Osteoporosis is known as the silent disease because it creeps up on people without them noticing it. This is mainly because people do not realise that they have osteoporosis until they have a fracture. Following diagnoses there are two distinct treatment methods:
1. Natural osteoporosis treatment
2. Medical osteoporosis treatment
The natural route involves a mixture of nutrient supplements (calcium and vitamin D) and exercise and balance techniques. Having a diet rich in calcium and vitamin D, and regular weight bearing exercises is recommended for anyone who would like healthy bones, whether they have osteopenia or not.
One of the dietary supplements that should form part of natural treatments is vitamin D, this vitamin, that is synthesized by the body when exposed to sunlight, is essential in the fight against osteoporosis. Vitamin D is able to maximize the calcium absorption in the intestines, and a deficiency of the vitamin may lead to a condition known as osteomalacia (weak bones) that may develop into osteoporosis.
Normally an exposure to sunlight for 15 minutes, twice a week is enough to supply a person with an adequate supply of Vitamin D. However, people who live in areas with short days in the winter, who work during the day, may not get an adequate supply of sunlight, and people with osteoporosis, or over the age of 50 may need to supplement their vitamin D intakes.
The skin contains a compound called 7-dehydrocholesterol, when this is exposed to sunlight, the ultra violet waves interact with it and convert it to vitamin D3. Additional vitamin D activation then occurs in the liver and kidneys. As the efficiency of converting 7-dehydrocholesterol to vitamin D3 decreases with age the recommended doses vitamin D varies with age:
1. Age under 50; 200 IU Vitamin D
2. Aged between 51 to 70: 400 IU Vitamin D
3. Aged over 70: 600 IU vitamin D
4. people diagnosed with osteopenia; 400 - 800 IU vitamin D
Going for a long walk in the sun is a great way of getting vitamin D and performing a bone strengthening weight bearing exercise at the same time. Vitamin D is also available in many foods. Nowadays milk is available fortified with vitamin D, and a litre of this kind of milk may contain about 400 IU of vitamin D (and is also a good supply of calcium). Cereals are also often fortified with vitamin D (~50 IU vitamin D). Other sources of Vitamin D include egg yolks, sea fish and liver. Supplements of vitamin D tablets are also available from many health stores.
If a person has been diagnosed with a known vitamin D deficit, then a doctor may prescribe a once weekly oral supply of 50,000 IU vitamin D3 for up to 3 months. The doctor will then measure the level of the vitamin in the serum, if the treatment has been successful then a daily dose of 800 IU is usually taken.
In conclusion vitamin D is essential in the fight against osteoporosis as it helps the body to absorb calcium. It is naturally create by the body on exposure to the sun. As a person gets older their ability to create active vitamin D decreases and they require an higher dose of the vitamin, either through eating foods rich in vitamin D or by taking supplements.
References
Brender (2005) JAMA patient page: vitamin D. JAMA..: 2386 to2387
Mayes (2007) Review of post menopausal osteoporosis pharmacology. Nutr. Clin. Prac. 22:3: 276 to 285