Table of contents:
- Habits that can cause osteoporosis
- 1. Lock yourself in the house all day
- 2. Lazing the whole day
- 3. Likes to eat salty foods
- 4. Drinking alcoholic beverages
- 5. Smoking
Osteoporosis is often considered a disease of the elderly, because bone density usually decreases with age. That is why many people are trying to prevent osteoporosis by meeting the needs of calcium, vitamin D, and regular exercise. Even so, not many people know that some of the habits you do every day can actually cause osteoporosis in old age. What are you doing?
Habits that can cause osteoporosis
Bone loss or osteoporosis is the loss of bone mass that makes bones thinner. As a result, bones are prone to brittle, porous, and easily broken. Most people think osteoporosis is a natural disease, as part of the aging process. Even though without realizing it, various daily habits at a young age have contributed to this bone damage.
1. Lock yourself in the house all day
Like to stay at home for a day because the sun is so hot outside? Indirectly, this could be the cause of osteoporosis. Yes, the sun is known as a good source of natural vitamin D to support various body functions.
Uniquely, vitamin D from the sun has another important task in helping the absorption of calcium in the body, said dr. Jonathan Lee, as a bone specialist at Montefiore Health System New York. Adequacy of calcium in the body will later be used to build and maintain healthy bone structure.
So, try to take the time to "meet" the sun in the morning or evening when the sun is not too hot.
2. Lazing the whole day
Bone can be said as an important part of the body that acts as a support in body movement. This means that the more often it is used, the better the bone structure will be, while the bone function will weaken if it is rarely used.
This is supported by a statement from dr. Laila S. Tabatabai, a teaching assistant at the Houston Methodist and Weill Cornell Medical College. According to him, a lifestyle that likes to be lazy and tends to avoid physical movement will actually decrease bone function because it is not optimally sharpened.
In addition to exercising regularly, you can prevent bone loss by increasing the number of activities that involve physical movement. For example going up and down stairs, walking, or taking the time to clean the house instead of having to lie down all day on the bed or watch TV all day.
3. Likes to eat salty foods
Orthopedist from Providence Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, California, dr. Frederick Singer explained that there was a link between high salt intake and decreased bone density.
The amount of salt can usually be calculated from the amount of sodium in it. Now, when sodium levels in the body increase, the body will automatically release more calcium through urine.
Evidenced by the Linus Pauling Institute, a research institute located at Oregon State University in the United States, adult women are at risk of losing about one percent of bone density each year, just because they consume one gram of sodium per day.
4. Drinking alcoholic beverages
It's best to start drinking less alcohol if you don't want osteoporosis. Yes, drinking alcohol is one of several habits that cause osteoporosis because it can interfere with the work of the digestive system in absorbing calcium.
Alcohol will also affect the function of the pancreas and liver, thereby affecting calcium and vitamin D levels in the body. In fact, the hormone cortisol will increase accompanied by a decrease in the hormones estrogen and testosterone which further weaken bone density.
5. Smoking
According to the National Institute of Health Osteoporosis and Related Bone Diseases National Resource Center, states that smokers have a much lower bone density than nonsmokers.
The reason is because cigarettes produce free radicals, which are dangerous compounds that cause disease. These free radicals can kill cell components that are supposed to build healthy bones, explained by dr. Edward Domurat, an endocrinologist at Kaiser Permanente South Bay Medical Center. Similar to alcohol, smoking can also increase the production of the hormone cortisol, which can weaken bone work.
So, from now on try to adopt a healthy lifestyle that can support bone function. Instead, avoid various habits that are believed to accelerate bone loss!
