By: The Ayurveda Experience 
October 18, 2017

Osteoporosis is a disease where increased bone weakness increases the risk of a broken bone. It is the most common reason for a broken bone among the elderly. To increase bone mass, follow this osteoporosis diet and lifestyle plan which includes recommendations from Ayurveda.

Estrogen is a hormone in women that protects bones. It decreases sharply when women reach menopause, which can cause bone loss. That is why the chance of developing osteoporosis increases as women reach menopause.

Risk Factors For Osteoporosis

  • Prolonged hormonal imbalances
  • Excess use of certain medications, such as steroids
  • Not enough calcium or vitamin D in the diet
  • Lack of exercise
  • Thin and small-boned body frame
  • A history of fracture
  • A family history of osteoporosis
  • Smoking
  • Caffeine or alcohol consumption.

Osteoporosis Diet And Lifestyle Plan From Ayurveda

Bone tissue (Asthidhatu) is the fifth tissue (dhatu) among seven tissues (dhatus) in Ayurveda. The increase and decrease of bone (Asthi) and Vata are inversely proportional to each other. That is, when Vata increases bone tissue (Asthidhatu) decreases and vice versa. Hence the causes which increase Vata will cause a decrease of bone tissue (Asthidhatu).

In Ayurveda osteoporosis can be correlated to bone loss (Asthikshaya) and bone porosity (Asthisaushirya).

Ayurvedic Management Of Osteoporosis

Avoid factors that aggravates bone loss (Asthikshyaya) like a Vata aggravating diet and routine (vatakara aharvihar) and excessive exercise (ativyayam).

Foods To Eat And Foods To Avoid

Enjoy foods dominated by the sweet taste. Those include rice, black gram, milk, whey, buttermilk, butter, ghee and meat-based soups. Ghee infused with bitter tasting herbs produces ‘roughness’ (khara) properties which helps in increasing bone-mass (asthivridhi).

Lifestyle

Massage with Vata pacifying oil. Do regular exercise. Expose yourself to early morning sun rays 30 minutes every day. These are beneficial ways for preventing and dealing with osteoporosis.

What To Avoid

Avoid an excess of the following… pungent, bitter and astringent tasting substances. Limit dry, cold, light and porous predominant substances.

Reduce alcohol (Madya), dry or dried meats (Shushka Mamsa) and dry vegetables (Shushka Shaka). Avoid excessive eating, fasting, heavy exercise, excessive sexual intercourse, sleeping during the day, awakening at night, suppression the natural urges of the body and smoking