Three Natural Ways To Supplement Your Osteoporosis Treatment
Posted on: 10 May 2017
If you're a post-menopausal woman who has been diagnosed with osteoporosis, it's important to follow your doctor's orders as far as medications are concerned. Modern drugs have done a lot of osteoporosis; there are some that help keep the bones from becoming more brittle and others that even increase bone density. But while these medications offer excellent results, there's always room for improvement. Here are three natural ways to supplement your postmenopausal osteoporosis treatments.
Enjoy plenty of dairy products.
Osteoporosis medications stimulate your bones to take up calcium. In order to do that, they must have access to calcium. Eating plenty of dairy products will ensure you have enough calcium in your bloodstream to build your bones back up and prevent fractures. A cup of low-fat milk contains 45% of the daily value of calcium, and 1 ounce of shredded mozzarella cheese contains 27% of the daily value. Of course, other cheeses, like Swiss, cheddar, and Parmesan are good choices, too.
Go for a walk.
Weight bearing exercise is good for helping to maintain and improve your bone density. While running may be a bit too hard on your body -- especially if you accidentally fall and put yourself at risk of fractures -- walking is an easy, weight-bearing exercise that's good for your bones.
Start slowly with your walks. At first, just walk for 15 minutes a day around your block, going at an easy pace. Slowly add a few more minutes to your walks until you're spending about 30 minutes a day walking at a decently brisk pace. Don't be afraid to take a day off if you're feeling sore or tired.
Spend time in the sun.
Vitamin D is another nutrient that's very important for building and maintaining healthy bones. Though you can get it from milk and other fortified foods, it's really easiest to get by spending some time in the sun. That's right -- your body makes its own vitamin D whenever you sit in the sunshine. Make sure you have some skin uncovered when you venture outside for those walks, or make an afternoon at the beach a part of your regular schedule.
If you are at an increased risk of skin cancer, consider taking oral vitamin D supplements instead of spending time in the sun. Talk to your doctor to learn more about these and other ways to supplement your osteoporosis treatments and avoid fractures.
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