Natural Solutions to Support YOUR Bone Health

Even many people who live healthy lifestyles often don't think about their bone health or think of bones as being living tissue like other body systems and cells. But the reality is that bone health is just as important as maintaining the health of other body systems. Just think about all that our bones do for us. Without good strong bones we couldn't move our arms and legs, our brains would be largely unprotected from injury, we couldn't stand up and many other functions we often take for granted. Our bones store minerals like calcium and phosphorous which not only keep bones strong, but also are used by other parts of the body.

Just as body cells die off and are replaced by new cells, the tissue that makes up bones break down and have to be replaced. The older we get, the more the bones break down and we are not able to keep up with the loss and replace as much as is lost. This is a normal part of growing older. If we have too much bone loss however we can develop osteoporosis which is the most common bone disease.

Bone Health and Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is usually thought of by most people to be a disease that elderly Caucasian women get. The truth is that we all start losing bone in our 30's and osteoporosis is not exclusive to any age, sex or ethnic group. It is also true that osteoporosis has become more prevalent in North America today than it has been at anytime in the past. Since it doesn't have symptoms like most diseases do, the majority of people with osteoporosis don't realize they have it until they break a bone. The breaks occur most commonly in vertebrae, ribs, hip and wrists.

Bone Health and Osteoporosis Risks
There is a way though to find out if you have osteoporosis before you break bones. You can have a bone density test or DEXA scan to determine if you have osteoporosis or are at risk for it. Osteoporosis is diagnosed when bone mass is determined to be 25% below normal. With osteoporosis there is a reduction in bone mineral density, bone microarchitecture deteriorates, and protein amount and variety in bone is altered.

Risk factors for developing osteoporosis include:

• aging
• having a family history of osteoporosis
• having low bone density
• being small and thin
• not getting enough calcium or vitamin D
• not getting enough exercise
• smoking
• overindulging alcohol 
• taking glucocorticoid medications

Women do tend to get osteoporosis more than men because in general they have smaller bones and lose more bone due to hormone changes after menopause.


Natural Solutions to Support Bone Health
There are natural solutions you can do to reduce the risk of osteoporosis. Bones become stronger with regular exercise just like muscles do. Recent studies indicate that regular strength training helps build strong bones, keeps them strong and increases bone calcium levels.

Diet changes can also play a role in reducing the risk of osteoporosis. Soda type drinks can drain bones of their calcium and are best avoided. Getting the right amounts of protein in the body can also be important. Protein does make for strong bones, but if you get too much, it is excreted and not used by the body. Eating foods rich in calcium like green leafy vegetables, nuts, broccoli, beans, brussel sprouts, mustard greens, kale, sardines, shrimp, dairy products, and soy can help reduce the risks of getting osteoporosis and also help in reversing it. Foods rich in vitamin D are also recommended. These include egg yolks, fish such as tuna, salmon, sardines and mackerel, liver, soymilk, shitake mushrooms, and milk with vitamin D. Vitamin D can also be produced in the body by being exposed to sunlight.

Supplements can also be useful in reducing the risk for osteoporosis. Calcium alone is not enough however. There are several nutrients that are needed for good bone health. OsteoSun, by Simplexity Health, is an all-natural non-calcium dietary supplement that has been shown in studies to increase bone mineral density significantly in subjects, by as much as 47% over the control group. It contains a special proprietary form of red yeast rice that is the only formulation certified by the International Bone Laboratories (IBL) as "bone active." It also contains Omega Sun� algae to aid in the assimilation of red yeast rice and other helpful nutrients.

Good Bone Health
Think about how important your bones are to your life. To avoid bone disease such as osteoporosis and be able to continue your mobility and protect vital organs requires good bone health. To support your bone health, get enough exercise, add calcium rich and vitamin D rich foods to your diet and supplement your diet with OsteoSun from Simplexity Health. Be good to your bones and they'll be good to you!


Photo Credit: http://pinterest.com/katrina_lexi/

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