Avoiding A Diagnosis Of Osteoporosis

Continued...

Our advice is to try to meet your calcium requirement from food sources. At the end of a day, add up how well you have done. If your calcium intake was marginal or low, then supplement before going to bed, taking no other pills to compete with the calcium.

The amount of elemental calcium in the pill is used to calculate the amount of calcium you are receiving. In calcium carbonate tablets, 40 percent is available as calcium; in calcium citrate, 21 percent; in calcium lactate, 13 percent; and in calcium gluconate, 10 percent. Therefore, if you are using a calcium carbonate tablet of 500 milligrams, only 40 percent of that, or 200 milligrams, is calcium.

Choose whichever calcium supplement is least expensive and easiest to take. Calcium citrate and calcium carbonate are absobed the best. There is no benefit to calcium derived from "natural" sources. Beware of dolomite or bone-meal calcium, which may have contaminants with lead, arsenic, or other toxic minerals.

Vitamin D is needed to aid in calcium absorption. The ADA for vitamin D is 400 l.U. (international units), but the requirement is increased as you get older. It is probably safe to take up to 600 to 800 I.U. a day. Most of us get adequate vitamin D in food and do not require a supplement.

Regular exercise throughout a lifetime can help build bone density. In general, weight-bearing exercises and strength training are the best for bone building. Activities should be done for 20 to 30 minutes several times a week. Other exercises such as sit-ups, pushups, back extensions, bent-knee pushups, and posture training can help the spine and hips, the areas most vulnerable to osteoporosis fractures.

Your risk of developing osteoporosis is increased if there is a history of the disease in your family, if you are a smoker, use alcohol (more than two drinks a day), have amenorrhea, or are Caucasian or a fair-skinned individual. Black women have a lower incidence of osteoporosis. In preventing the "dowager's hump" of osteoporosis, practicing correct posture and upper-body exercises may be helpful.

For more information, contact Melpomene, a nonprofit organization conducting research and providing resource information about physical activity and women in areas such as osteoporosis, PMS, body image, amenorrhea, eating disorders, and pregnancy and exercise. Contact them at 1010 University Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104.

| 1 | 2 | Previous

About the authors: Carol L. Otis, M.D., is Chief Medical Advisor to the Sanex WTA and a UCLA student health physician. Roger Goldingay is a former professional soccer player. They are married and the co-authors of The Athletic Woman's Survival Guide.

Order Now!

Table of Contents

Foreword: Billie Jean King

Comments by Barb Harris
Editor in Chief,
Shape Magazine

General Health
Nutrition
Exercise
Common Medical Problems
Dental Health
Emergency!
Infectious Disease
Sexual Health
Emotional Well-Being
Eating Disorders
Alcohol & Other Drugs
Environmental Health
Prevention