Green Tea Can Help Prevent Fractures in Women With Osteoporosis

There are things you can do to prevent fractures especially if you have osteoporosis. Exercises, drinking green tea, changing your lifestyle and bad habits can all contribute to healthy and strong bones. Normally, women with osteoporosis are prone to verterbal, hip, and wrist fractures and this is because of the result of weak bones. With medications, proper exercise, and complete nutritional support, the risk of fractures is less.

To protect yourself from getting a fracture from a fall, you need lots of weight-bearing exercises. Yoga and other resistance training fitness program help build strong bones. Another benefit of these exercises does not stop with building stronger bones but it also improves your balance and increases muscle mass as well as muscle strength.

Strength is what you need to be able to get up from the floor or climb stairs. Balance is what you need to be able to prevent falls. Tai chi is a slow, graceful movement that works with coordination and balance. Another important thing is to check is your medications. More often than not, certain medications causes some problems with coordination and balance.

Also, limit your alcohol intake when taking medications. Consider getting your eyes examined.

Reducing your stress is one great factor in osteoporosis. Why? It is because stress can deplete your body of necessary nutrients for your bones such as calcium. Under stress, your body undergoes a fight or flight mechanism. It is basically an involuntary response of your body when it is in danger so you'll be ready either to take action or run away.

High levels of hormone cortisol which is present during a stressful event or situation suppress your immune system. This causes calcium to be released from your bones into your bloodstream. This, in turn, suppresses your hormones and glands involved in the remodeling of your bones.

As we age, your calcium loss often exceeds your calcium gain to your bones and that is why dietary calcium may slow the process of bone loss. Green tea contains chromium, calcium, magnesium, iron, copper, zinc, molybdenum, sodium, phosphorous, strontium, cobalt, nickel, and potassium.

The low rates of breast cancer and osteoporosis in Japanese women suggested that green tea should be in every woman's teacup.

Fragile Bones (Osteoporosis) Risk Factors

Fragile bones (osteoporosis) affect about 75 million people in Europe, USA and Japan. It considered a silent disease, due to gradual and painless loss of bone density. Early detection of risk factors is very logic for everyone. I'll provide you these risk factors in this article.

• Age: During aging process, bone resorption increase whereas, bone formation decrease. Both male and female loss about 0.5% of bone mass every year after age 50.

• Gender: 1 in 3 women over 50 will experience osteoporotic fractures, as will 1 in 5 men. Postmenopausal females are highly susceptible due to anabolic effect of Estrogen, the longer a women are exposed to estrogen hormone, the lower their risk of osteoporosis. Corticosteroids treatment: rheumatoid arthritis long term treatment with prednisone or its derivatives led to high risk of osteoporosis.

• Family history: Individuals with family member has osteoporosis has a 50-85% increased risk of developing osteoporosis.

• Race: Caucasians and Southeast Asians are of high risk more than African American and Latino men.

• Body mass: Thin or lean people particularly females are of high risk.

• Low Calcium intake: Calcium is the main component in bone structure so its deficiency led to high risk.

• Low Vitamin, D intake: Vitamin, D is very essential for Calcium, absorption and metabolism.

• Physical activity: Less active people and low life style people are of high risk.

• Smoking, Alcohol and Excessive Soda consumption. All these factors interfere with Calcium absorption and metabolism.

• Certain medications as Diuretics, Estrogen suppressive, blood-thinning agents, and Anti-cholesterol, agents: All, interfere with Calcium level, absorption and metabolism.

All people at risk should visit Physician and detect the Bone Mineral Density (BMD); witch diagnosed by a DEXA (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) test that, measures the bone mineral content of the spine, hip, and other parts of the skeleton. In simple terms, an X-ray is beamed to a specific area of the body and results in a computerized calculation based on the amount of light filtering through the tissue. Known as the Bone Mineral

Density (BMD), the test results are numbers representing the Standard Deviation (SD).

