Arm Your Body Now Against Brittle Bones

Brittle bones occur when the body begins taking away more bone than it adds during the remodeling process. As a result, the bones become thin and brittle. Bones in this state can easily be broken with the slightest bump against a desk or from a simple fall. While a small wrist fracture is painful and inconvenient, a hip fracture can necessitate full-time care and even a move to a nursing home.

Brittle bones are most common when a woman gets older and her estrogen levels decrease, but a calcium deficiency can dramatically increase the rate at which bones become brittle. In order to decrease the risk of fractures due to brittle bones, it is important to keep bones strong and healthy through proper diet and regular exercise.

Diet and exercise can prevent brittle bones

Brittle bones can afflict women during any stage of life, and certain genetic disorders even cause brittle bones to develop during childhood. Although osteoporosis does not usually strike until a woman has reached the age of menopause, the process begins long before symptoms are apparent. By getting plenty of exercise and a diet high in calcium throughout life, the development of brittle bones can be avoided.

One way to avoid brittle bones is to build bone strength by getting plenty of exercise. Weight-bearing exercise and strength exercise are two types of physical activity that are important to maintaining bone health. Weight-bearing exercise, such as walking, prompts the body to increase bone density. Strength training does not add directly to bone strength, but improves muscle strength and balance to avoid falls and accidents.

The other major factor in avoiding brittle bones is eating a diet high in calcium. Many experts recommend getting 1200 mg per day. Most people do not consume enough calcium in their daily diet, and will require the addition of a calcium supplement in order to keep blood calcium levels high. The best calcium supplements have a calcium-to-magnesium ratio of 1:2 to improve bone density. Vitamin D should also be included to aid in the body’s absorption of calcium. Boron, zinc, copper, and silicon also help to reduce calcium loss and increase estrogen levels.

Keeping bones strong and healthy is an ongoing battle that must begin early. Maintaining a diet high in calcium and getting sufficient exercise are the best ways to avoid brittle bones later in life.