Are any of the following true? You over the age of 50. You are female. You have a small body frame, You have a family history of osteoporosis. You smoke, You consume a lot of caffeine or alcohol. You are on a high-protein diet. You don’t get at least 5 minutes of sun exposure each day. You don’t implement strength training or weight-lifting exercise into your weekly schedule. You don’t consume many calcium-rich foods.
The amount of calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin D in the diet affects bone formation. Additionally, regular exercise, which increases bone mass, helps determine whether a person obtains optimal bone mass. How do your diet and lifestyle decisions affect your bone health? Well, estrogen is an important hormone for bone health, and cigarette smoking decreases estrogen production. Drinking alcohol not only increases the risk of falling, but also inhibits the activity of bone-building cells called osteoblasts. Also, calcium levels in the blood are tightly regulated that when they drop, calcium MUST be robbed from our bones to replace a deficiency. Caffeine intake causes more calcium to be taken from the blood as it passes through the kidneys, and is lost in our urine, inevitably increasing what is taken out of our bones. Physical activity, particularly weight-bearing activity that stresses the bones and stimulates bone remodeling, helps maintain bone strength and prevent bone loss. Vitamin D is needed to absorb calcium and phosphorous in the digestive tract for use in the body. Calcium and phosphorus deficiencies decrease the formation of hydroxyapatite, the major mineral in bone.
Keep your protein intake under 20% of the total calories consumed. Most Americans consume protein in excess and this can actually lead to bone loss. A diet too high in protein creates an acidic environment in the body depleting valuable minerals. The pH level of our blood must be between 7.35 and 7.45 in order to survive. When levels drop close to or below 7.35 (acidic state), the body neutralizes the acidity with buffering ions such as calcium, robbing the bones as the source.
