How does diabetes affect your bone health?

Did you know that people with Type 1 diabetes have lower peak bone mass than others? It's true--diabetes can affect every aspect of a person's health, including bone health.

November is National Diabetes Month, making it the perfect opportunity to learn more about how you can protect your bones if you have diabetes.

The connection between diabetes and bone health

Diabetes is diagnosed when a person's blood sugar (or blood glucose) is too high. There are two main types of diabetes, Type 1 and Type 2. According to the American Diabetes Association, approximately 1.25 million Americans have Type 1 diabetes.

While most people know the effects diabetes can have on the heart and eyes, bone health may not come to mind.

But people with diabetes are actually at a higher risk for breaking a bone than other people. In fact, they are twice as likely to experience a bone fracture.

What steps can be taken to build stronger bones?

Fortunately, there are things people with diabetes can do to protect their bone health, including following a healthy diet and getting regular exercise.

Weight-bearing exercises are the key to building strong bones and slowing down bone loss. Therefore, consider adding weight-bearing exercises into your weekly exercise regimen with activities such as:

• Walking
• Jogging
• Hiking
• Yard work
• Weight training
• Tennis

As for your diet, you want to focus on getting plenty of calcium and vitamins D and K. Good sources of calcium include low-fat dairy products and leafy green vegetables, with the latter also containing vitamin K.

To get enough vitamin D, choose foods like fatty fish, egg yolks, cheese and mushrooms. Because this vitamin isn't found naturally in many foods, you may also want to choose foods that have been fortified with vitamin D, such as milk and cereal.

Have you suffered an injury? Visit our Walk-In Clinic for a thorough medical evaluation and treatment plan.