So far there is no safe and efficient way to recover bones with osteoporosis to original high quality state. Thus, osteoporosis prevention is extremely important.

Although osteoporosis prevention is a long-term battle, it is never to late to start prevention and treatments, even for women in menopause or men above the age of 65.

How to Prevent Osteoporosis?

• Diet: Balanced intake of calcium, vitamins, and protein.
• Change Life Patterns: We can start with changing life patterns, such as quit smoking and drinking.
• Frequent Exercises: Exercises can prevent bone mass loss, increase mobility, sensitivity, muscle strength, and improve body coordination to reduce risk of falls. Patients who do not exercise often should consult with your doctor for exercises fit for you before starting exercises.
• Regular Exercises: Exercises can fortify bone mass density. It is best to choose outdoor mild sun exposure and anti-pressure weight-bearing exercises, such as jogging, speed walking, walking, dancing, and biking. These exercises can train muscle strength and activate vitamin D to promote calcium absorption to benefit bone metabolism. It is also recommended to exercise for at least 30 minutes for better results.
• Fall Prevention: Elders are prone to fall; thus, fall prevention is important for any activities, especially obstacles in homes should be removed or reduced. Fractures caused by falls usually occur at home. Bathroom and stairs are the common places where falls occur; therefore, sufficient lighting is needed and the floor should be kept dry. Slip-proof mat or hand railing may be installed if necessary.
• Calcium and Nutrition Intake: Proper intake of calcium is essential to maintain healthy bones. The recommended amount of daily calcium intake for adult females is 1,000 mg, 1,500 mg for women in menopause, and 1,200 mg for teenage girls. The recommended amount of daily calcium intake for men ages of 25-65 is 1,000 mg, and 1,500 mg for men above the age of 65.

Calcium Content (per 100 g)

• Foods below 50 mg: wheat, millet, corn, rice, noodles, beans, bamboo, carrot, potato, bitter melon, egg plant, sweet potato, taro, cucumber, soy bean milk, duck, chicken, mud crab, pork, organ, carp, beef, fish balls, hairtail, milk fish, tilapia, crab, abalone, mandarin, apple, grape, banana, pear, pineapple, pomelo, water melon, star fruit, cantaloupe.
• Foods 50-100 mg: red beans, pea, broad bean, peanut, roasted seed, dried shredded fish/meat, egg, squid, shark fin, shrimp, tofu.
• Food 101-200 mg: dairy products, calcium added rice, almond, lima bean, Chinese kale, edamame, dried bean curd, leaf mustard, olive, stinky tofu, abalone, mushroom, yam leaf, tile fish.
• Foods 201-300 mg: purple seaweed, whitebait, basil, orange daylily, white sesame, dark brown sugar.
• Food above 400 mg: nostoc flagelliforme, black sesame, purple seaweed, farm snail, dried fish, dried shrimp.