Osteoporosis is a degenerative disease that causes bones to weaken and thin where they break very easily. Alcohol can affect the density of bones, the speed at which bone cells rebuild, and how your body absorbs nutrients that are good for your bones. It is important to speak to your doctor about your alcohol consumption to find the correct course of treatment for you to get better.
How Does Drinking Too Much Alcohol Affect Bone Density?
The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases says that chronic heavy drinking increases the risk of osteoporosis. Heavy drinking can affect nutrient absorption. Alcohol consumption can impact how the body absorbs calcium and vitamin D which are important for healthy bone development. Alcohol can decrease the absorption of calcium through the intestine or effects on the pancreas and vitamin D metabolism. Alcohol disrupting vitamin D and the absorption of calcium can put you at higher risk for fractures and falls.
Alcohol can also cause hormone deficiencies. In men, alcoholism causes you to produce less testosterone which is linked to the production of osteoblasts which stimulates bone formation. Chronic drinking can also suppress the osteoblastic differentiation of bone marrow cells that are important for the building process and repairing deficient bones.
What are Different Strategies to Manage Osteoporosis?
The best thing you can do to prevent your bones from getting worse is to stop drinking alcohol. There is no time like the present to seek treatment to repair the damage alcohol did to your bones. Healthy nutritional habits should be a top priority in calcium and vitamin D. This includes low-fat dairy products, dark leafy vegetables, and calcium-fortified food and beverages. Calcium supplements can ensure that you get a good source of calcium every day up to 1,000 milligrams. Vitamin D food sources include egg yolks, saltwater fish, and liver.
Exercise is also important as well, such as weight-bearing exercises of walking, stair climbing, and dancing. Resistance exercises are also good to do like lifting weights to help strengthen your bones. As well as abstaining from alcohol, you should also stay away from smoking as you will absorb less calcium that way which is bad for your bones. Having constant breaks in your bones will cost you money in emergency room visits and take a toll on your life. Going into treatment for alcoholism will provide you with healthy bones and healthy life.
At Alta Loma Transformational Living, you will meet knowledgeable, compassionate professionals that understand addiction in all its forms. Alta Loma uses an integrative and holistic approach to treat addiction and mental health issues. No treatment is one-size-fits-all, where you will have a team of experts prepared to create your customized treatment plan. We offer care for your mind, body, and spirit, so that you can heal from the inside out and look forward to a lifetime of sobriety and wellness. If you are ready to take the first step in your recovery, please call us at 866-457-3843.
