| Osteoporosis actually derives from the term "porous | | | | The government publishes RDA (recommended daily |
| bones." When you have osteoporosis, your bones | | | | amounts) for vitamins and minerals. One issue that |
| become weak and brittle. These porous bones can | | | | you should know is that these amounts are |
| be so brittle that even a mild bang or stress like | | | | considered the minimum you should have from all |
| bending over can cause a fracture. A major cause of | | | | sources (food, water and supplements) assuming |
| this weakness in the bone structure has lack of | | | | that you are a healthy adult weighing about 150 lbs. If |
| calcium, phosphorus or other minerals in the bones. | | | | you are suffering from osteopenia or osteoporosis, |
| When someone suffers from osteoporosis, it is | | | | you are already deficient in many vitamins and |
| usually just a matter of time before they fracture a | | | | minerals. Therefore, the RDA is insufficient to help |
| bone. There are many things one can do to both | | | | restore your bone health. |
| prevent a reduction in bone density as well as | | | | The value and usefulness that you derive from taking |
| improve the condition and health of your bones. | | | | these bone nourishing vitamins and minerals depends |
| CALCIUM AND VITAMIN D | | | | not only on the amount that you take but also on |
| Ensuring that you have sufficient calcium and vitamin | | | | the combination and their source. Especially when |
| D in your diet is important in reducing your likelihood | | | | speaking of calcium the amounts that you need is |
| of developing osteoporosis. But what if you already | | | | highly dependent on having a balance of other |
| have osteoporosis? You can still prevent your bones | | | | minerals and having the correct acid levels in your |
| from deteriorating further by taking adequate | | | | digestive system to effectively absorb the calcium. |
| amounts of calcium and vitamin D. | | | | Taking adequate amounts of vitamin D is equally as |
| It is often the case that you may replace some of | | | | important as calcium. Vitamin D improves bone health |
| the bone mass that you have lost. But simply taking | | | | by helping calcium absorption and also improves |
| supplements is unlikely to work if you have other | | | | muscle strength. Vitamin D is continuing to be studied |
| issues going against you. | | | | and recent findings suggest that vitamin D may also |
| BUT HOW MUCH CALCIUM SHOULD YOU TAKE? | | | | protect against certain types of cancer. It is generally |
| That is a difficult question but we know that a | | | | considered safe to take up to 2,000 IU of vitamin D |
| person's need for calcium varies over their lifetime. | | | | per day. Check with your doctor if you want to take |
| Calcium is in greatest demand during childhood and | | | | higher doses. |
| adolescence, when your skeleton is rapidly growing. | | | | WHAT ARE SOURCES OF CALCIUM? |
| Also during pregnancy and breast feeding. | | | | Good natural sources of calcium include dairy |
| Postmenopausal women, who have less estrogen, | | | | products, almonds, broccoli, cooked kale, canned |
| need more calcium as do older men. | | | | salmon (with the bones), soy products such as tofu |
| With age, the body absorbs calcium less efficiently. | | | | and oats. Calcium supplements are another way to |
| Also, during your later years, you are more likely on | | | | get calcium. Calcium supplements tend to be fairly |
| one of the medications that interferes with calcium | | | | inexpensive and most people believe that the body |
| absorption. The absolute amount of calcium that you | | | | absorbs most supplements easily if taken properly - |
| take may matter very little if the calcium is not | | | | but this is NOT true. Many people take huge amounts |
| absorbed by your body. It is essential that you not | | | | of calcium supplements but little if any of the calcium |
| only take calcium but the form of the calcium is also | | | | is actually absorbed into the blood stream and little of |
| critical. | | | | this calcium ends up building stronger bones. |
| For calcium to be properly absorbed by the body you | | | | A COMPLEX SOLUTION |
| must have the correct balance of acids in your | | | | Many elements are involved in ensuring that the |
| digestive system. In addition, additional minerals and | | | | vitamins and minerals that you get through the foods |
| phosphorous must be present and in correct | | | | you eat and the supplements you take are able to |
| proportions. So the question of how much calcium to | | | | be used by your body. Just taking large amounts of |
| take is much more complex than you may originally | | | | vitamins or calcium, alone, does not guarantee good |
| think. | | | | bone health. As with fine cooking, it is not necessarily |
| WHAT ABOUT GOVERNMENT | | | | the ingredients that make the sauce special, but the |
| RECOMMENDATIONS? | | | | amounts and ways in which they are combined. |