The T-scores are then used for diagnosis as follows:

• The normal: T-score above -1.

• Osteopenia: T- score between (-1 and -2.5).

• Osteoporosis: T-score at or below -2.5.

Celiac Disease Can Cause Back Pain

Celiac disease affects about 1 in 133 Americans, according to Mayo Clinic researchers. The digestive and autoimmune disease is thought to be caused by genetic factors and has a wide range of symptoms.

The immune systems of people with Celiac disease respond to the ingestion of gluten protein by attacking the lining of the small intestine. This causes inflammation that damages villa, the small hairs in the intestine that absorb nutrients into the body. Because it affects nutrient absorption, Celiac has many symptoms beyond the digestive tract.

Nutrients include vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, proteins and fats. The body uses all of these in various vital functions, including cell production, muscle activation, growth of bones and muscles and organ function. Since nutrients are the basic building blocks of our bodies, malnutrition can wreak havoc on a number of structures.

Symptoms of Celiac include:

Digestive problems, such as gas, bloating, diarrhea, fatty stools and constipation

Muscle, joint and bone pain

In children, failure to grow properly

Iron-deficiency anemia

Missed periods

Tingling in the legs

Seizures

Celiac Disease And Back Pain

If you experience chronic digestive symptoms and back pain, you should be tested for Celiac disease. Continuing to eat gluten can lead to permanent intestinal damage.

Nutrient deficiency affects muscles throughout the body. The lower back will likely be a site of pain, since the lower back muscles are both load-bearing and highly mobile. Electrolytes like potassium, magnesium, sodium and calcium are needed for proper muscle functioning. A lack of these electrolytes causes interference in nerve communication between the brain and muscles. Contraction and relaxation cycles become disrupted. The muscles may twitch, spasm and cramp up. As the muscles get used less due to pain and miscommunication, muscle tone is lost. This process is accelerated by the fact that protein, the building blocks of muscles, is not being absorbed properly. This means that muscle wasting can't be counteracted by muscle repair.

Celiac disease can also cause osteoporosis and osteomalacia. Both disorders involve weakness of bones, but they are different in a few ways. Osteoporosis is a generally non-reversible thinning of bones caused by the body's inability to manufacture more bone tissue. Calcium and phosphate deficiencies greatly increase risk of osteoporosis. Osteomalacia is a softening of the bones caused by vitamin D deficiency and, unlike osteoporosis, can be recovered from through vitamin D supplementation. Both disorders can cause bone fracture and pain, but osteomalacia also has neuromuscular pain symptoms. Osteoporosis can cause loss of height and postural dysfunction, which can exacerbate back pain.

Treating Celiac Disease

The first step to Celiac treatment is the permanent elimination of gluten from your diet. As long as gluten is present in your digestive tract, your body will continue to damage itself. See http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/gluten-free-diet/my01140/ for foods you can and can't eat.

Celiac is usually detected before intestinal damage is beyond repair. You may begin to feel better a few days into your gluten-free diet, but it can take 6 months or more for your intestines to heal. It is generally considered a good idea for people recovering from Celiac damage to supplement nutrients in order to reverse the effects of malnutrition. Supplementation should be done under the guidance of a nutritionist or physician to ensure you're getting the proper amounts of nutrients your body needs.

Back pain is one of the many possible symptoms of Celiac disease. If you suspect you have this condition, seek diagnosis and treatment early on.

High Dose Vitamin D - Are 5,000 IUs of Vitamin D Too Much?

The Vitamin D Council advises that most healthy people can receive 5,000-10,000 IU of vitamin D3 a day without harm. But high dose vitamin D must be accompanied by sufficient calcium and magnesium...and people with certain diseases should only take supplements under the supervision of a knowledgeable doctor. Vitamin D is essential for the absorption of calcium and the prevention of osteoporosis. Recent studies have shown that it may also boost the immune system and help to prevent cancer.

