcium slowly but steadily drains from their bones.
"Most people don't realize that osteoporosis and thinning bones are preventable," Nelson says.
One of the reasons it's so hard to get people to pay attention to bone health is that osteoporosis and thinning bones sneak up on you with no symptoms.
In fact, it's completely asymptomatic until a fracture occurs, and then the risk of subsequent fractures is very high," Williams says.
"I've seen people well into their 60s and 70s build bone density and slow down bone loss," Nelson says.
The average daily intake of calcium is around 600 milligrams a day, says nutrition professor Miriam Nelson, author of "Strong Women, Strong Bones," but they need twice that much.
SOURCE: Foods that are rich in calcium include dairy products, green leafy vegetables, broccoli, bok choy, mustard greens and collards.
"The best five sources of calcium are food, food, food, fortified food and supplements.
If you don't work and exercise and put some stress on the bones, you won't have good bone strength no matter what you eat," Heaney says.
So, weight-bearing sports like running, jumping, stair climbing, volleyball or tennis are excellent for boosting bones.
Produced in the skin as a result of sun exposure, we used to think everyone got enough vitamin D just being outdoors.
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