Proper Calcium and Vitamin D Intake Can Prevent Osteoporosis

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Dr. Rashad Trabulsi and his team of experts at Manhattan Wellness Group have years of experience treating Osteoporosis patients. These are some truths that they have uncovered over the course of the years treating back pain resulting from this degenerative disease.

What is Osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis is a bone disease that occurs when the body loses too much bone, makes too little bone, or both. As a result, bones become weak and may break from a fall or, in serious cases, from sneezing or minor bumps. Osteoporosis means “porous bone.” Viewed under a microscope, healthy bone looks like a honeycomb. When osteoporosis occurs, the holes and spaces in the honeycomb are much larger than in healthy bone. Osteoporotic bones have lost density or mass and contain abnormal tissue structure. Ensuring that you are taking in the recommended Calcium and Vitamin D intake on a daily basis can help to ensure you are taking every measure possible to prevent osteoporosis.

How Proper Calcium Intake Can Help:

Sufficient amounts of calcium are required for bone strength. The body uses calcium for the heart, blood, muscles and nerves. Without the proper amount of calcium intake, the body will strip calcium from the bones where it is stored, causing the bones to get weaker. It is important to note that since the human body cannot produce its own calcium, adequate calcium intake is vital.

The recommended amounts of calcium for adults are as follows:

  • For pre-menopausal women 25-50 years old and post-menopausal women on estrogen replacement therapy: 1,000-1,200 milligrams of calcium per day. 1,500 milligrams of calcium per day is recommended for pregnant or lactating women.
  • For postmenopausal women less than age 65 not on estrogen replacement therapy: 1,500 milligrams of calcium per day.
  • For men ages 25-65: 1,000 milligrams of calcium per day.
  • For all people (women and men) over age 65: 1,500 milligrams of calcium per day.

Getting the proper intake of Calcium is vital in preventing and managing osteoporosis.

How Proper Vitamin D Intake Can Help:

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is naturally present in very few foods, added to others, and available as a dietary supplement. It is also produced endogenously when ultraviolet rays from sunlight strike the skin and trigger vitamin D synthesis. Vitamin D obtained from sun exposure, food, and supplements is biologically inert and must undergo two hydroxylations in the body for activation.

The recommended amounts of vitamin D for adults are as follows:

  • For people over 50 (and postmenopausal women): 400-800 i.u. of vitamin D per day. For people over 65 or 70, at least 600 i.u. is usually recommended.
  • For people 25-50 years old (and premenopausal women): 400 i.u. of vitamin D per day.

Getting the proper intake of Vitamin D is vital in preventing and managing osteoporosis.

At Manhattan Wellness Group, your local Manhattan Chiropractor, Acupuncture and Massage Therapy Specialists, we deal with all kinds of back pain associated osteoporosis. So if these tips are not enough, come in and visit Dr. Rashad Trabulsi and his team of experts.