Our body will automatically regulate how much vitamin D it produces from sunshine. Studies show that sunbathing in the summer for about 30 minutes can result in the production of over 10,000 IU of vitamin D and that once our skin makes about 20,000 IU, the ultraviolet light begins to degrade the vitamin so that we do not "overdose" on the sun. Vitamin D expert Dr. Vieth reports that there is no practical difference between vitamin D acquired from the sun and that acquired from food and supplements.

The Vitamin D Council reports that doses of 5,000 IU per day from all sources (sun, diet and supplements) are safe for most healthy people and that there are no reports of toxicity up to 10,000 IU per day. But the Council also warns that without calcium and magnesium in sufficient quantities, vitamin D supplementation will withdraw calcium from the bone and will allow the uptake of toxic minerals. As everyone metabolizes vitamin D differently, the best way to identify the optimal level of supplementation is to adjust the dosage to maintain target blood levels. The Vitamin D Council recommends that optimal health is supported by blood levels of 50-80 ng/mL (125-200nmol/L) as identified in a 25(OH)D vitamin D blood test.

HIGH DOSE VITAMIN D FOR TREATMENT OF SEVERE DEFICIENCY

High dose vitamin D treatment is broadly accepted in the medical community for people who are suffering from a severe deficiency but are otherwise in good health. There are two views on the best way to receive high dose vitamin D. The most common form of high dose vitamin D in the US is a prescription form of ergocalciferal also known as vitamin D2. But as vitamin D2 is less potent than vitamin D3, many doctors now recommend high dose vitamin D3 which can be purchased in a health food store or on-line.

VITAMIN D2 (50,000 IU/week)

Dr. Michael Holick of the Boston University School of Medicine recommends high dose vitamin D2 treatment for people whose 25(OH) blood levels are below 10 ng/mL (25 nmol/L). He proposes an oral dose of 50,000 IU/wk of vitamin D2 for 8 weeks followed by another blood test to check serum levels. If the levels are still inadequate, another 8-week course of 50,000 IU/week may be prescribed until blood levels reach 30 to 50 ng/mL (75-125 nmol/L). Once these target blood levels have been attained, patients prone to developing vitamin D deficiency may be encouraged to take 50,000 IU of D2 every 2 weeks to sustain their blood levels...or 1,000 IU a day of vitamin D3. He also suggests that exposure to direct sunlight for 5-10 minutes on the arms and legs between 10am-3pm during the spring, summer and fall can prevent further deficiency.

Ergocalciferol is available to U.S. doctors in prescription strength of 50,000 units in the brand names of Drisdol and Calciferol. As it is derived from plants rather than animals, ergocalciferol is considered Kosher.

VITAMIN D3 (4,000 IU/day)

Dr. Vieth (Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto Canada) recommends that vitamin D3 is the preferred choice for supplementation. In 2001, a study involving 61 healthy men and women resulted in healthy increases in blood levels following daily intake of 4,000 IU of vitamin D 3-without an increase in blood calcium or urinary calcium excretion. After 2-5 months, the blood levels of participants increased to a range of 28-50ng/ml (69-125 nmol/L). Dr. Vieth has proposed a rule of thumb, that 4,000 IU of vitamin D3/day will increase 25(OH)D blood levels by 100nmol/L (40ng/ml) after 8 months of use and that any surplus vitamin D will remain in the body for approximately 2 months.

Dr. Vieth recommends a daily dose of 4,000 IU/day in order to maintain blood levels above 100nmol/L. He also clarifies that published cases of vitamin D causing elevated blood calcium (hypercalcaemia) have involved daily intake of 40,000 IU. Hypercalcaemia due to excessive vitamin D is generally accompanied by blood concentrations greater than 88ng/ml (220 nmol/L).

Dr. Vieth also suggests that high and infrequent dosing may result in blood level fluctuations without producing sustainable improvements in blood levels. Intake of lower doses of 2,000-4,000 IU daily rather than 100,000 IU once a month are more likely to produce the desired results.

