Preventing osteopenia

Preventing osteopenia is possible.  Serious bone loss is not inevitable. It is possible to build and keep your bones strong throughout your life span.  Here are  tips about what you can do if you want to prevent Osteopenia (or the more serious conditions of Osteoporosis).

First, understand that Osteopenia and Osteoporosis are NOT normal parts of aging.  There are many parts of the world where people enjoy strong bones well into old age.  True, it may be common to experience a slow down in bone building after our sex hormones lessen.  And yes, this is true for both women and men. But if you have
built solid, dense bones during your peak bone building years, your bones are not likely to become thin (osteopenic) until you are well into your late  eighties or nineties.

Second, you will want to know what sorts of things are good for Preventing Osteopenia. Here there are two main things for you to do: First, eat an alkaline diet and second incorporate regular  'weight bearing physical activity' into your life.

Let us consider eating since this is an important aspect of preventing osteopenia.  If you want strong bones, you need to eat a highly alkaline diet. Diet is so important to bone building so let me repeat: If you want strong bones, you need to eat a highly alkaline diet.

Why? Our bodies are highly complex and our body chemistry needs to be in homeostasis.  That means we need to keep in perfect balance.  Our bodies NEED to keep its acid - alkaline balance.

If our diet is such that our body becomes acidic, the body will automatically do what is necessary to retun to its acid - alkaline balance. Since our bones and teeth are alkaline in nature, the body takes alkaline substances from them in order to restore overall acid-alkaline balance. As a result we tend to get cavities and thin bones (Osteopenia) or porous bones (Osteoporosis).         

 Eat sufficient alkalizing foods to balance all the acidic foods you consume and your body will not need to use your bones or teeth to restore balance.  Eat an acidic diet and your body will draw alkaline substances (from bones or teeth) in order to restore your body chemistry to nomal. Your daily diet is one of the ways of preventing Osteopenia or Osteoporosis.

(If I had known this when I was young, I might have recognised that my frequent cavities could be an indication that my daily diet was too acidic. But I did not know this.  It was not until I developed Osteopenia and I researched possible causes of Osteopenia and Osteoporosis that I realized I needed to make some changes to what I ate. 

Researchers have shown that many modern food consumption habits,  especially those following modern Western eating patterns, have increased the net acid load of the body (as compared with the diet of early human beings). One result of this is that our body needs to find alkaline substances to retain an acid/alkaline balance. Bones and teeth are highly alkaline and so our body will remove calcium and other alkaline substances from bones or teeth in order to bring an acidic system back
into balance.  This is one of the major causes of Osteopenia and Osteoporosis in modern societies.

So if you want to prevent Osteopenia or Osteoporosis, paying attention to your diet is one of the most important things you can do.  Make sure you are eating sufficient alkaline foods. ( There is a link to a list Alkaline foods at the end of this page. )

Preventing Osteopenia and Osteoporosis with weight bearing activities.

Weight bearing activities can prevent bone loss. One of the things that stimulates bone growth is putting stress (weight) on our bones.  When we do
weight bearing activities, our osteoblasts (the cells that build new bone) are stimulated. This stimulation leads them to build new bone. As a result our bones become thicker, stronger.

Without weight bearing activities, there is nothing to stimulate bone growth or thickening of our bones. That is why sitting or lying around for much of the day is a prescription for developing Osteopenia or Osteoporosis. 

Why is this so? Early human beings worked hard. They often walked for miles each day. They bent down and reached up to get  food. They ran from danger, carried fire wood, climbed trees. Such manual labor is good for building bone.  If you are interested in Preventing Osteopenia or Osteoporosis, you need to recognize that the human body is built for activity....for physicl labor.

Walk as often as you can.  Carry shopping bags and place your purchases in them as you shop so you are carrying them as you go through the store (instead of putting your purchases in a cart). Beat the dust from your rugs; wash clothes by hand.  Play ball; jump rope, chop wood.  If you allow machines to do most of your work,  if you live a life of ease, your bones will not be stimulated to new build bone.....and you will develop thin bones (osteopenia) ..or even porous bones (osteoporosis).  Also...

Of course you will want to avoid the other things that cause bone loss.  You will be able do that. Read: Causes of  bone loss .  

And if you ever get a diagnosis of thin bones (Osteopenia or Osteoporosis) do read  Natural Treatments: Preventing Osteopenia and Osteoporosis.