Heredity aside, having healthy bones is really up to us and the choices we make. Let's look at the basics for making good choices today for our bone health tomorrow. First off, the National Osteoporosis Foundation explains that bones play many roles in the body. They provide structure, protect organs, anchor muscles, and store calcium. When we choose to incorporate the recommended daily allowance of calcium and weight bearing exercise into our routines, we are taking a proactive approach to maintaining our bone health.
Pardon the pun, but let's get to the bare bones about calcium. We know calcium is important to our bodily functions and it helps build strong bones and teeth, but how does that happen and why is that important? Calcium works to maintain normal levels of blood pressure and stomach acid. It also aids in blood clotting, nerve function, and muscle contraction. Our bodies are constantly using calcium, which is stored in our bones and teeth, ergo the strength of our bones (and teeth) depends upon the calcium that is stored there. Think of your skeletal system as your body's checking account. You deposit your calcium intake there and your body spends it to maintain normal BP and stomach acid, and so on. If you choose not to replenish the calcium stored in your account (your bones), you will overdraw. Just like at the bank, if we overdraw our account, we will be charged a penalty fee. The penalty in this case is that the when body needs calcium it will absorb it from our bones. Look at the images below to see the damage that too many overdrafts will do to our bone health.
These pictures show the effects of calcium depletion in our bones. With this in mind think of how many times you have heard that someone fell and broke a hip. Most times, it is not the fall that causes the break, it is the break that causes the fall. We can see the decline in bone density so clearly here and hopefully this image is a good reminder for us not to overdraw on our calcium account.
Besides calcium intake, bone health can depend on our activity level. Ron Zernicke, PhD, DSc, Director of the Bone & Joint Injury Prevention & Rehabilitation Center at the University of Michigan in the July/August issue of Sports Health reports that just 20 minutes a day of walking, running, dancing, or weight lifting, et al. can be extremely effective in increasing Bone Mineral Density. Simply put, the more dense the bone, the stronger the bone, and thus the less chance of overdrawing the calcium account.
Armed with the whys and hows of having healthy bones, it is far easier to make better choices. Now that we know that calcium keeps our blood pressure and stomach acid in check, and that it aids in blood clotting, nerve function and muscle contraction, we realize why we need it. We've probably always known that calcium is stored in our bones and teeth. Now we realize that if we don't replenish our calcium stores, our bodies' need for calcium will actually feed off of its own bone mass. While we may not be able to prevent every aspect of thinning bones, we can certainly take a proactive approach to our bone health by getting the RDA of calcium. See the table below for more specifics.
| If this is your age, | then you need this much calcium each day (mg). |
|---|---|
| 0 to 6 months | 210 |
| 6 to 12 months | 270 |
| 1 to 3 years | 500 |
| 4 to 8 years | 800 |
| 9 to 18 years | 1,300 |
| 18 to 50 years | 1,000 |
| Over 50 years | 1,200 |
(A cup of milk or fortified orange juice has about 300 mg of calcium)
Excerpted from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The 2004 Surgeon General's Report on Bone Health and Osteoporosis: What It Means to You. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General, 2004, page 12
Remember the words of Mickey Mantle, "If I knew I was going to live this long, I'd have taken better care of myself." If you haven't taken care of your bones thus far, start today! If you have an aging loved one who may be suffering from thinning or osteoporotic bones and you think that he or she may need help with regular daily activities, or if your loved one has already experienced a break and a fall and needs assistance during convalescence, Superior Health, Inc. can help. Call 610-685-7351 and put your mind at ease knowing someone can be there to help.
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