Osteoporosis is considered a serious and growing public health concern due to the increasing number of fractures and osteoporosis related problems as we age. According to the International Osteoporosis Foundation this condition is estimated to affects approximately 200 million women worldwide. It occurs when the bone mass decreases more quickly than the body can create the new one to replace those old bones thus leading to a net loss of bone strength and causing bones to become weak and more easily fracture. 

Osteoporosis is caused by an imbalance in the bone-building cycle of the body. The process of bone-building and bone breaking down will be disturbed especially during menopause it happened when hormonal changes cause us to lose bone faster than it can be replaced.  The rate of bone loss accelerates especially on women that have experienced menopause where they have a quick drop in estrogen level and this will then lead to a rapid decrease in bone density. As a result the risk of osteoporosis and fracture increases because older women loss more bone than they replace. Other hormones imbalance such as parathyroid hormone and growth hormone may lead to osteoporosis as well. These hormones play a role in regulating bone density where they help to orchestrate how well the bones use calcium and when to build up or break down the bone.

Other conditions that may lead to osteoporosis include alcohol consumption which can arrest bone remodeling overuse of thyroid hormone lack of muscle use use of certain medications and problems such as low calcium or low vitamin D in the diet. Body can’t rebuild new bone during the lifelong process of bone remodeling if there is absence of calcium. While inadequate intake of vitamin D can lead to weak bones and increased bone loss. There are many nutrition and lifestyle habits can serve as the path to build healthy bones and maintain them to keep them strong by engaging to ten simple ways below.

1. Embrace calcium rich food in the diet

Calcium is the most important mineral for bone health as it serves as the major building blocks for healthy and strong bones. It is essential for proper development of bones. While bone also acts as the reservoir for calcium when there is insufficient calcium intake from the diet for daily use in body functions the body tend to withdraw those calcium it needs from the bone. If those calcium is not replaced in the bone our bones will become porous and thus lose their strength. Besides when the withdrawal calcium is more than the deposited calcium it will cause the declination of bone density and the person may be at risk of developing osteoporosis. Therefore consume enough calcium daily is vital for bone structure protection as well as maintain bone strength for healthy bones and on the other hand to prevent osteoporosis.

2. Consume enough protein in the diet

Protein is the building blocks of bones where it can help to protect bone health. It is responsible to maintain the cycle of bone breakdown and bone formation to replace those old bones with the new one. Therefore low protein intake may delay the absorption of calcium in the body which will then affect the rates of bone formation and breakdown. Protein helps in regulating acid and alkaline balance in the blood. When the blood is slightly too acidic calcium with its alkalinity properties tend to leach from bone in order to neutralize the acids in the blood. The leaching of calcium from the bone may contribute to a reduction in bone mineral density thus protein may help to regulate the acid and base balance in the blood.

3. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables

Consume lots of fruits and vegetables to get a good balance of all necessary vitamins and minerals in order to maintain bone health. Bone density can be increased through the consumption of vegetables in the diet. Vitamin C is among the vitamin that can help to improve health where adequate among of vitamin C helps to improve bone density as well as stimulate the production of bone-forming cells. This is because vitamin C is essential to the development of collagen i.e. the protein that build skin bones and connective tissue. Antioxidant effect of vitamin C prevent the bone cells from damage and hence reduce the chances of developing fragile bones that may break down easily.

4. Get plenty of vitamin D and vitamin K every day

Body produces vitamin D in skin when a person is exposed to sunlight. Vitamin D is important for calcium absorption in the body to improve bone and muscle health. It also plays a role in supporting the growth and maintenance of skeleton as well as regulating calcium level in the blood. Calcium is essential for bone health but it may not be able to perform its function when there is insufficient supply of vitamin D in the body. Calcium must be worked together with vitamin D in order for the body to absorb calcium that required by the body every day. Thus vitamin D do help to reduce the risk of osteoporosis and avoid problems with broken bones when you age.

Besides not getting enough vitamin K from the diet may lead to weaker bones and an increased risk of developing fragile bones that break easily. This is because vitamin K helps the body to produce proteins for healthy bones. It supports bone health by modifying protein that are involved in bone formation. This modification enables the protein to bind to minerals in bones and then helps prevent the loss of calcium from the bones. Studies shown that people with low level of vitamin K in the blood stream are having low bone density and are in the increased risk of developing fragile bones that can be broken down easily.

5. Supplementing with potassium and magnesium

The role of potassium in bone health is related to its ability to neutralize bone-depleting metabolic acids that will remove or break down calcium from the body so that calcium can be absorbed into the body successfully. Fruits and vegetables as well as most spices contain high amounts of potassium compounds if this mineral is not consumed in adequate amounts alkalizing bone mineral compounds are used to help to reduce low-grade metabolic acidosis causing increase in the breakdown of bone and decrease the bone strength thus ultimately increase the risk of developing osteoporosis. Whereas magnesium plays a role in converting inactive vitamin D into the active form which helps to promote calcium absorption in the body. It also contributes to increase bone density as well as prevent the onset of osteoporosis.

6. Be physically active and exercise regularly

Engage in balance training muscle strengthening and weight bearing exercise that stress the bones and muscles regularly is one of the necessary step in maintaining bone health as well as for the prevention of osteoporosis. Regular exercise may help to avoid falls and reduce the chance of breaking a bone. This is because exercise strengthen the bone and maintain muscle strength other than improve a person’s balance and flexibility in order to prevent bone loss it also helps in promotes the formation of new bones. Embrace in 30 minutes of regular exercise a day along with adopting a healthy diet may help to increase bone mineral density especially in older people.

7. Avoid alcohol consumption

Alcohol under heavy consumption tend to interfere with pancreas and its absorption of calcium and vitamin D hence the body does not absorb calcium adequately and ultimately caused bone loss. It can damage our bones and affect bone quality dramatically thus increase the risk of developing osteoporosis later in life. The production of hormones that have a protective effect on bones as well as the production of certain vitamins that are required for calcium absorption can also be affected through the excessive use of alcohol.

8. Stop smoking

Nicotine and toxins in cigarette smoke damage the bone by generating free radicals that will attack our body’s natural defense system and thus affect all the cells organs and hormones that are responsible for keeping healthy bones. Smoking reduce the amount of calcium that can be absorbed by the bones as it interferes with the mechanism of how our body utilize vitamin D to absorb calcium. As a result the body is unable to absorb calcium efficiently to build strong bones and cause the bones start to get brittle which will then ultimately lead to osteoporosis. It is shown that bone density and bone strength can be increased significantly if a smoker quit smoking. This is because smoking cessation even later in life may help to limit smoking-related bone loss.

9. Consume less caffeine and limit coffee intake

Caffeine same as alcohol will interfere with the body’s ability to absorb calcium and impair it thereby impacting bone health. Diuretic effect of caffeine will cause the loss of water and calcium from the body and thus may increase the risk of developing fragile bones and osteoporosis as well. In addition caffeine may cause leaching of calcium from bones and sapping their strength.

10. Maintain a healthy weight

Maintaining a healthy weight plays a key role in protect bone health. Being obese is at the risk of impair bone quality and also increase the risk of developing fractures due to the stress of excess weight on the body. Whilst low body weight will contribute to the condition of low bone density and bone loss especially in postmenopausal women who have lost the bone-protective effects of estrogen.

骨骼疏松症被誉为是一种常见的严重疾病，患上骨骼疏松症的人数与日俱增。因为随着年龄的增长，骨折和骨质疏松症相关的问题越来越多。根据国际骨骼疏松基金会的调查显示，估计这种现象会影响全球大约两亿的妇女。骨骼疏松症的形成是当骨质量下降的速度比人体能够创造出新的骨骼来修复旧骨骼的速度来得快的时候，进而导致骨力消弱，使骨骼变得更脆弱、更容易发生骨折。

骨质疏松症是因人体骨骼建立周期不平衡而引起的。在女性停经期间，荷尔蒙变化将导致骨骼流失的速度比修复的速度来得快，因此骨骼建立和分解的过程将会受到干扰。骨骼流失率将会加速特别是在停经后的妇女群中，因为她们的雌性荷尔蒙水平迅速下降，进而导致骨质密度下降。因此，患上骨骼疏松症和骨折的风险将会大大提高，因为年老妇女流失的骨骼比她们修复的骨骼来得多。甲状旁腺激素和生长激素等荷尔蒙失调也能导致骨质疏松症。这些荷尔蒙有助于调节骨质密度，同时协调骨骼如何有效地运用钙质和及何时该建立或分解骨骼。

其他将会导致骨骼疏松症的因素包括了酒精摄取、过度使用甲状腺激素、缺少使用肌肉、服用药物和饮食中摄取低钙质或低维生素D等问题。在缺乏钙质的情况下，身体不能在骨骼重塑过程中重建新骨骼。 而摄取不足的维生素D会导致骨骼变弱，增加骨质流失。许多营养学和生活等方面的习惯都可以作为建立健康骨骼的途径。以下十种简单的方法有助于建立强壮的骨骼。

1. 在饮食中摄取高钙质的食物

钙是健康骨骼中最重要的矿物质，因为它是建立健康和强壮骨骼的主要成分，对骨骼的发育至关重要。骨骼作为钙的储存器，当饮食中摄入的钙质不足以供身体的日常功能使用时，身体往往会从骨骼中取出所需的钙。如果被取出的钙没有被补充回去骨骼时，我们的骨头会变得多孔，从而失去骨力。另外，当被取出的钙质多余沉积在骨里钙质时，将会导致骨骼密度下降并引致骨质疏松症。因此，摄取足够的钙质对骨骼的结构保护至关重要，同时能维持健康的骨骼，并且预防骨质疏松症。

