Osteoporosis and Bone Health

How's your bone health?

Are you concerned about osteoporosis?

Are you taking good care of your skeletal structure, getting all the exercise and nutrition necessary for healthy bones?

Statistics show that one out of every three women over the age of 50 can develop osteoporosis.

The hormonal changes in a woman’s body due to menopause can result in deprivation of essential vitamins and minerals that are needed to prevent osteoporosis. Certain vitamins and minerals taken on a daily basis can be one of the effective forms of osteoporosis treatment that a woman can use.

Women need to increase their calcium intake as well as concentrating on eating more fresh fruits and vegetables when they are older. If you have osteoporosis,  include vitamin D3 in your daily supplements, as well as calcium.

Falling and breaking bones becomes a real concern as we get older. Broken hips can be followed by other serious problems for the elderly.

The time to take action is when you're young. We need to establish good health habits, exercise routines, and dietary savvy to fortify ourselves against the inevitable decrease in strength and fitness we face as time goes by.

But no matter what our age, there are things we all can do to keep our bodies and bones at peak operating condition.

Turning to the orthodox medical profession and pharmaceuticals may be the path chosen by some, but this route has some disadvantages.

Fosamax, a drug taken by many, is now considered risky and is the target of lawsuits. I'm sure youu've seen the lawyer commercials on TV. Sally Field raves about once monthly Boniva, but this pill is very expensive has serious potential side effects.

If you suffer from osteoporosis or other bone conditions, before rushing into a Big Pharma pill popping "regimen", take some time to learn about bone health and natural remedies.

According to LiveStrong, there are three major herbs that help with bone health.


[Quote]

Red Clover

The isoflavones in red clover have shown some effectiveness in the treatment of osteoporosis and in minimizing pre-menstrual breast pain, according to Heather Boon in the "55 Most Common Medicinal Herbs: The Complete Natural Medicine Guide." Even though this herb is generally well tolerated, adverse effects may include headaches and a mild increase in liver enzymes, as indicated by a liver function test. Red clover is available in dried form or as a liquid extract.

Black Cohosh

Common uses for black cohosh include alleviating symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes, anxiety, depression, premenstrual syndrome and painful periods. However, because this herb contains phytoestrogens -- estrogen-like substances known to help protect against bone loss -- the University of Maryland Medical Center, or UMMC, lists black cohosh as a herb that may be helpful in the treatment of osteoporosis. Adverse effects of this herb may include an upset stomach and headache. Black cohosh is available as a dried root, extract or tincture.

Horsetail

In ancient Roman and Greek medicine, horsetail treated a variety of ailments, such as ulcers, wounds, tuberculosis, kidney and bleeding issues, says Boon. According to UMMC, this herb contains silicon, known to strengthen bone, making it a possible treatment for osteoporosis. However, as with black cohosh and red clover, horsetail is unproven in its effectiveness in treating osteoporosis, due to lack of research.

[End Quote]