MedifocusHealth

Nutrition and lifestyle play very important roles in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. Daily weight-bearing exercises, such as walking and mild to moderate-impact aerobics, and avoidance of cigarette smoking and excessive use of alcohol can all help to prevent development of the disease.

Calcium and Vitamin D both play important roles in maintaining good bone health, however, with advancing age, calcium absorption is reduced and the body produces less amounts of Vitamin D. It is, therefore, important for elderly people in general (and elderly women in particular who are at highest risk for developing osteoporosis and osteoporotic fractures) to ensure that they are getting adequate amounts of calcium and Vitamin D in the diet. If dietary intake of calcium and Vitamin D is insufficient to meet the body's requirements, calcium and Vitamin D supplementation is recommended.

Calcium intake should be about 1,200 to 1,500 mg per day. Vitamin D (facilitates the absorption of calcium) intake should be 800 to 1,000 IU per day. The most commonly used calcium supplements are calcium carbonate and calcium citrate. Most multivitamin tablets that are available over-the-counter contain Vitamin D. While calcium supplements are often prescribed, several foods are natural sources of calcium:

• Dairy products (e.g., milk, yogurt, cheese)
• Vegetables (e.g., collards, beets, turnips, kale, mustard greens, spinach, broccoli)
• Fish and shellfish (e.g., canned sardines and salmon, oysters, shrimp)
• Nuts and seeds (e.g., almonds, peanuts, sunflower seeds)
• Others (e.g., soybeans, dry beans, tofu, molasses)

Aside from calcium and Vitamin D, which have become incorporated as standard treatment for osteoporosis, currently there is insufficient evidence to recommend other natural health products (i.e., dietary supplements, vitamins, minerals) for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. In an article published in the May 2006 issue of the Annals of Pharmacotherapy, the authors reviewed the results of randomized, controlled trials of various natural health products that claimed to be beneficial for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. Of the various products that were reviewed in this study, the authors concluded that preliminary evidence suggests potential benefits of the following three natural health products for the prevention and treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis:

• Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)
• Vitamin K 2 (menaquinone or menatetrenone)
• Phytoestrogens

The authors noted, however, that additional studies are required to confirm the beneficial effects of these natural health products before they can be incorporated as standard treatments for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis.