Health Tip: Build Healthy Bones
Start early, benefit later
Posted 11/27/07
(HealthDay News) - Osteoporosis doesn't have to be an inevitable part of aging -- if you begin practicing healthy habits when you're young.
Here are some facts about osteoporosis, and suggestions to help prevent brittle bones, courtesy of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons:
- Women who are or have been pregnant, who are breast-feeding, or who have had a hysterectomy are more likely to lose bone mass, putting them at higher risk of osteoporosis.
- Women who are menopausal or postmenopausal produce less estrogen than before, which weakens bones.
- Ideally, weight-bearing exercises should begin during the teen years, when the bones grow rapidly.
- It's never too late to start protecting your bones, which may continue to grow throughout your 20s, and even into your early 30s.
- Avoid smoking and excess alcohol, which weaken bones.
Copyright © 2007 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved.
advertisement