2. 在饮食中摄取足够的蛋白质

蛋白质是组成骨骼的成分，有助于保护骨骼的健康。它是负责维持骨骼分解与形成的周期，以用新的骨骼来取代旧骨骼。因此，低蛋白摄入量会延缓体内钙质的吸收，从而影响骨骼形成和分解的速度。 蛋白质有助于调节血液中的酸碱平衡。当血液处于稍微酸性时，其碱性物质的钙质将从骨中流出以抵消血液中的酸性。从骨骼中流出的钙质会降低骨质密度，因此蛋白质有助于调节血液中的酸碱平衡。

3. 多吃蔬菜和水果

摄取大量的水果和蔬菜以获得所需的维生素和矿物质能维持骨骼健康。骨骼密度能通透过饮食中摄取的蔬菜来增加。维生素C是有助于改善健康的维生素之一，摄取足够的维生素C有助于改善骨骼密度，同时刺激骨细胞的形成。这是因为维生素C对胶原蛋白的产生至关重要，即构建皮肤、骨骼和结缔组织的蛋白质。维生素C的抗氧化作用可以防止骨细胞损伤，从而减少易发生骨碎的机会。

4. 每日摄取足够的维生素D喝K

当人暴露于阳光下时，身体会在皮肤中产生维生素D。维生素D对于身体中的钙吸收是极为重要的，以改善骨骼和肌肉的健康。它也起着支撑骨骼生长和调节血液中钙质含量的作用。钙质对于骨骼健康至关重要，但当体内维生素D的供应不足时，钙质就可能无法发挥其作用。钙质必须与维生素D一起运用，以便身体能吸收每日所需的钙质。 因此，维生素D有助于降低骨质疏松症的风险，并能避免您在年老时骨骼脆弱。

此外，从饮食中摄取不足够的维生素K会导致骨骼脆弱，并且增加发生骨碎的风险。这是因为维生素K有助于让身体产生蛋白质以维持健康的骨骼。它通过模拟涉及形成骨骼的蛋白来维持健康骨骼。该模拟能促使蛋白质结合骨骼中的矿物质，进而有助于防止骨骼中钙质的流失。研究显示，血液中维生素K水平低的人群拥有较低的骨质密度，因此他们将处于容易发生骨骼脆弱的风险。

5. 补钾和镁

钾在骨骼健康中的作用与其能抵消代谢酸的能力有关，这代谢酸可以从体内去除或分解钙以使钙能有效地被吸收到体内。

水果和蔬菜以及大多数的香料含有大量的钾化合物，如果这些矿物质没有被足够的摄取，将会导致碱性骨矿物质化合物被用来减少低级代谢性酸中毒，进而增加骨骼分解的机率并减少骨骼强度，最终增加发生骨质疏松症的风险。而镁可以将无活性维生素D转化成活性形式，有助于促进体内钙质的吸收。它还有助于增加骨质密度及防止骨质疏松症的发生。

6. 保持活跃的生活及定期做运动

定期的进行注重于骨骼和肌肉的平衡训练还有强化肌肉和承重的运动是维持骨骼健康以及预防骨质疏松症的必要步骤之一。定期运动有助于避免跌倒并减少骨折的机会。这是因为运动有助于加强骨骼、维持肌肉强度，也提高了人的平衡和弹性，以防止骨质流失，还有助于促进新骨骼的形成。每天30分钟的运动再加上养成健康的饮食习惯有助于增加骨质密度，特别是老年人。

7. 避免饮酒

过度饮酒会干扰胰腺及其钙质和维生素D的吸收，因此身体不能充分地吸收钙质，最终导致骨骼流失。它可以损害我们的骨骼，并显着地影响骨质量，从而增加骨质疏松症的风险。对骨骼起着保护作用的荷尔蒙还有吸收钙质所需的维生素会因过度饮用酒精而受到影响。

8. 戒烟

烟草中的尼古丁和毒素会产生自由基来损坏骨骼，这些自由基会攻击我们身体的自然防御系统，从而影响所有负责保持健康骨骼的细胞，器官和荷尔蒙。吸烟会减少骨骼所吸收的钙量，因为它会干扰我们的身体如何利用维生素D来吸收钙的机理。因此，身体无法有效地吸收钙以建立强壮的骨骼，并将导致骨骼开始变脆，最终引致骨质疏松症。因此戒烟有助于减少吸烟相关的骨质流失。

9. 限制咖啡因的摄取量

咖啡因有如酒精般，会干扰身体吸收钙质的能力并损害身体，从而影响骨骼的健康。咖啡因的利尿作用会导致体内水分和钙的流失，从而增加发生骨骼脆弱和骨质疏松症的风险。再说，咖啡因会引起骨骼中钙质的流失，并减轻其骨骼强度。

10. 维持健康体重

维持健康体重对保护健康骨骼起着关键作用。肥胖将导致一个人处于低骨质量的风险，并增加因体重过重而引起骨折的风险。体重不足将会导致低骨骼密度的情况，特别是在因绝经后而失去雌激素作为骨骼保护的妇女群中。