CALCITRIOL

Calcitriol is a steroid that is produced after vitamin D passes through the liver and kidneys. The Vitamin D Council warns against treating vitamin D deficiency with calcitriol (or its analogs) as it poses risks of hypercalcaemia (high blood calcium) and fails to replenish the body's stores of vitamin D.

HIGH DOSE VITAMIN D TREATMENT GETS SILLY (500,000 IU)

Non-compliance (failure to take medications) is common both with prescription drugs and vitamins. Pharmaceutical companies and researchers often seek to address this problem with a "one shot a year" approach to osteoporosis medication and occasionally with vitamins.

In 2010, professors at the University of Melbourne reported results of a study involving 2,256 women (aged 70 years or older and considered to be at high risk of fracture) who received an annual dose of 500,000IUs of D3 supplements for three to five years. They were surprised that the recipients of this high dose vitamin D regime had 26% more fractures and 15% more falls than the placebo group. Treatment of non-compliant people with mega doses of vitamin D does not seem to be the solution....as suggested by earlier research that lower doses ingested daily produce the best results.

There are a number of diseases for which vitamin D supplements can cause elevated blood calcium and possibly compromise the immune system. In these cases, supplements should only be taken under the supervision of a knowledgeable doctor.

For information on calcium and magnesium supplements that support high dose vitamin D treatment while also preventing osteoporosis, visit http://www.osteoporosis-vitamins.com/best-calcium-for-osteoporosis.html

How to Recognize and Cope with the 34 Menopause Symptoms

Suffering from hot flashes or night sweats? Maybe you've suffered irregular periods now that you're going through the menopause. There are actually 34 symptoms that are commonly associated with menopause, although thankfully it is rare for one person to suffer from all of them. Here is a quick list. You may be able to spot some that you can relate to on this list.

1. Hot flashes (hot flushes)

2. Night sweats

3. Chronic fatigue

4. Irregular periods

5. Low sex drive or loss of sex drive

6. Hair loss

7. Sleep disturbance

8. Difficulty concentrating

9. Incontinence

10. Dry or thin skin

11. Vaginal dryness

12. Allergy symptoms

13. Leg cramps

14. Digestive problems

15. Facial hair

16. Muscle tensions

17. PMS symptoms

18. Water retention

19. Memory lapses

20. Dizziness

21. Weight gain

22. Heart palpitations

23. Mood swings

24. Itchy skin

25. Cold or tingling hands and feet

26. Depression

27. Breast tenderness

28. Migraines and headaches

29. Aching joints and muscles

30. Osteoporosis

31. Burning tongue

32. Irritability

33. Panic attacks / Anxiety

34. Low metabolism

There are steps that you can take to overcome some of these symptoms if you need to. You can visit your doctor and ask what treatments are available. In cases of severe symptoms you may be offered HRT (hormone replacement therapy). This has become quite controversial recently with some commentators saying that this treatment carries an increased risk of cancer with it.

You can also take natural remedies for the condition. Wild yam is a plant that grows in North America and contains phytoestrogens - plant material that very closely resembles female hormones. Many women have said that they have had great results when using this product.

You can also take simple measures yourself that will decrease the severity of symptoms. If you suffer from night sweats you should look at the type of bed linen and nightwear that you have. Natural fibers are best, such as cotton. You should avoid polyester and other manmade fibers that can make you hot. Keep the room cool and don't put too many covers on the bed.

If you have hot flashes during the day you can also take some sensible measures. Try and find out if your hot flashes are related to eating a particular type of food. Some women have found that cheese or red wine can trigger an episode. You can also dress to be prepared. Rather than one big sweater you can wear layers that can be taken off if you feel hot. Wearing a cardigan is also a practical piece of clothing that can easily be removed.

Menopause and Osteoporosis - There Are Steps You Can Take To Help Alleviate It

One of the conditions a woman must be concerned about is osteoporosis. This may usually occur right after menopause. However, there are steps you can take to alleviate it.

