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Did you know that osteoporosis also affects men? Almost two million male osteoporosis cases have been recorded in the United States and an estimated 12 million more American men are at risk from this disease, which causes the bones to thin, go brittle and increase the risk of fracture.
But while 20 percent of people with osteoporosis are men, women are still more likely to end up with thin bones.
So does this mean that men shouldn’t take osteoporosis seriously?
Among older women, osteoporosis is almost always an effect of the hormonal changes after menopause, and since women in general have a longer life span, they’re more likely to get osteoporosis.
On the other hand, men usually develop osteoporosis due to testosterone deficiency. But a little known fact is that men also need some estrogen to preserve bone density. Men normally convert testosterone to estrogen in order to build bone mass.
Other factors that increase the risk of male osteoporosis include:
Aging – By around age 35, you begin to lose more bone tissue faster than you can build it, so the older you are, the higher the risk for osteoporosis.
Alcoholism – Daily consumption of 3-4 ounces of alcohol interferes with your body’s ability to absorb and use vitamin D, calcium and other bone nutrients.
Drugs – Anti-inflammatory steroids that weaken your body’s immune response, including cortisone, hydrocortisone, glucocorticoids and prednisone, are useful in treating everything from asthma to ulcers but can wreak havoc with bone; while drugs for prostate cancer and anti-seizure medication can lead to low bone mineral density, a higher rate of fractures and bone loss.
Gastrointestinal disorders – Osteoporosis is a frequent complication of various gastrointestinal disorders, like Celiac disease and Crohn’s disease.
Kidney stones – People suffering from kidney stones make them absorb too much calcium and cause them to have below normal bone density in the spine.
Lack of exercise/physical activity – Your bones keep tabs on the amount of mechanical stress you put on them. When muscles pull on bones, the latter responds by growing, so if you’re exercising or doing physical activities, your bones and muscles weaken. An official study shows that only about 35 percent of men aged 25 to 64 engage in the minimum amount of exercise prescription – which is equivalent to 30 minutes of moderate activity, like walking briskly – on most days of the week.
Low sun exposure exposure leading to vitamin D deficiency – The best, easiest and cheapest way to optimize you vitamin D levels is by getting proper sun exposure. If you’re vitamin D deficient, chances are, you may be calcium deficient as well. Your body needs optimal calcium and vitamin D levels in order to make new bones.
Smoking – Nicotine has a direct toxic effect on bone cells; hence, smokers have a 55 percent higher risk of hip fracture than non-smokers, as well as lower bone mineral density.
Now that you know the causes of osteoporosis in men, what can you do to avoid or treat this disease?
Osteoporosis is often under-diagnosed in men because it is not typically a “male disease.” If you’re a man and have been experiencing unexplainable back pain or have had a fracture as an adult, you should get a bone density test.
If you are diagnosed with osteoporosis, many doctors will prescribe a biphosphonate or alendronic drug such as Fosamax, which works by killing the osteoclast cells – which dissolve bones, leaving only your osteoblast cells, the cells that form new bones – to increase bone strength.
However, Dr. Mercola explains that it just doesn’t work that way. Even though the bones become denser, they actually become weaker because they have not been allowed to remold themselves and readjust to the constantly changing forces applied to them, thereby increasing the risk of fracture over time.
Drugs like Fosamax are problematic because they linger in the bone indefinitely and may upset cell balance. Fosamax side effects include biphosphonate related necrosis of the jaw (BRONJ), which kills parts of the jawbone, leading to extreme pain and may even require removal of the jaw.
Besides, even without knowing the serious side effects, would you want to use a drug made from the same type of chemicals used to remove soap scum from your bathtub?
Skip the Fosamax, here are Dr. Mercola’s natural tips to help you beat osteoporosis:
- Vegetable juicing – Increasing your consumption of dark green leafy vegetables is one of the best things you can do if you have low bone density. Vegetable juicing is a great way to do this. Vegetable juice is rich in vitamin K (phylloquinone), which functions as the biological “glue” that helps plug calcium into your bone matrix. Juicing vegetables will also help normalize high levels of acid in your body.
- Optimizing your vitamin D and calcium levels – Dr. Mercola just can’t stop emphasizing the importance of vitamin D to your health. Get enough sun exposure and eat vitamin D-rich foods like krill oil and cod liver oil. On the other hand, healthy calcium is found in raw dairy products.
- Exercise – Weight-bearing exercise and impact sports help preserve bone mass. Not American football but sports and activities where your foot hits the ground, like jogging and jumping rope. Men can put the benefits of exercise in a bank; the stronger bones they’ve built while laying high school and college sports will come in handy in later years, when bone-building has slowed.
If you feel like your bones are getting weaker and more brittle, don’t hesitate to visit your doctor. You may be suffering from hormone deficiency or another medical condition that could be weakening your bones.
Take good care of your bones: they spell the difference between maintaining an active lifestyle later in life and literally breaking down.
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