14 Keys To Prevent Osteoporosis And Osteoarthritis

Taking care of the health of the bones is essential to enjoy a life in the best conditions. Being free from pain depends mainly on the state of our bones and joints.

This is achieved through prevention, to which three factors contribute:

• A feed suitable
• The proper exercise
• The ergonomic adaptation between our body posture and the objects with which we interact on a daily basis (tables, chairs, computers, vehicles, sports equipment), both at work and during leisure time.

How to keep calcium in balance

Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body. In an adult of average weight, it comes to represent one kilo of weight. The body contains calcium in two ways: one, in a “fixed” way, which is calcium already deposited in the bones; and two, “free” calcium, which is that small amount dissolved and whose functions, in addition to allowing the growth of bones and teeth, are of vital importance.

These functions include controlling the transport of substances into the cell, allowing the release of neurotransmitters in the nervous system, influencing the function of certain protein substances -such as hormones or enzymes-, helping to regulate the heartbeat and muscle tone. , or initiate blood clotting. All that calcium does.

When the amount of calcium taken in with food is kept low for a long time, or when calcium is lost in the urine, then the body uses the “fixed” calcium from the bones, in order to continue acting normally. And if this situation continues for a long time, you tend to develop osteoporosis.

The risk of high protein diets

The diseases that most frequently affect the skeletal system are osteoarthritis and osteoporosis. Both cause pain and disability to a greater or lesser degree, and although they affect women more (almost three-quarters of people with osteoarthritis or osteoporosis are), men over 65 are also vulnerable to them

The famous “hyperprotein diets” to lose weight, based on eating foods rich in protein such as meat, avoiding fats and carbohydrates, manage to lose weight in part as a result of forced diuresis or loss of body water through urine. It is precisely this diuretic effect that draws minerals from the body out of the body, including calcium.

For this reason, a diet rich in protein maintained for years does not contribute to the prevention of osteoporosis, but quite the opposite: it favors it.

Taking high doses of calcium is not the solution. Excessive calcium supplementation is linked to arteriosclerosis and, according to some studies, to serious cardiac events.

The alarm that leads to the need for calcium supplements should only be triggered by low levels of calcium in the blood or by clear symptoms of deficiency:

• Muscle spasms.
• Leg cramps.
• Tingling or numbness of the fingers and mouth region.
• Hyperactive reflexes.
• Bone demineralization.

The best diet to prevent osteoporosis

A correct diet is essential to prevent bone diseases. An optimal diet for bones meets the following conditions:

1. No excess protein

It is advisable to follow a varied diet, with the maximum ingredients from organic farming, without excess protein, as it would favor the appearance of osteoporosis. Between 50-100 grams of protein a day is enough, and it is better to replace animal proteins with plant-based ones.

2. No inflammatory fats

To avoid inflammation of joints with osteoarthritis, do without vegetable oils excessively rich in omega-6, margarine, partially hydrogenated oils and “trans” fatty acids (present in fried foods, industrial pastries and fast food). It is better to use olive oil as the main fat.

3. Rich in calcium

In addition to milk and its derivatives, other good sources of calcium are:

• Sesame seeds.
• Vegetables such as broccoli or collard greens.
• Tofu or soy milk.

If, despite eating this type of food, you still have a low calcium concentration in your blood, then you do need to take between 500 and 1,000 mg of calcium a day, in addition to finding out what causes hypocalcemia.

4. With enough magnesium

Magnesium is involved in the assimilation of calcium and is found mainly in plant foods, such as vegetables, nuts and legumes.

Your diet should include about half as much magnesium as calcium to keep your bones in good condition. However, magnesium deficiency is common today: a diet rich in refined flours and meats, and poor in vegetables can throw the balance out of balance.

5. Abundant in omega-3 fatty acids

Omega-6s promote cell proliferation, inflammation, and blood clotting, while omega-3s combat these effects. The two types are necessary and must work together to maintain health, but since foods rich in omega-6 predominate today, it is necessary to balance the diet with omega-3s. The plant foods that provide it in greater quantity are:

• The crushed flax seeds or their oil.
• The nuts.
• Chia seeds.

6. With anti-inflammatory superfoods

Intense colored raw plant foods are rich in anti-inflammatory polyphenols, but three stand out:

• Ginger.
• Turmeric.
• Green Tea.

7. Moderate alcohol consumption

Abuse decreases the absorption of calcium in the digestive tract and causes vitamin D and magnesium deficiencies.

8. With little salt in the dishes

Various studies confirm that excess salt in the diet affects bone integrity.

9. Drink less coffee

More than two coffees a day can ease the tendency to lose bone mass.

10. Avoid acidifying diets

Diets deficient in fruit and vegetables cause an excess of calcium excretion in the urine, which reduces bone mass. The alkalizing diet, rich in vegetables, cereals and fruit, is devoid of this effect.

Therapies and exercise to take care of the bones and joints

In addition to dietary measures, you can resort to natural therapies and lifestyle changes.

11. Acupuncture to treat osteoarthritis

According to acupuncture, energy stagnation in the meridians near the joints favors the wear of the articular cartilage and, from there, the other symptoms of the disease.

For acupuncture, the organ most involved in the onset of osteoarthritis is the spleen, since among its main functions are to manage the “humidity” in the body (of external and internal origin) and to provide the necessary energy to keep the body’s supporting tissues in shape.

Therefore, treating the spleen and the meridians near the joints with acupuncture can correct the imbalances that lead to osteoarthritis.

12. Move and take advantage of the body

Various studies have shown that cultures that sit on the floor to eat or drink tea, welcomed by the warmth of a carpet, are practically unaware of what osteoarthritis of the hip is.

This shows that it is not necessary to carry out tiring physical training programs to take care of your bones, but simply to understand the logic of the body so that it expresses itself without restrictions or added stress.

If we facilitate the movement of our limbs in all its amplitude, we make sure that no area of ​​our body is diminished and we avoid the appearance of stiffness.

People who activate and move their body on a regular basis, even with light and gentle joint movements such as tai chi or RPG exercises, do not know what stiffening of their joints is.

13. Exercise to strengthen your bones

Physical exercise is one of the best allies of the bones if it is practiced regularly and properly. It reinforces them on the inside, protects them on the outside and promotes an internal balance that contributes to their health.

Muscles are attached to bones by tendons. With movement, a certain traction is exerted on that point of attachment, and this force generates internal resistance on the part of the bone: to withstand the “jerks”, the bone reinforces its internal structure by calcifying, following the action-reaction principle. For this reason, physical exercise is one of the factors that most benefits the skeletal system.

If joint pain persists, it is advisable to go to a good specialist (masseur, osteopath, acupuncturist, etc.), as the pain may be located not in the bone, but in neighboring structures (tendons, ligaments, joint capsule).

People with already affected joints should be careful not to perform joint impact exercises (running long distances, dancing, lifting weights, playing tennis) that could accelerate the disease.

Gentle exercises such as walking, swimming … or activities that deepen conscious breathing are recommended (yoga, tai chi, chikung, RPG, Pilates).

Pre- stretching and the application of local heat (before) and cold compresses (after exercise) help prevent pain.

14. Sunbathe every day

If we exercise outdoors, we will also benefit from exposure to sunlight, which makes possible the synthesis of vitamin D in the skin. This vitamin regulates the absorption of calcium and phosphorus, and bone mineralization.

A daily walk of 15 minutes in daylight is enough to get enough vitamin D, although dark-eyed brunettes can extend it to 40 minutes.

Those who cannot be exposed to the sun (due to a history of melanoma, for example) should evaluate their blood level of vitamin D and, if it is low, take it in supplement form.