Green Tea for Osteoporosis

I’ve been a little preoccupied this week doing research on bone health.  Having been told that I now have osteoporosis in my hips and osteopenia in my spine, I’m seriously searching for alternatives  to the harsh drugs that are being pressed upon me by my physician.

One bright spot was coming across many references to the benefits of green tea consumption in maintaining healthy bones.  The flavonoids in green tea provide the benefits, via estrogenic effects known to build bone strength and destroy cells called osteoclasts that damage bone cells.

Everyone has heard about the importance of calcium from various dairy products and taking vitamin D supplements, but I’m learning that there are many sources for calcium in fruits and veggies, fish, etc.

I knew that weight bearing exercise was helpful, but not that bone density is enhanced to a greater degree by weight training, even in the elderly.  I’ll be looking into a gym membership and getting really serious about bone building nutrition.

This is an epidemic disease here in the USA.  This tells me that I’d better insist that my daughters start looking after their bones and building bone density in their youth, to perhaps avoid problems later in life.

What are you doing to maintain strong bones?