The reason osteoporosis is referred to as a silent disease is that you’re unlikely to find out that you have it until you fracture a bone. It stays silent until something snaps.
In Hong Kong, the occurrence of hip fractures has tripled since the 1960s, and in Singapore incidences of hip fracture from osteoporosis among women have gone up 5 times in the same time frame, according to the International Osteoporosis Foundation.
The reason for the dramatic increase is likely a combination of better disease detection, the introduction of western junk food and an increasingly sedentary lifestyle.
Osteoporosis is not only a problem in Asian countries – all over the world the disease is on the rise. That’s why 20 October is World Osteoporosis Day and the motto this year is Love Your Bones.
Building bones
Bone loss is a natural process that happens to all of us. During childhood and adolescence, the skeleton gains bone steadily. This bone then works as a calcium bank for the rest of our lives.
After adolescence the bones start softening if they are not kept strong through diet and exercise. This process works more quickly in women than in men, and particularly post-menopausal women.
When your calcium intake is low, the body releases it from your bones and into your blood stream to assist in functions like:
- Muscle contraction
- Blood clotting
- Blood pressure
- Nerve function
The recommended daily intake of calcium for adults is between 1000 and 1300mg but nearly all Asian countries fall well below this target. The median daily intake for the Asian population is as low as 450mg.
Sources of calcium
While there are many naturally occurring sources of calcium in the Asian diet, we also recommend fortified products like cereals, rice, orange juice and soy milk. Good natural sources of calcium include:
- Tofu
- Broccoli
- Bok choy
- Fatty fish (canned with bones)
- Soybeans and white beans
- Leafy greens like kale and parsley
We also recommend that you introduce some dairy products, like low-fat yoghurt or cheese into your diet because calcium from milk is absorbed better into the body than calcium from other sources.
Absorption of calcium may be reduced by excessive caffeine and alcohol consumption and by diets high in animal protein. While a doctor can suggest calcium supplements for people who need it, the general advice is to obtain enough calcium from your diet.
Tasty recipes
Have a look in The Biggest Loser Club recipes section for more delicious calcium-rich meal suggestions.
For a breakfast packed with calcium from both dairy and nuts, try our fresh fruit salad with roast nut yoghurt. Or for a lazy lunch, try serving up this easy-to-share ocean trout panzanella salad.
Fatty, canned fish where the bones are not removed is a good source of calcium and this recipe for sardines provençale is a very healthy dinner for your bones. For a tasty meal, try our yoghurt-marinated lamb cutlets.
More sunshine
Vitamin D is vital to a healthy bone structure because, without it, the body struggles to absorb calcium. The main source of vitamin D is not found in the diet but in sunshine – our skin produces vitamin D when exposed to the sun.
Sun exposure is the only efficient way of obtaining vitamin D, as food sources naturally rich in vitamin D are limited. Sunscreen blocks the absorption of vitamin D, so try to to get 15-20 minutes of sun in the morning or afternoon, when UV levels are lower.
Read more: Vitamin D – Vital for vibrant health
Tone your bones
Just like your muscles need exercise to maintain their strength, so do your bones. High intensity training, like jogging or running, is an effective way of increasing bone density.
The Biggest Loser Club exercise library
features many suggestions for exercises to increase your bone density. Try to include high intensity and weightlifting exercises in your weekly plan.
Cardio exercise
If there are any long stairs around the area where you live, these can provide a highly effective exercise to prevent osteoporosis. The steep stairs provide impact training both for your bones and muscles, and gives you a good cardio workout. Of course, a step machine can do almost the same job if you prefer working out in a gym.
If stairs are not an option, a combination of walking and running intervals is also effective in building bone density, and boosts your cardio. An outdoor run in the sunshine is the perfect way of exercising for bones health while simultaneously soaking up some vitamin D.
Exercise must be weight bearing
Swimming and cycling are not effective for bone health, as any exercise has to be weight bearing (that is, you’re carrying your own body) for it to build your bone density. However, cycling and swimming are excellent exercises for balance and flexibility, which in a different way prevent fractures.
Exercising wrists and ankles
Yoga practitioners may have an advantage when it comes to osteoporosis prevention as many yoga poses are weight bearing. This is good exercise for your wrists and ankles, which are prone to fracture but difficult to strengthen with traditional exercises. Joining a yoga class or trying out some yoga poses on your own can have a beneficial effect on your bone health.
The half moon exercise strengthens your wrists, ankles and neck but requires some practice before you can do it well.
Planks also strengthen your wrists and a relatively easy one to start with is this straight arm plank. When you feel ready to advance a bit, try this straight arm side plank. When that's going swimmingly, try the same exercise while lifting a leg:
Muscle exercises
Lifting weights is also effective for building bone and these exercises can be done both at home and at the gym. Lifting heavy weights is more effective than lifting light ones.
The best weightlifting exercises are the ones where heavy weights are lifted rapidly. This does not mean loading up the bench press with as much iron as you can find, but rather aiming for fewer, fast repetitions than many light ones.
10 repetitions
The front raise is an easy lifting exercise, and the heavier weights you can lift each time, the better. A similar exercise with the same advantages is the dumbbell upright row.
Aim for about 10 repetitions. If you are struggling to repeat the exercise 10 times, then the weights are probably too heavy. If you can do more than 10 reps, the weights are too light.
If you have a medicine ball, the medicine ball deadlift not only strengthens muscles and bones but also promotes flexibility and balance.
Want to know more?
Go to World Osteoporosis Day if you want to know what’s happening on 20 October.
Recommended dietary intake of calcium
| Category |
| Age |
Recommended dietary intake |
| Children |
10-18 |
1300 mg |
| Women |
19 to menopause |
1000 mg |
| |
Past menopause |
1300 mg |
| Men |
19-65 |
1000 mg |
| |
65 + |
1300 mg |
Source: WHO Vitamin and mineral requirements in human nutrition (2nd edition, 2004)