Woman's Life | Blog | Strong bones during menopause
How to strengthen your bones during menopause
Complaints during menopause can be varied. Anything we see visible signs of can usually be treated quickly. But we often forget about our bones. Inconspicuous and gradual, the lack of oestrogen causes bones to weaken and increases the risk of postmenopausal osteoporosis. What sounds like an inevitable condition through old age can and should be treated at the beginning of your menopause. A healthy diet, sufficient vitamins and regular pelvic floor training will strengthen your bones during menopause.
Content overview:
- Osteoporosis in menopause: When bones become porous and unstable
- Bone-strength nutrition through menopause
- Protect your bones with the sun vitamin
- Vitamin K: The bone-strength supporter of calcium
- Active against osteoporosis with the Beurer pelvic floor training set
Osteoporosis in menopause: When bones become porous and unstable
Who likes to think of loss of bone mass? It's not just the elderly who risk breaking a bone in the event of a fall. Osteoporosis is a gradual process. It begins in the perimenopause, the period before menopause. This is due to the reduced production of oestrogen which stops completely during menopause. Lack of physical activity, calcium and vitamin D deficiency as well as excessive alcohol and nicotine consumption can also cause osteoporosis.
The risk of developing osteoporosis increases from the age of 50. This is due to the significant reduction in hormone production, which has already occurred between the age of 30 and 40. (cf. Becher, 2005).
You don't notice the reduction in bone density and it's not visible on the outside either. However, if this continues to progress, the first signs may indicate osteoporosis. These include:
- Back pain
- Shortening and warping of the torso
- Bone fractures without obvious cause
- Dental problems as a result of ossified root cavities and alteration of the periodontium
If you suspect that you have a problem, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible. This is the only way to delay the progression of the disease and reduce the risk of bone fractures (cf. AMGEN, n.a.).
At around 30 years of age, your body has reached the maximum bone mass and density. This is followed by the so-called remodelling process, in which approximately 1% of bone density is lost each year. This can lead to primary osteoporosis. Secondary osteoporosis may occur as a result of another disease such as inflammatory rheumatism, malnutrition or malignant bone tumours and metastases, or as a result of medicinal therapies (cf. Rheumaliga Schweiz, n.a.)
Bone-strength nutrition through menopause
Delicious and healthy food; get your body up to speed during menopause. Not only does it help with period discomfort, it is also good for the prevention of osteoporosis. Calcium, vitamin D and K are particularly noticeable in a bone-strength diet. You may remember the importance of calcium from your childhood: "Drink a glass of milk every day to make your bones strong." The mineral ensures good bone density and thus contributes to long-term bone health. In adulthood, around 1,000 mg of calcium per day should be consumed with diet (cf. German Society for Nutrition e. V., 2013).
Try to get enough calcium, vitamin D and K from your diet. Food supplements can lead to health risks such as arterial calcification, kidney damage, abdominal discomfort, cardiac arrhythmia and loss of appetite. If vitamin D is ingested excessively, this can even lead to unconsciousness and death (RKI, 2018).
Some of the best sources of calcium are yogurt, milk, cheese and spinach leaves. Also arugula, tofu and soy milk as well as almonds and hazelnuts offer you a plus of the bone mineral (cf. proveng, 2021).
Protect your bones with the sun vitamin
Calcium is transported to the bones via your gut. Your body needs sufficient vitamin D (cf. DEVZ, n.a.). Adults under 65 years of age should consume approximately 20 µg of Vitamin D per day. As a rule, a regular stay outdoors with an uncovered face, uncovered hands and parts of arms and legs is sufficient for this (see HEALTH, 2020).
Vitamin D cannot be sufficiently absorbed by food. You need a good balance between time in the sun and your diet. If you regularly go outdoors and let sufficient light reach your skin, fat-soluble vitamin D will accumulate in your body in fatty tissue and muscles. This will also replenish your vitamin D storage for the winter months.
However, you should avoid extensive sunbathing for the sake of your skin. Approximately 10 to 15 minutes a day without sunscreen during the summer months is enough to fill your vitamin D store. You can also support your body with a healthy diet. Sun vitamin D is found in egg yolk, and fatty fish such as herring, salmon and mackerel as well as fish oil.
And what about vitamin D?
It is known that too much vitamin D can have serious health consequences. However, overdose is not possible from sun exposure on the skin and a diet with vitamin D. But especially in the winter months, there is a lack of sunlight and many people don't get enough vitamin D. But before you reach for supplements, you should check your vitamin D level. Based on your measured values, your doctor can prescribe the appropriate dose of vitamin D.
Vitamin K: The bone-strength supporter of calcium and vitamin D
Your body needs vitamin K to metabolise calcium. The fat-soluble vitamin, together with vitamin D, supports the effect on bone quality and also has a major impact on your bone and cardiovascular health.
Vitamin K performs a variety of functions and is a major contributor to the formation of proteins for blood coagulation. If you suffer from vitamin K deficiency, you may experience bleeding disorders or wound healing disorders. Eating a balanced diet will prevent a deficiency and at the same time do something for your bone health.
