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Osteoporosis – early signs and foods to help manage the symptoms

Osteoporosis – early signs and foods to help manage the symptoms

The bones in our body are living tissues that continuously move and repair on their own. As you age, the rate of repair becomes slow, leading to osteoporosis. This is a condition in which bone quality and density reduce. If you’re looking to prevent or slow the effect of osteoporosis, exercise and some changes in your daily meals go a long way. Take a look at early signs and foods that help relieve osteoporosis.

Early signs
One of the earliest signs of osteoporosis is a fracture of your wrist, back, hip, or any other bone due to mild trauma caused by a minor trip or fall. A bone injury from a previous fall can result in future fractures when you develop osteoporosis. A loss of height, change in posture, back pain, and a stooped posture are also early signs of osteoporosis.

Foods to manage osteoporosis

Eggs
Eggs are a great source of vitamin D, essential for bone health. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble nutrient that forms on your skin after it’s exposed to the UV rays of the sun. It is vital for calcium absorption and the functioning of bone cells. Other foods rich in vitamin D are salmon, mackerel, tuna fish, fortified milk, beef liver, pork, and cheese.

Milk
Dairy products like yogurt, milk, and cottage cheese are major sources of calcium. Calcium is an important nutrient that builds strength in the bones. It also improves heart functioning, strengthens nerves, and reduces blood clotting. Other calcium-rich foods are kale, collards, broccoli, turnip greens, canned salmon, sardines, nuts, and tofu. 

Nuts
Nuts contain good protein that improves bone density. Protein is an underlying component essential for bone health. One should at least get 15 grams of protein from every meal. Other protein-rich foods include poultry, fish, eggs, beans, almond butter, and sunflower seeds. 

Reversing osteoporosis
In some cases, incorporating a healthy and balanced meal plan may not be enough. Doctors may recommend other ways mentioned below, along with certain lifestyle changes to manage osteoporosis and its symptoms.

Prolia® (denosumab)
This helps manage osteoporosis in men and post-menopausal women at a high fracture risk. Prolia® also helps increase bone mass. It is FDA-approved and comes in a 1mL single-use prefilled syringe.

FORTEO® (teriparatide)
FORTEO® potentially reverses or slows the growth of osteoporosis caused by menopause or steroid use. Teriparatide is a man-made form of parathyroid hormone that is used for men and post-menopausal women with a high risk of bone fracture.

EVENITY® (romosozumab)
This is prescribed when no other option works to lower the effects of osteoporosis and its symptoms. EVENITY® is a sclerostin inhibitor that suppresses bone formation. It is typically injected in the stomach, upper thigh, or upper arm.

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