According to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, research has proven that decreased bone mass and an increase in fractures results over time when the body is not supplied with enough calcium. When bone deteriorates the condition is known as osteoporosis. A low calcium diet can lead to this disease. For this reason it is important that enough calcium is included every day in your diet.
Facts
Osteoporosis is a disease that affects every bone in the body. It breaks down bone mass and makes bones fragile and susceptible to breaks and fractures. The bones that are most affected by osteoporosis are the hip bones, the spine and the bones in the wrists. Indications that osteoporosis could be developing are a hunched back, shoulders that lean forward, pain in the back and/or a bulging stomach.
Significance
According to the National Institute on Aging, U.S. National Institutes of Health, a large number of people living in the United States are afflicted with osteoporosis. Osteoporosis often makes itself known when it causes a bone to break or fracture. Up until that time, one may not even be aware he has the disease. Making sure you follow a diet that is not low in calcium may assist in the prevention of this debilitating disease.
Time Frame
The bones in your body are continuously being broken down so that new bone tissue can be put in its place. This process goes on throughout life, but during the years between 40 and 60 bone breaks down in larger amounts and is not always replaced with new bone. The older you get the more susceptible you are for osteoporosis. Menopause also accelerates bone loss while a woman is going through her changes. The loss of bone once menopause is over with is not as much, but it does not stop.
Prevention/Solution
Make sure you consume enough calcium by eating foods that contain calcium or by taking a calcium supplement. To safeguard against osteoporosis, children between the ages of 9 and 18 should have 1,300 milligrams of calcium a day and adults between the ages of 19 and 50 should have 1,000 milligrams of calcium a day. Individuals 51 years of age and over need 1,200 milligrams of calcium a day. Vitamin D aids in the absorption of calcium, but too much vitamin D can be harmful. Have your doctor recommend a calcium and vitamin D supplement you can take to lower your risk of developing osteoporosis.
Warning
Women who are white or Asian are more prone to developing osteoporosis, but woman who have family members (alive or deceased) that have or had osteoporosis are also more likely to get osteoporosis. Women who broke a bone in their adult years, women who have had their ovaries removed prior to menopause, women who went through menopause at a young age, women who were confined to a bed for a long period of time, women who took certain medications for a long period of time, women who are past the age of 65, women weighing less than 127 pounds, women who are inactive and women who did not consume an adequate amount of calcium over time are also more at risk for osteoporosis.
Member Comments