Osteoporosis: calcium and vitamin D are key ingredients

People in the United States consume more dairy products and other foods high in calcium than the citizens of any other two nations on earth put together. Why is it then, that the U.S. has the world's highest rate of osteoporosis and bone fractures among the elderly? The answer may be surprising. We have orange juice and antacids that are fortified with calcium, yet we eat far less total food, take in less calcium, and get less exercise than our grandparents did. At the same time we consume more animal protein and phosphate-containing foods, such as soft drinks. Obviously, we need to eat more of the right foods and take high-quality supplements in some form as well.

Osteoporosis is a progressive disease of the skeleton in which the amount of calcium present in the bones slowly decreases to the point where the bones become brittle and prone to fracture.In other words, the bone loses density. The term osteoporosis is derived from Latin and literally means "porous bones." Because of the physiological, nutritional, and hormonal differences between women and men, osteoporosis primarily affects women. This debilitating disease afflicts more women than heart disease, stroke, diabetes, breast cancer, or arthritis. 50% of all women between the ages of 45 and 75 show signs of some degree of osteoporosis. Over a third of that group suffer from serious bone deterioration. Unfortunately, bone loss causes no symptoms while it is occuring. It is very common for a woman to be totally unaware that she has osteoporosis until what should have been a minor accident causes her to break a bone, oftentimes a wrist or a hip. In advanced cases of osteoporosis, a simple hug can result in fractured or broken ribs. As bone loss advances, the vertebrae are subject to what are called compression fractures, crowding the nerves of the spine and various internal organs and causing a loss of height. It is his compression that causes "dowager's hump" that many women develop as they age. Osteoporosis can also be a contributing factor in tooth loss; when the structure of the jawbone weakens, it can no longer hold the teeth firmly in place.

There are two basic types of osteoporosis. Type I, or high turnover, osteoporosis occurs in some women between the ages of 50 and 75 because of the sudden postmenopausal decrease in estrogen levels, which results in a rapid depletion of calcium from the skeleton. It is associated with fractures that occur when the vertebrae compress together causing a collapse of the spine and fractures of the hip, wrist, or forearm caused by falls or minor accidents. Type II, or low turnover, osteoporosis is linked to dietary deficiency, especially a lack of sufficient calcium and vitamin D, which is necessary for the absorption of calcium. Many women mistakenly believe that osteoporosis is something they need be concerned about only after menopause. Recent evidence indicates that osteoporosis often begins early in life and is not strictly a postmenopausal problem. Although bone loss accelerates after menopause as a result of the drop in estrogen levels, it begins in the premenopausal years.

Many people believe that osteoporosis is caused soley by a dietary calcium deficiency and that it can be "fixed" by taking calcium supplements. Wrong. While calcium supplements are important in dealing with osteoporosis, there are other considerations as well. Vitamins C, D, E, and K all play vital roles in battling osteoporosis, as does protein. Regulating the amounts of certain minerals, such read more