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Myth 1: Osteoporosis is inevitable as we age.
The number one — and most dangerous — myth about bone health is that there’s nothing
we can do to prevent osteoporosis.
The truth is, you can control the majority of the risk factors for osteoporosis
and fractures.
Reduce your risk of osteoporosis with the Personal Program
for Better Bones, which includes bone building nutrients (including adequate
calcium and vitamin D) and guides for optimizing your diet for bone health and exercise,
as well as showing you how to rule out any secondary causes for osteoporosis.
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Myth 2: I’m too young to worry about osteoporosis.
Bone loss — even osteoporosis — can affect you in your 20’s, 30’s and 40’s.
The earliest bone loss takes place for women who are thin, have celiac disease,
suffer from irregular menstrual cycles or poor nutrition, or those using steroid
drugs such as prednisone.
We achieve peak bone mass in our 20’s and after that everyone begins to lose bone
mass. As the graph illustrates, some lose bone more rapidly than others.
Take our Fracture Risk & Bone Health Profile
to assess the health of your bones, and see what you can do to reduce any risks.
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Myth 3: Osteoporosis is only a problem for women.
We hear all the time that osteoporosis is a “women’s disease” and men don’t really
need to worry about it.
But according to the National Institutes of Health: Men in their 50s do not experience
the rapid loss of bone mass that women do in the years following menopause. By age
65 or 70, however, men and women are losing bone mass at the same rate.
And as our population continues to age, both men and women should consider health
and lifestyle changes for stronger bones.
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Myth 4: Lack of estrogen causes osteoporosis.
In the U.S., there’s a long-standing belief that a woman’s level of estrogen may
cause bone loss.
But did you realize that in many other countries, women maintain healthy bones for
life — even though they experience lower estrogen levels with menopause?
This interesting cross-cultural perspective shows that while estrogen may play a
role in bone health, it’s certainly not the major cause of osteoporosis.
I’ve found that the best results for bone health come when you investigate the whole
picture.
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Myth 5: With enough calcium, you won’t get osteoporosis.
It’s not a myth that calcium is important to bone health. But it is a myth that
high calcium intake alone prevents osteoporosis. You also need enough of the 19
other essential bone nutrients — some which even make it possible for you to get
the benefits of calcium.
For example, without enough vitamin D, your body can absorb only 10-15% of the calcium
from your diet. With enough vitamin D, the absorption rate jumps to 30-40%.
Vitamin K and magnesium are also essential to make calcium count for bone health.
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Myth 6: Osteoporosis is common all over the world.
The fact is, osteoporotic fracture rates vary greatly around the world, with the
U.S. and other highly developed countries having the highest fracture rates.
While the causes of bone loss and osteoporosis vary greatly from one person to another,
it’s clear that certain lifestyle factors play a major role in bone loss.
Here are just a few to consider:
- High levels of stress and anxiety
- Lack of exercise and sedentary lifestyle
- High caffeine intake
- Smoking and excess alcohol consumption
- Use of certain prescription drugs
- Poor nutrition
- Lack of sleep
How many sound familiar to you?
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Myth 7: Osteoporosis is something gone wrong in the body.
As strange as it may seem, osteoporosis is caused by your bones’ positive ability
to share its stored minerals with other areas of your body when they become imbalanced.
For example, if your blood needs more calcium, it may draw it from your bones.
However, this positive action turns into negative bone loss if we don’t provide
our body with enough nutrients and minerals to replace and redeposit those drawn
from the bone.
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Myth 8: Low bone density predicts your osteoporotic fracture risk.
Osteoporosis is about more than thin bone. In fact, more than half of the people
with thin “osteoporotic bone” never experience a fracture. What’s more, many people
who have normal bone density do experience fractures.
A recent New York Times article about bone density noted that medical experts
“no longer consider bone density measurements the sole defining factor in deciding
if a woman needs to be treated.” (for bone loss).
It’s about time!
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Myth 9: Osteoporosis isn’t linked to other health issues.
More and more, research seems to indicate that there’s a link between the existence
of osteoporosis and other diseases, such as cardiovascular disease.
But the good news is when you build your bones, you build a healthier, stronger
body.
Improve bone and you will improve:
- Metabolic fitness
- Muscle strength
- Teeth and gums
- Blood pressure regulation
- Cardiovascular health
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Myth 10: You can’t rebuild bone after
bone loss.
I like to remind people that it is never too late — or too early — to build bone.
Our bone is a dynamic, living tissue that constantly repairs itself. One study showed
that even nursing home residents, average age of 81, were shown to build bone mass
doing light exercises and taking calcium and vitamin D daily.
Get started building your own bone strength today!
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The Personal Program for Better Bones: the approach I recommend for naturally strong bones.
At the Center for Better Bones we promote an all-natural approach to bone regeneration
and repair that includes nutrition, diet, exercise, lifestyle guidance, and support.
The Personal Program for Better Bones is a convenient,
at-home version of this approach that was developed with Women to Women, one of America's premiere on-line women's
health websites. Working together, we've developed the most comprehensive approach
to bones health available today, and based on the 25 years of Dr. Brown's leading-edge
research in the field.
Questions about the Personal Program for Better Bones? Call toll-free at
1-877-200-1269.