Approximately 50% of American women 50-years old and up will break a bone because of osteoporosis. All in all, in total 54 million people in the U.S. have osteoporosis—which is a bone disease that causes low bone density, or a slow thinning of the bones, which often leads to easy and frequent fractures. Mainly affecting women patients in their menopausal years due to loss of estrogen, which increases osteoporosis risk.

Here are a few ways to prevent osteoporosis and support better bone health:

1. Supplement with vitamin D
Vitamin D assists your body in absorbing calcium and utilizes it to strengthen your bones. When the skin gets exposed to sunlight, your kidneys and liver have the job of making vitamin D. But the majority of us cannot solely rely on the sun to receive our day-to-day dosage for several reasons: sunscreen, indoor living, seasonal changes, skin tone, etc. Also, non-fortified foods are limited in vitamin D. The aim ought to be:

• 800 IU (international units) if you’re 71 and up
• 600 IU of vitamin D a day if you’re 70 or younger
• Because most women do not get the suggested vitamin D dosage through diet and sun exposure, bone density supplements might be necessary to meet that goal.

2. Consume a diet rich in calcium
When it pertains to calcium, more isn’t always better. You ought to strive to reach the daily consumption recommendation via calcium rich foods such as milk, cheese and yogurt; green leafy vegetables, plant based milks fortified with calcium; and fatty fish with bones (i.e., sardines and tuna). Daily calcium intake should be:

• 1,200 milligrams for women 51 or older
• 1,000 milligrams for women age 50 or younger
• With a well-balanced diet, you might have the ability to obtain the majority of the required calcium from your diet then fill in the remainder using supplements.

3. Quit smoking
All of the choices you make, starting as early as childhood, may impact the health of your bones in the future. In fact research suggests that individuals who smoke increase their risk of developing osteoporosis and bone fracture, which is why quitting smoking is important for bone health and reducing the risk of other conditions such as cardiovascular disease.

4. Do resistance training exercise
Staying active as we age is important. Exercise is not only great for fitness and managing weight; it is also good for bone health. Exercise assists in stimulating our cells that are responsible for building bones. However, not just any exercise will do. In order to promote healthy bones, resistance or weight-bearing exercises should be done 3 to 4 days per week.
Resistance exercises utilize an opposing force, like an elastic band, weights, or water, to build bone or strengthen the muscles. Having good balance and strong muscles also may help to minimize injury or avoid falls.

5. Get regular bone density screenings
Bone density tests are the only tests that may diagnose osteoporosis before broken bones occur. The test assists in estimating bone density and your opportunity for breaking a bone. It is recommended to get a bone density test of the spine and hip by a central DXA (dual energy x-ray absorptiometry) machine that diagnoses osteoporosis.

If you have osteoporosis, talk to your health care provider about more ways to treat and manage your conditions. Doctors often prescribe therapies and medications such as Evinity osteoporosis RX help. Evenity is used to treat osteoporosis in postmenopausal women who are at high fracture risk, defined as an osteoporotic fracture history, or several fracture risk factors; or patients who’ve failed or are intolerant to additional available osteoporosis therapy.