Osteoporosis is a decrease in the amount of bone density to the point where fractures easily occur. It is far more common in women than men, occurring in 1 in 2 postmenopausal women in the UK. Osteoporosis is responsible for around 200,000 fractures each year in the UK, and approximately 40 deaths per day. Osteoporosis is considered a ‘silent’ disease – one that is associated with few if any warning signs in the early stages. Therefore, by the time a bone fracture occurs, the disease is often quite advanced and the fracture is often the diagnosis.  Preventing osteoporosis is preferable to treating it. So, what can you do to prevent osteoporosis?

First of all you need to be aware of the factors that contribute to the development of osteoporosis. These include:

• Heredity
• Premature menopause
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Lack of exercise
• Smoking
• Irregular menstrual cycles
• Being underweight
• Digestive problems.

Eating a healthy diet, rich in bone building calcium and magnesium, and getting plenty of exercise are essential for keeping osteoporosis at bay as is avoiding smoking and passive smoking. But making sure your digestion in is peak condition is just as vital. This is because if your digestion is poor your bones won’t be getting crucial bone building nutrients, like calcium and magnesium.

 

How well your digestive system works is crucial for osteoporosis prevention. If you do not digest your food properly you will be fighting a losing battle, no matter how well you eat or what supplements you take. Unfortunately, as we get older we produce less stomach acid (hydrochloric acid) and this can interfere with the proper absorption of calcium and other nutrients essential for maintaining strong bones. If you have any of the risk factors for osteoporosis listed above and have symptoms of digestive problems such as bloating, bouts of constipation and diarrhoea, flatulence or food allergies then taking steps to improve your digestive function is extremely important.

 

The following good digestion tips will ensure that essential bone building nutrients are going to be digested and assimilated properly by your body and end up where they belong – in your bones.

 

Chew your food well and eat at a moderate pace: Ideally we should chew each mouthful some 30 times, breaking the food into small particles and allowing the salivary enzymes to begin their work digesting the food. Carbohydrate digestion begins in the mouth – chewing grains thoroughly allows amylase, the digestive enzyme present in saliva, to digest the grains. Putting your fork down between each mouthful and swallowing one bite before taking another is also suggested.  It’s also important to eat in a peaceful and relaxed environment as feeling stressed or tense inhibits digestion. (See Mindful Eating feature on page…for more tips.)

 

Eat raw fruit between meals: those with weak digestion might find eating fruits with their meals causes intestinal gas and bloating. Cooked fruit is a fine dessert, but keep the raw fruit for between meal snacks only.

 

Probiotics: not all bacteria are bad. There are over 400 different kinds of bacteria and yeasts in the digestive system. Of these, the bacteria Lactobacillus acidophillus and Bifidobacterium bifidum are considered good probiotic bacteria because they can help to maintain intestinal health. Although good bacteria can be found in some live yogurt, there is a wide variation in the quantity and quality. Look for good quality organic yogurt that adds the active cultures after pasteurization, because this heat process destroys both good and bad bacteria. (or add a supplement like Bio Kult see the Resources Page).

 

Prebiotics: prebiotics that feed the beneficial or probiotic bacteria in your gut mostly come from carbohydrate fibre called oligosaccharides. You don’t digest them, so the oligosaccharides remain in the digestive tract and stimulate the growth of beneficial bacteria. Sources of oligosaccharides include fruits, legumes, and whole grains

 

Drink hot water and hot herbal teas: hot water is an excellent way to detoxify the body and build digestive strength. Simmering a few slices of ginger root in boiling water makes a ginger root tea that stimulates digestion. Ginger in food has the same effect. Lemon juice is also a brilliant digestive aid. Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon into a glass of warm water and drink first thing in the morning to give your digestion an early morning kick start.

 

Eat freshly cooked meals: freshly cooked foods are most nourishing and easily digested as well as being free of moulds or any stale qualities. Better to eat a freshly cooked simple meal than a complicated one made of leftovers or a nutrient depleted ready meal..

 

Avoid overeating: excessive intake of food greatly burdens the entire digestive system. Practice moving away from the table while you are still a bit hungry.

 

Sit still after eating: digestion is an amazing process; it turns a handful of mouth watering strawberries into blood and cells. Resting a few minutes after eating gets this very complicated and marvellous process off to a good start.

This entry was posted on Sunday, June 1st, 2008 at 2:20 am and is filed under Digestion, Osteoporosis. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.