Home Remedies for Osteoporosis

More than 10 million Americans are currently suffering from osteoporosis. or porous bones. This degenerative bone disease depletes your bone density. Those who are diagnosed with osteoporosis have lost the inside support structure of the bones that holds them together. Invariably, bones can break very easily.

Exercise

• To help stave off the onset of osteoporosis, take the necessary steps to build strong bones. Start with a regular exercise program that focuses on a cardiovascular regimen. Taking 30 minutes to jog, walk, or utilize and elliptical machine have been proven to increase bone density. A consistent program for a minimum of three days a week has been shown to reduce the potential of falling by improving strength in the legs and back.

  One of the most effective routines is water walking. This is the practice of placing yourself in water that is chest high and walking back and forth for 30 minutes. The water acts as a support for your body weight, which helps protect the joints and bones. Cardiovascular programs should be done on non-consecutive days, three days a week for a minimum of 30 minutes. Exercise stimulates the bones to lay new tissue, which increases density.

Calcium

• The composition of the bone is made up with a calcium to phosphorus ratio of 2:1. Doctors recommend the consumption of 1,000 milligrams of calcium per day. This is equivalent to drinking a quart of milk a day or consuming 2 cups of yogurt.

  It can be difficult to take in this much calcium, so calcium supplements can be utilized. When taking supplements, don't take them all at once. It's best to maximize the absorption of the calcium by spreading out your consumption over the entire day. Bess Dawson-Hughes, M.D., Chief of the Calcium and Bone Metabolism Laboratory at the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center, suggests taking the supplements with food. One such recommended calcium supplement is calcium carbonate.

More Remedies

• Add more green vegetables into your diet, and minimize your meat intake to help prevent the bone from being hollow. Incorporating 1 teaspoon of honey into your daily diet helps reduce the risk of osteoporosis. Avoid alcohol and smoking, as oth of these increase the negative effects of osteoporosis. Exposure to Vitamin D is a good way to fight the onset of osteoporosis as well, and direct sunlight is a good source. However, it is better to be exposed to the morning sun, as too much sunlight under extreme heat can have harmful effects. Hormonal imbalance is another contributor to bone loss, so add more soy to your diet. It also improves the balance of estrogen levels for women. Vitamin K is another necessity when fighting osteoporosis, which can be found in Brussels sprouts.