Source: Osteoporosis Canada

Food Sources of Calcium

3. Participate in regular exercise, including weight-bearing, muscle-strengthening, postural, and balance exercises.

Bone-Healthy Exercises

Weight-bearing is any exercise where the entire weight of the body is supported by the legs. Here are some examples:

• walking
• running
• hiking
• line dancing or ballroom dancing
• low-impact aerobics
• racquet sports
• basketball
• volleyball
• cross-country skiing
• weight lifting

4. Take a quality calcium supplement if dietary calcium is insufficient to maintain recommended daily requirements.

What to Look For

Choosing the right calcium supplement is often a personal choice, but here are some helpful guidelines:

liquid form of calcium citrate may be more easily absorbed and used by the body than calcium carbonate solid tablets or capsules

best absorbed in divided doses, one to one and a half hours after meals

5. Avoid tobacco products as smoking lowers estrogen and testosterone levels, which can accelerate bone loss and also interrupts the bone remodeling process, increasing the risk of osteoporosis disease.

6. Limit alcohol consumption to fewer than two drinks per day as alcohol can harm the cells that help build bones and also reduces the amount of calcium in the body.

7. Limit caffeine consumption to fewer than four caffeine-containing drinks per day (e.g., coffee, cola, some energy drinks). Excess caffeine consumption can result in loss of calcium through kidneys and intestines.

Some food components and substances interfere with the body’s ability to retain calcium that has been ingested and absorbed. This means that despite maintaining a diet rich in calcium, you may be depleting these precious stores of bone-building nutrients by ingesting the following substances in excess:

• salt
• caffeine
• tobacco
• alcohol

8. Reduce stress! Stress produces a hormone called cortisol, which lowers calcium stores in the bones. Practise stress relaxation techniques such as meditation and breathing exercises for osteoporosis prevention.

9. Identify your personal risk factors for osteoporosis (visit osteoporosiscanada.ca).

10. Get a bone-mineral density test if your risk factors for osteoporosis indicate you may be susceptible to potential bone loss.

Source: alive Web Exclusive, October 2007 [http://www.alive.com/6371a13a2.php]