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As common as Osteoporosis is these days it was practically unheard of less than a hundred years ago. In reality this disease has probably been around for hundreds of years it just wasn’t a known condition. In any event, no one is immune to developing Osteoporosis so no matter who you are you should be aware that you are susceptible to one day developing Osteoporosis. You should also know that there are a few ways you can help yourself to not develop Osteoporosis. Here are 7 of them.

Say no to soda pop
Many people don’t know this, but carbonated beverages actually remove calcium from your bones. When you think of carbonate beverages soda is probably the first thing that comes to mind. It’s true that soda would be the number one carbonated drink consumed by most Americans, but soda isn’t the only culprit. Beverages such Champagne and sparkling water are also on that list. You could do your bones a world of good by cutting down on the number of carbonated drinks you consume each day.

Watch your protein
It’s true that protein is great for your muscles and energy level, but if you eat too much protein you could be hurting your bones. This is because excessive amounts of protein cause acidity to build up in the body. This acidity causes calcium to be lost through the urination process. The average build person only needs to consume 2 – 4 ounces of a lean protein 3x’s a day, but in actuality most Americans consume three or more times that. Watching your protein intake will help you to avoid developing Osteoporosis.

Reduce antacid medication.
Do you grab for that bottle of Prevacid each morning to ward off an attack of indigestion? Well, it may ease the discomfort your experience when your stomach acts up, but did you know that your stomach acids are actually good for bone growth? Your stomach acid is necessary for your body to be able to absorb certain minerals, and one of those minerals is calcium. Did you also know that drugs such as Previcad were only designed to be used for 6 – 8 week intervals? It’s true. They are not intended to be long-term-use drugs. If you are currently using an antacid you could make a huge impact on your potential to develop Osteoporosis simply by cutting back on the amount of medication you are using. Always consult your doctor, however, before making such a change.

Junk the java
Ok, this one probably isn’t going to sit too well with all you coffee junkies out there, but unfortunately the truth of the matter is that you lose 150mg of calcium for each cup of coffee your drink. Decaffeinated may sound like the answer, but that contains some real harmful chemicals that interfere with your body’s detoxification process. The real winner here is naturally decaffeinated teas. However, if you can’t bring yourself to part with your beloved cup of java, then increase your daily calcium intake to compensate for it.

Trudi Buck writes on ways to get into radiology tech schools.