These foods contain a lot of vitamin K:
- Green vegetables (broccoli, spinach, kale)
- Meat (beef, chicken, veal liver)
- Fish (eel, trout)
- Oils (rapeseed, soya, grape seed, pumpkin)
Women need approximately 65 micrograms of vitamin K daily. If you take in more, the rest will be quickly metabolised and excreted via your kidneys and intestines (see AOK Health Magazine, 2021).
Vitamin D and K are major contributors to bone health in postmenopausal women. This was examined in several clinical studies. The connection to positive cardiovascular health is also recognised, but only if both vitamins are added together (cf. van Ballegooijen AJ et al, 2017).
! If you are taking anticoagulants such as falithrome, Marcumar or phenprogamma, you should avoid taking supplemental vitamin K !
Active against osteoporosis with the Beurer PT 20 Pelvi Strong pelvic floor training aid
A lot of sitting weakens and shortens the muscles – resulting in back pain. Your pelvic floor also doesn't like sitting for long periods of time and may react with bladder weakness, and lowering of the uterus or bowel. If you laugh, sneeze, cough or even lift heavy objects, you may suffer incontinence. Targeted pelvic floor training strengthens your pelvic floor and your bones.
"Strengthen your bones with movement."
Did you know that you can optimally combine your diet with pelvic floor training? For example, if you're standing in the kitchen preparing your food, try to feel your pelvic floor by contrating and relaxing your muscles. Feeling the pelvic floor creates a good basis for further, effective exercises. You can always integrate the contracting and relaxing of the pelvic floor into your everyday life, when brushing your teeth, vacuuming or watering flowers, sitting down and lying down.
Feel your pelvic floor and close all body openings such as the vagina, urethra and anus with tension. Leave the abdominal and buttock muscles loose.
To strengthen your weak pelvic floor even more, the Beurer PT 20 Pelvi Strong pelvic floor training aid offers you individual options. Different weights support your pelvic floor training and the gradual development of your pelvic floor muscles. To do this, insert a weight into your vagina and wear it for just a few minutes a day to start with. You can remove the weight using the integrated strap. Each weight is made from a skin-friendly, latex-free material and is comfortable to wear. The weights can also be cleaned hygienically.
After a few days, increase the wearing time to 2 x 10 minutes a day. If you can carry out the training without any problems, feel free to switch to a heavier weight. This will train your pelvic floor effectively. Continuous training will strengthen your pelvic floor muscles in the long term.
"Nutrition and exercise simply do your body good."
In addition to your bones changing during menopause, you may have other ailments to deal with, try the options available to you. A balanced diet and exercise do not only help against osteoporosis. Both contribute to a mental balance, you become more active, feel healthier, your skin improves and tension on your back and shoulders back and shoulders is relieved.
It is best to start with the lightest weight of the Beurer pelvic floor training set and simply integrate the training into your everyday life.
Sources:
- Cup, B. 2005 Empirical medicine – Inclusive medicine. menopause, a special phase in the woman's life – preventive use of vitamins and minerals. Karl F. Haug Verlag, in: MVS Medizinverlage Stuttgart GmbH & Co. KG (54(10)), pp. 644-649.
- Rheumaliga Switzerland (not Y). Rheumatism from A to Z osteoporosis. https://www.rheumaliga.ch/rheuma-von-a-z/osteoporose?q=Osteoporose (05.06.2023).
- AMGEN (not Y). With heart & head for strong bones. Osteoporosis symptoms: Bone fractures, tooth loss, etc. https://www.osteoporose.de/symptome (05.06.2023).
- RKI – Robert Koch Institute (2018). Is too much vitamin D harmful?. https://www.rki.de/SharedDocs/FAQ/Vitamin_D/FAQ11.html (05.06.2023).
- German Nutrition Society V. 2013 Science – Reference values. Calcium. https://www.dge.de/wissenschaft/referenzwerte/calcium/(07.06.2023).
- Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG)/gi – Gesundheitinformation.de (2021). https://www.gesundheitsinformation.de/wie-kann-ich-meinen-kalziumbedarf-decken.html (07.06.2021).
- Proveg (2021). Nutrition | Pro Health. Healthy calcium-rich foods: How to meet your calcium needs. https://proveg.com/de/ernaehrung/naehrstoffe/calciumreiche-lebensmittel/(07.06.2023).
- DEVZ Deutsches Endocrinologisches Versorgungszentrum (above J.). Calcium and vitamin D requirements. https://www.endokrinologen.de/calcium-vitamin-d.php (07.06.2023).
- Health GV AT – Austrian Public Health Portal (31 May 2022). Federal Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection (BMSGPK) (ed.). Vitamin D. https://www.gesundheit.gv.at/leben/ernaehrung/vitamine-mineralstoffe/fettloesliche-vitamine/vitamin-d.html#wo-ist-vitamin-d-enthalten (07.06.2023).
- van Ballegooijen, AJ.; Pilz, S.; Tomaschitz, A. et al. The synergistic interplay between vitamins D and K for bone and cardiovascular health: a narrative review. Int J Endocrinol. 2017;2017:7454376.
- AOK Health Magazine (01.02.2021). Vitamins. Vitamin K strengthens the bones and protects against bleeding. https://www.aok.de/pk/magazin/ernaehrung/vitamine/vitamin-k-staerkt-die-knochen-und-schuetzt-vor-blutungen/(07.06.2023).
