Prevention of osteoporosis: exercise, calcium supplementation, and a balanced diet
**2.4//How to prevent osteoporosis?**
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From the perspective of etiology, osteoporosis is mainly caused by insufficient activity. Elderly people should increase their exercise and engage in regular physical activities.
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> In daily life, try to avoid taking the elevator and take a walk after meals. Some foreign data shows that the height of the building is related to lifespan. Many people can prevent osteoporosis by passively exercising by going up and down stairs every day.
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Table: Calcium content (mg/100g) in common foods
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> Food Name Content Food Name Content Food Name Content
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Human milk 34, black fungus 357
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Milk 120g, Dried kelp 1177g, Lean pork 11g
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Cheese 590, Seaweed 343, Lean Lamb 15
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Egg yolk 900g, soybeans 367g, lean beef 6g
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Standard 134, Tofu 240-277, Lean Chicken 11
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Standard rice 24g, green peas 240g, dried shrimp 2000g
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Bok choy 93-163g, black beans 250g, ribbonfish 61g
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Chinese cabbage 61, peas 84, plum fish 60
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Rapeseed 140, broad beans 93, crucian carp 48
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Leeks 105, dried bean curd 280, grass carp 29
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Black moss 767, peanuts 67, eel shreds 49
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> White fungus 380, raw almonds 140, shrimp 183
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Roasted hazelnuts 316, Roasted watermelon seeds 237, Sea crab 208
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Walnut kernels 119g, Roasted pumpkin seeds 235g
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Black Sesame 2013
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Example of a diet plan: The following table can be used as a reference for the diet of patients with osteoporosis.
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Breakfast soy milk 275g, enriched flour 50g
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Lunchtime meal: 50g lean pork, 200g tofu, 150g rice, 10g dried shrimp
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200g spinach, 9g soybean oil, 220g oranges (at 4 PM)
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Dinner: 100g lean meat, 105g rice, 50g celery, 150g lettuce, 9g soybean oil
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Carbohydrates 285.3g (63.9%), Protein 81.4g (16.7%), Fat 37.3g (19.4%)
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Total energy 1726.1 kcal
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**2.4.1 A Balanced Diet:**
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my country's diet is mainly plant-based, with low calcium content. The average daily calcium intake per person is only 50% of the amount provided by the Chinese Nutrition Society. Therefore, it is necessary to adjust the dietary structure and increase the proportion of foods with high calcium content, such as dairy products and millet.
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(1) Supplement with an appropriate amount of calcium
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Generally speaking, as long as you don't have a picky diet and eat normally, the nutrition from three meals a day is sufficient and you don't need to supplement calcium. However, in real life, it is not easy to have a completely reasonable diet. In addition, factors such as the growth and development period of teenagers and the menopause of the elderly can indeed lead to calcium deficiency.
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Before the age of 2, the body is mainly in the growth stage of bones. After the age of 40, bone density reaches its peak and bone loss begins. Therefore, teenagers and the elderly need to supplement calcium appropriately.
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The daily calcium intake for children aged 1-14 years should be 600-1000mg, for those aged 14-16 years it should be 1200mg, and for those aged 16-18 years it should be 1000mg.
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There are many types of calcium-containing foods on the market; when choosing one, pay attention to the net calcium content.
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While consuming calcium, it is also important to pay attention to vitamin D supplementation. Eggs, cream, and animal liver generally contain a lot of vitamin D, so you should eat them regularly. You should also spend more time outdoors.
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Getting more sunlight can also increase the body's vitamin D levels, which is beneficial for calcium absorption.
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For patients with obvious symptoms (such as lower back pain) and obvious bone decalcification on X-ray, medication should be administered.
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There are many medications available for treating osteoporosis.
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For medications such as estrogen, magnesium-lowering agents, sodium fluoride, and strontium salts, the use of these medications should be under the guidance of a doctor.
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According to traditional Chinese medicine theory, osteoporosis is caused by kidney deficiency, and currently, traditional Chinese medicine such as Longmu Zhuanggu Granules are also effective in treating it.
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(2) What foods can supplement calcium?
