13 Best Ways to Stop Bone Loss Before It’s Too Late!
The best osteoporosis treatment is to take preventative measures to keep it from developing in the first place (1). Unfortunately, osteoporosis treatments are usually reactive, meaning they are administered only after significant bone loss has occurred. It is often diagnosed after a person experiences an unexpected bone fracture or break. Women are around twice as likely to suffer from osteoporosis as men, especially after the age of 50.
The bones in our body are our strongest support structure (2). They provide anchors for our muscles, protect our organs, and allowing our bodies to absorb an enormous amount of weight and impact. When your bone health is impaired, bones can break from something as simple as a fall. Severe osteoporosis can result in bones breaking from daily activities, like picking up a heavy object, or even from bracing yourself for a sneeze.
What is Osteoporosis?
First things first: What is osteoporosis? Osteoporosis is the loss of bone density that usually occurs as we age. The term literally means “porous bone”. Under a microscope, healthy bones resemble a tight-knit honeycomb structure. Osteoporotic bones have a much less dense structure to them, with the ‘honeycombs’ having thinned and weakened.
Like skin cells, bone is constantly being used and regenerated (3). Up until the age of 30, your body regenerates bone faster than it is lost. After the age of 30 (on average), bone regeneration naturally slows. The more density in your bones by the age of 30, the less likely you are to develop osteoporosis. This is why building and maintaining strong bones as a child and young adult is so important.
It is estimated that around 50% of women and 25% of men will break a bone as a result of osteoporosis after the age of 50. The early stages of osteoporosis are typically asymptomatic (4). As bone loss progresses, these are the most common osteoporosis symptoms and signs:
- Loss of height
- Poor, stooped posture
- Back pain, usually the result of a fractured or collapsed vertebra
- A bone break or fracture that happens more easily than expected
Osteoporosis causes are more complicated than you might think. A family history of osteoporosis, a naturally small body frame, and being of Caucasian or Asian decent are all risk factors for osteoporosis. Overactive thyroid, parathyroid, and/or adrenal glands are also associated with a higher risk of osteoporosis, as are estrogen and testosterone imbalances. Other risk factors include:
The good news is that osteoporosis and osteopenia (minor loss of bone density) can be managed and even reversed. The use of medication as a treatment for osteoporosis can be effective, but it is always better to pursue natural alternatives before medication becomes necessary. Want to prevent osteoporosis? Treat your body as if you already have osteopenia and you should be able to stay ahead of the game.long-term steroid use (i.e. prednisone)- taking medications for cancer, organ transplant, seizures, and gastric reflux
- malnutrition
- low magnesium intake
- disorders of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, such as Celiac disease or inflammatory bowel disease
- rheumatoid arthritis
- tobacco use
- excessive alcohol consumption
- sedentary lifestyle
Natural Osteoporosis Treatment
Here are a few ways you can improve bone density and stop osteoporosis in its tracks, naturally.
1. Eat More Fish
There are some theories that diets high in animal-based protein sources contribute to bone loss (5). Though this is still unproven, a diet rich in Omega-3 fatty acids – found naturally in fish – is well-known to promote bone health (6). Fish are also good sources of calcium and vitamin D. Omega-3 fatty acids seem to improve calcium absorption, decreasing bone loss and possibly increasing bone mass. Try to incorporate fish protein into your diet 2-3 times per week, or take a fish oil supplement (7).
2. Try Seaweed
Seaweed, or kelp, is incredibly rich in vitamins and minerals. In fact, most seaweed species contains as much as 10 times more calcium than milk (8 ). In clinical studies, calcium supplementation from seaweed is more effective at improving bone density levels than a synthetic calcium/magnesium supplement (9). You can incorporate seaweed into your diet by adding it to soups, stews, and broth or eating it with rice. There’s even a type of seaweed that tastes like bacon! If the taste of seaweed isn’t to your liking, find a good seaweed supplement to add to your daily regimen (10).
Drinking soda causes tooth erosion, damaging tooth enamel and increasing your risk of cavities (10). This damaging reaction lasts for about 20 minutes after each sip, meaning that taking your time to drink soda actually increases its negative impact of your teeth.
A study that examined 3,000 women over the course of 20 years found that soda-drinking women had a 30% greater reduction in kidney function compared with non-soda drinkers (11).
People who consume sugary drinks regularly—1 to 2 cans a day or more—have a 26% greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes than non soda drinkers (6).
3. Tooth Decay
Drinking soda causes tooth erosion, damaging tooth enamel and increasing your risk of cavities (10). This damaging reaction lasts for about 20 minutes after each sip, meaning that taking your time to drink soda actually increases its negative impact of your teeth.
Unlike fruits and fruit juice, soda can reach beyond surface enamel and into your dentin and even corrode through composite filings (10). It causes even more damage to the teeth of children, which are not fully developed and hardened.
4. Kidney Disease
A study that examined 3,000 women over the course of 20 years found that soda-drinking women had a 30% greater reduction in kidney function compared with non-soda drinkers (11).
Another study in Japan concluded that consuming more than two sodas a day causes protein loss through urine, which is a marker of kidney damage, kidney disease, heart disease, and heart failure (12).
5. Diabetes
People who consume sugary drinks regularly—1 to 2 cans a day or more—have a 26% greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes than non soda drinkers (6).
Dr. Christopher Ochner, assistant professor of pediatrics and adolescent medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai suggests that soda consumption causes dangerous influxes in blood sugar levels (7).
“These people wind up spiking and crashing, and the system that keeps trying to regulate this – it’s up and down” Ochner said.
“You get dysregulation, and you wind up getting insulin resistance. The body’s not able to properly metabolize the sugar, which ultimately leads to diabetes.”
People who average one can of a sugary beverage per day also have 20% higher risk of having a heart attack or dying from a heart attack (6).
If you have a soda habit that you just can’t seem to quit, try replacing the drink with healthier options like infused water, tea and fresh vegetable juice. You’ll have more energy and feel healthier after just a few days.
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