Smoking And Bone Health - How Are They Related?

Cigarette smoke generates massive amounts of free radicals. These are the molecules that attack and overwhelm the body's natural defenses. The result is a chain-reaction of damage throughout the body which can adversely impact the bone health in the process. Drinking sufficient water is one of the best possible remedies to help your body detoxify itself from the harmful effects of smoking.

Smoking while your bone-development years makes the bone mass at a lower level. This puts you at risk for osteoporosis in later years. Smoking after age 30 promotes loss of bone volume that is the loss of bone mass occurs 2 times faster. Your whole body loses bone mass, but the hip, spine, and wrist are the majorly affected. The more you smoke, the higher is your risk for osteoporosis so reduce it or quit entirely.

The toxins disrupt the hormonal balance, like that of estrogen that bones require staying healthy. Your liver produces more estrogen-destroying enzymes, which also leads to bone loss and makes the bone loss even worse in the menopausal years. Smoking incites other bone-damaging changes, such as raised levels of the cortisol hormone, which leads to the breakdown of bone. Smoking also prevents the calcitonin hormone, which promotes building up of bones. If you start encountering bone related issues, your orthopedic would advise you to quit smoking as the first step of the treatment.

Smoking reduces the amount of calcium your bones absorb. Vitamin D assists bones in absorbing calcium, but smoking conflicts with the way one's body utilizes this vitamin D, which means less calcium is available. As a consequence, your bones start to get fragile. Smoking decreases estrogen levels in both women and men. Estrogen is essential as it stimulates the bones to retain calcium and other vital minerals that make them tough. Eating healthy herbs can help you get rid of the harmful effects of smoking.