Osteoporosis Causes | Osteoporosis Symptoms | Osteoporosis Treatment Information at NutritionVista

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BASICS

Osteoporosis is a disease in which the bones become weak and can break easily. Often people don't know that they have osteoporosis until a bone actually breaks (or fractures). Any bone can be affected by osteoporosis, but the most common bones that break are in the hip, back and wrist. The condition is quite serious because fractures can lead to pain, hospitalizations, surgery, disability and even death.

Bones are made up mostly of proteins and minerals. Two minerals that are especially important in bone are calcium and phosphorus. Bones are living tissues and old bone cells are always being replaced by new ones. There are special cells that build up new bone (osteoblasts), while other cells (osteoclasts) break down the old bone. As people get older, their bodies don't replace all the bone that has been broken down, and bones tend to become weaker and more likely to break.

OSTEOPOROSIS SYMPTOMS

Bone loss can continue for many years without causing any symptoms, so many people with osteoporosis don't know they have it. Sometimes the first symptom is a broken bone. Vertebra (bones in the back) can break leading to pain, loss of height, or back deformities. Hip fractures can lead to pain, surgery, disability and even death. Fractures of the wrist and other bones can also lead to pain, hospitalization and disability. That's why preventing osteoporosis is important.

Many risk factors can lead to bone loss and osteoporosis. Some of these factors you cannot change and others you can.

Risk factors you cannot change include:

	Gender. Women get osteoporosis more often than men.
	Age. The older you are, the greater your risk of osteoporosis.
	Body size. Small, thin women are at greater risk.
	Ethnicity. White and Asian women are at highest risk.
	Family history. Osteoporosis tends to run in families. If a family member has osteoporosis or breaks a bone, there is a greater chance that you will too.

OSTEOPOROSIS CAUSES

If you are obese, losing even 5 to 10 percent of your weight can delay or prevent some of these diseases.

Sex hormones. Low estrogen levels due to missing menstrual periods or menopause can cause osteoporosis in women. Low testosterone levels can bring on osteoporosis in men.
Anorexia nervosa. This eating disorder can lead to osteoporosis.

Calcium and vitamin D intake. A diet low in calcium and vitamin D makes you more prone to bone loss.

Medication use. Some medicines increase the risk of osteoporosis.

Activity level. Lack of exercise or long-term bed rest can cause weak bones.

Smoking. Cigarettes are bad for bones, heart, and lungs.

Drinking alcohol. Too much alcohol can cause bone loss and broken bones.

Please use our assessment tools to determine whether you need medical and nutritional counseling.

NUTRITION FOR PATIENTS WITH OSTEOPOROSIS

	Diet can play an important role in bone health. To decrease your risk of osteoporosis, it is especially important to get enough calcium, vitamin D and vitamin K. Good sources of calcium include dairy products, nuts, whole grains, green leafy vegetables, and calcium supplements. Good sources of vitamin D include eggs, fatty fish, fortified dairy products and breakfast cereals, and direct sunlight (which helps vitamin D form in the skin). Good sources of vitamin K are green leafy vegetables like kale, greens, spinach, broccoli, cabbage or lettuce.
	A diet with enough calcium and vitamin D helps make your bones strong. Many people get less than half the calcium they need. Good sources of calcium are: Low-fat milk, yogurt, and cheese
	Foods with added calcium such as orange juice, cereals, and breads
	Vitamin D is needed for strong bones. Your body makes vitamin D in the skin when you are out in the sun. Some people get all the vitamin D they need from sunlight. Others need to take vitamin D pills.
	Good sources of calcium include dairy products, nuts, whole grains, green leafy vegetables, and calcium supplements.
	Good sources of vitamin D include eggs, fatty fish, fortified dairy products and breakfast cereals, and direct sunlight (which helps vitamin D form in the skin). #
	Good sources of vitamin K are green leafy vegetables like kale, greens, spinach, broccoli, cabbage or lettuce.

Caution: Too much vitamin A, in the form of retinol, can increase the risk of osteoporosis. Try to keep retinol intake between 2500 IU and 5000 IU a day. The best way to do this is to make sure you don't consume too many foods fortified with vitamin A (check the labels). And when choosing a multivitamin, pick one that has no more than 5000 IU of vitamin A and has at least 20% of the vitamin A from beta-carotene.

Recommended Daily Allowances for the following by age.

Age	Calcium	Vitamin D
0 to 6 months	210 mg	200 IU
7 to 12 months	270 mg	200 IU
1 to 3 years	500 mg	200 IU
4 to 8 years	800 mg	200 IU
9 to 18 years	1,300 mg	200 IU
19 to 50 years	1,000 mg	200 IU
51 to 70 years	1,200 mg	400 IU
Over 70 years	1,200 mg	600 IU

WHEN TO SEEK MEDICAL ADVICE

See your doctor if you have a strong family history of osteoporosis, are above the age of 50, and do not eat adequate amounts of calcium, vitamin D and Vitamin K. He can do a bone density test on you to determine whether you are at risk for developing osteoporosis( Bone Density Test: Specialized tests known as bone mineral density (BMD) tests measure bone density in various parts of the body. These tests can detect osteoporosis before a bone fracture occurs and predict one's chances of fracturing in the future).

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