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> Aquatic products such as fish and shrimp: crucian carp, carp, silver carp, loach, shrimp, crab, kelp, laver, clam, sea cucumber, snail, etc.
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Meat and poultry: chicken, mutton, chicken eggs, duck eggs, quail eggs, preserved eggs, pork floss, etc.
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> Dairy products: cow's milk, goat's milk and its powder, cheese, condensed milk.
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Legumes and legume products: soybeans, edamame, lentils, broad beans, tofu, dried tofu, tofu skin, fermented tofu.
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Fruits and dried fruits: lemons, loquats, apples, black dates, dried apricots, almonds, hawthorns, raisins, walnuts, watermelon seeds, pumpkin seeds, dried mulberries, peanuts, lotus seeds, etc.
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Vegetables: celery, rapeseed, carrots, radish greens, sesame, coriander, pickled mustard greens, black fungus, mushrooms, etc.
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It should be noted that: food preservation and storage can reduce calcium consumption; milk should not be stirred when heated; add more water when stir-frying vegetables and keep the cooking time short; and vegetables should not be chopped too finely.
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Spinach, leeks, and water bamboo contain a lot of oxalic acid. They should be soaked in hot water for a while to dissolve the oxalic acid, so as to prevent it from combining with calcium-containing foods to form insoluble calcium oxalate.
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Lactose can help retain more dietary calcium. Coarse grains such as sorghum, buckwheat flour, oats, and corn contain more calcium than rice and wheat flour, so it is advisable to eat some coarse grains.
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**2.4.2** **Exercise is the best way to prevent osteoporosis.**
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Here are some exercises to prevent osteoporosis:
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First warm-up:
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Before exercising, you should do some warm-up exercises to loosen up your muscles and joints. Here are two recommended warm-up exercises.
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① Warm-up for the waist and inner thighs: Bend your knees slightly, bend forward, and extend your forearms straight down. Perform the exercise slowly and do not use force. The exercise should last for 3 to 5 minutes.
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② Warm-up exercises for the Achilles tendon and inner knee: Stand with your feet together, step forward with one foot while shifting your weight forward, then shift your weight backward. Repeat this exercise 10 times, then switch to the other foot and do the same. Alternate between left and right for 3 to 5 minutes.
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Second Fitness Exercise
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First technique: Stimulate bones and increase muscle mass.
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① Jumping rope: People who are overweight should not force themselves to do it. It is best to start with 50 to 60 jumps each time, and then gradually increase to 300 to 400 jumps each time. The amount of activity should be controlled within the range that the body can adapt to.
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② Horizontal twist: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, raise your arms and extend them horizontally to the sides. Twist your upper body to the left and right. To exercise your waist muscles, you can't rely solely on your own strength. Using dumbbells will be more effective. Generally, you can simply hold dumbbells and move around.
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Second exercise: Move your knee joints to increase leg muscle strength and joint flexibility.
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① Squatting exercise: Stand with your feet apart, as wide as possible, and bend both knees at the same time to do squatting exercises.
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The greater the degree of knee flexion, the greater the intensity of the exercise.
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Don't overdo it when you first start practicing.
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This exercise is not suitable for people with knee arthritis.
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> ② Push-ups: It is difficult for older adults to do regular push-ups. They can support themselves on a table with their hands to reduce the load.
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> ② Knee joint arc exercise: Stand with your feet together and knees slightly bent. Place your hands on your knees and move your body in an elliptical motion with your knees. First, do 20 counterclockwise movements, then 20 clockwise movements. Repeat this alternating motion for 10 minutes.
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This exercise can increase the strength of the muscles in the waist and legs, and is a good way to prevent osteoporosis, but it is not suitable for people with knee arthritis.
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The third exercise: Activate the hip joints, increase the strength of the buttocks and legs, and prevent osteoporosis.
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Sit on the floor with your back muscles straight and ring dumbbells on your toes.
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Extend your legs and move them up and down, alternating between both legs. You can do this while watching TV.
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When starting out, it's best to choose a dumbbell weight of 500 to 1000 grams.