What Is Osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis is a loss of minerals from the bones, a process that leaves them porous and fragile so that they are easily fractured.  Approximately half the women over 50 in the U.S. develop osteoporosis to some degree and half of those with the disease suffer fractures as a result.  Broken hips are the most common, but compression fractures of the vertebrae are not unusual and are responsible for the humped back and loss in height experienced by those who have the disease.

Osteoporosis has become so prevalent that it's sometimes considered a normal part of the aging process.  It isn't.  Some people are more susceptible than others.  There are a number of well-established risk factors:

1.  Calcium absorption.  Older people often lose a certain percentage of their capacity to absorb nutrients.  This includes calcium.

2.  Vitamin D level.  Vitamin D is necessary for calcium absorption to occur. Older people often get too little sunshine and may have no alternate source of vitamin D.  In such cases, taking vitamin D slows bone loss.

3.  Older people often exercise less.  Exercise is a powerful stimulation of bone mineralization.  People over 50 who did about a half hour of running daily had bone density 40% higher than a comparable group who exercises little.

4.  Decreased estrogen/testosterone.  The sex hormones are major promoters of the deposition of minerals in the bones.  A woman's estrogen levels drops off suddenly at menopause.  A man's testosterone levels decrease much more gradually.  Thus, postmenopausal women are particularly susceptible to osteoporosis.

5.  Reduction of kidney function with aging averages about 30%.  This undermines one's ability to filter selectively, and calcium that should be retained is lost through the urine.

6.  Peak bone mass:  Bones reach their maximal strength and weight at about age 30.  A greater peak bone mass means one is less likely to demineralize the bones to the point of danger later in life.   Children and adolescents who have poor diets will have a lower peak bone mass at age 30 and will be especially vulnerable to osteoporosis later.

Calcium rich foods include-mild (2%),  cheese- cheddar,   Cheese- cottage,   Tofu,  Eggs,  Chicken,  Hamburger,  Bread- whole-wheat,  Collards,  Kale,  Mustard greens,  Spinach,  Swiss chard,  Cabbage,  Broccoli,  Snap beans,  Rice,   Kidney beans (cooked),  Orange.

Transition to Vegetarianism ---  Rudolph Ballentine, M.D.