When it comes to preventing osteoporosis, in addition to a healthy diet and supplementing with calcium, vitamins and other minerals - you also need to limit the risk factors by ensuring that you dont lose excess calcium.

Preventing Osteoporosis - High Risk Factors:

• Carbonated soft drinks these contain a large amount of phosphorous and research has shown a link between too much phosphorous and calcium loss. Teenagers in particular are at extreme risk. Carbonation also neutralizes stomach acid making it harder for you to absorb calcium.

• Excessive phosphorous in your diet will create poor bone structure. Phosphorous can be found in processed food, soft drinks and processed meat.

• Excess intake of caffeine, alcohol and sugar will cause calcium to be lost from the body.

• Cigarette smoking is also a significant risk factor for preventing osteoporosis - the bone mineral contents of smokers significantly lower than in men and women who dont smoke. Also twice as many women with osteoporosis smoke compared to those women who dont have osteoporosis.

• Antacids and pharmaceuticals such as anti-seizure drugs and diuretics can result in decreased absorption of calcium. Diuretics are commonly used to treat high blood pressure, swelling of the lower legs and congestive heart disease. Discuss this osteoporosis prevention measure with your health care professional.

• Fluoride - evidence suggests that drinking water with fluoride will increase your risk of hip fractures. We have high amounts of fluoride in our drinking water and toothpaste and when eating a normal diet the average person can exceed the recommended dose. If youre at risk of osteoporosis or want to prevent it, wed recommend you spend some money on a water filter that removes fluoride.

• Lack of exercise is definitely a significant factor in the cause of osteoporosis. Exercise keeps your bones strong and healthy and weight-bearing exercise can actually increase your bone density and assist in preventing osteoporosis. Weight-bearing exercises mean exercise where your body impacts eg walking and jogging as opposed to swimming.

Osteoporosis Prevention is Much Easier Than Cure

A very easy way you can prevent osteoporosis is to start improving your nutrient intake - particularly as we get older and for women post-menopause.

One way to do this is to make healthy food and lifestyle choices - and another very easy way to prevent osteoporosis is to supplement with nutrients that actually produce a result. Osteoporosis prevention is all about making sure that your bones are gaining more calcium and other minerals than they are losing.

To achieve this, we recommend you start a supplement program consisting of all 90 essential nutrients for preventing osteoporosis as well as a good calcium/magnesium supplement with additional minerals (including manganese and boron) and vitamins (especially Vitamin D).

Planning like this will make preventing osteoporosis and improved health apart of life and help you to stay active.

Summary

1. Diet - Reducing and eliminating coffee, alcohol, sugar, processed foods and carbonated drinks are involved in preventing osteoporosis.
2. Dont smoke!
3. Avoid antacids and prescription drugs that cause calcium loss.
4. Drink pure, filtered water as much as you can.
5. Weight-bearing exercises are important.
6. No carbonated drinks - it's so important it's worth saying again.

Paul Newland

Paul Newland is a health and nutrition consultant, trainer, martial arts instructor, commercial helicopter pilot and author.