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Our bones hold us up and keep us together, and we certainly take them for granted. Most of us assume that once we reach our full height, our bones will never change during our lifetime. In truth, our bones are dynamic, wonderful things that constantly change and remodel themselves, and can actually respond and adjust to the demands placed upon them. Bones need to be used, or they become less dense when mineral salts - mostly calcium - are gradually withdrawn. And when bone density decreases, we are susceptible to osteoporosis and fractures.
Osteoporosis is something you must be aware of - half of all women between the ages of 45 and 75 show signs of it, and there are over one million osteoporosis fractures each year. It is often called a silent disease because you don't know you have it until a bone breaks, most often in your hip, wrist, or spine. Osteoporosis is caused by several factors: our genes, our gender, and our race, which can't be changed; but it is also caused by the calcium in our diet, how much exercise we do, and our estrogen levels, which we can change. Women are particularly susceptible to osteoporosis, especially when we don't have enough estrogen, a hormone that helps maintain bone density, or calcium in our diets. (Constant low calorie dieting means we eat fewer of the calcium rich food we need. Furthermore, low-calorie fizzy drinks and protein contain phosphoric acid, which upsets the necessary ratio of phosphorus to calcium in our bodies, and helps contribute to bone loss.)
Calcium is stored in our bones until it's needed for many vital body functions. If you eat to much protein, salt, and caffeine, which stress your kidneys and deplete calcium, and you don't eat enough foods (like low-fat diary products and green leafy vegetables) with calcium, your body will borrow it from your bones, and they weaken. They break. You fall. You hurt. You feel old.
It's up to you to lessen the risk of having osteoporosis ravage you bones. The best way to strengthen bone is by exercising. The best way to put calcium in your body is to eat it in food, not in supplements, although few of us actually do that with healthy, balanced diet. The RDA for calcium is 800 milligrams, but most of us ingest much less. The U.S national Institute of Health recommends that post-menopausal women who aren't taking estrogen supplements have at least 1,500 milligrams of calcium daily.
It's easy to add calcium to your diet. Discuss with your doctor which is best kind for you and when you should take them, as they have different rates of absorption in your body. Avoid osteoporosis.