Osteoporosis is simply bone loss. It is inherent in aging for both men and women, although women are more susceptible to it. Because a woman's bone density is less than that of a man, this allows more time for the bone to age. The loss of bone mass begins approximately at age 40. After menopause, there is an acceleration of five to seven years at which point it returns to its normal age-related rate.

The absence of estrogen has less to do with bone loss than aging. In fact, smoking, medications, and being underweight have a greater effect on bone loss. That's why exercise is so important. It increases bone mass. While osteoporosis can lead to loss of height and tiny fractures, woman are also vulnerable to fractures of the hip. Therefore, it is important to take precautionary measures such as proper diet, exercise and vitamins to prevent the loss of bone mass. Further, your doctor may advise you to take a bone density test to determine just how much bone loss has occurred.

The bone density test encompasses taking an X-ray scan which can measure the bone density of your lumbar spine, because the spine is usually the first area to experience loss of bone mass. You probably don't need a special scan to identify bone loss if you have lost height each year. However, if you have just begun perimenopause or are in the stages of menopause, it may be a good idea to have the test done now.

If after the test you are told your bone loss is minimal, you may decide to do nothing. But it is still important to keep your bones strong and to therefore, you may wish to keep tabs on the progress of bone loss through tests. If, on the other hand, you are told that your rate of bone loss is significant, you may want to take a proactive approach to prevent osteoporosis.

The most effective way to maintain the strength of your bones requires a combination of lifestyle changes and dietary measures, such as: discontinue smoking; exercise 30 minutes a day, three or four days a week; ensure you are following a nutritional diet, with sufficient amounts calcium; exercise caution to prevent falls; and included vitamin D supplements in your dietary regimen.

Clearly, osteoporosis can rear its ugly head at some point. But you can take appropriate action to ensure you are doing everything you can to prevent the onset or, at the very least, stopping its progression.

Soft Chewable Calcium Tablets - Are They Effective?

Many kinds of calcium supplements are available on the market now. Their effectiveness depends on how your body responds to the ingredients found in them. Soft chewable calcium tablets have been found to be very beneficial for people of all ages including children under the age of 10.

These tablets come in many shapes and sizes. Artificial flavor is also added to them to make them easier to chew and swallow. As the name suggests, these tablets are soft and can be consumed after meals as a sweet treat.

Normally, calcium carbonate and calcium citrate are used to manufacture calcium supplements. Liquid supplements are also available on the market and they are ideal to be used by elderly people. In addition to an effective calcium salt, soft chewable calcium tablets also contain certain vitamins and minerals important for proper absorption of calcium.

Magnesium, phosphorus, vitamin D and vitamin K2 are some of the nutrients used in making soft chewable calcium tablets. These nutrients provide some of their own benefits as well in terms of long-term health and well-being. They are required by the body to perform many functions and activities including proper blood circulation, absorption of other nutrients and proper digestion of food.

In addition to calcium tablets, multi-vitamin supplements should also be consumed on a regular basis. Most of us are nutrient deficient without even being aware of this alarming fact. This is because we don't get to eat balanced diets anymore due to our busy routines. Nutrient deficiency in the body and especially calcium and magnesium deficiency is very dangerous for long-term health.

Many degenerative diseases like osteoporosis, Alzheimer's disease, colon cancer and Parkinson's disease occur as a result of calcium deficiency in the body. These diseases progressively make concerned organs weaker and weaker and a time comes when they become incurable.

Women above the age of 40 are at high risk of developing bone disease in old age. They are strongly advised to increase their calcium intake through calcium supplements and soft chewable calcium tablets. Normally 1000 - 1500 mg of calcium is required by the human body daily depending on its age and overall health.

You can refer to an RDA chart for calcium to determine how much calcium you should be consuming on a daily basis. Try to eat a balanced diet, exercise frequently and don't sit idle for long durations of time. In addition to these, add good-quality calcium supplements to your diet and avoid tobacco, caffeine, soft drinks and too much sugar.