About 25 million Americans have some form of osteoporosis, according to American Dietetic Association. Osteoporosis is a condition of gradually weakening and increasingly brittle bones. Bones can become so weak they may break under normal use or from a minor fall. Because osteoporosis develops slowly, people often don't realize they have it until well after middle age.

While men can get it, too, the vast majority of people who develop osteoporosis (about 80 percent) are women. By the time women go through menopause, nearly one in three will develop the condition. Women who have a family history of osteoporosis, who have small body frames or are underweight, or who are menopausal are at greatest risk.

It's not just older women who need to be concerned. Young women who exercise excessively often stop having menstrual cycles, a condition called amenorrhea. These women can experience bone loss because they have lower estrogen levels, a hormone that helps deposit calcium. Compounding the problem, these young women's diets are often nutritionally inadequate, especially in calcium. Whenever your calcium intake doesn't meet the daily requirement, your body pulls what it needs from your bones, weakening them.

Other risk factors include lack of regular exercise, especially weight-bearing activities, such as running, walking or strength training, heavy alcohol use, smoking and age.

How can I prevent osteoporosis?
Generally, people begin losing bone mass at age 30 to 35, at about 1 percent per year. In menopausal women, bone loss increases to 6 percent per year. Ideally, osteoporosis prevention should begin during childhood. However, no matter what your age, you can still make a difference with proper food and lifestyle choices. Here are some tips:

Get enough calcium (see the chart below for suggestions). The recommended intake of calcium for people ages 19 to 50 is 1,000 mg/day. Above age 50, 1,200 mg/day is recommended. Adolescents and pregnant or nursing women should get at least 1,200 mg.

To ward off osteoporosis, the National Institutes of Health recommends even more calcium--up to 1,500 mg per day for people over 65.

A calcium supplement is recommended for people who are lactose intolerant and for those who don't routinely eat three or more daily servings of calcium-rich foods. Stick with a calcium supplement in the form of calcium carbonate or calcium citrate and don't take more than 500 to 600 mg in one dose. Anything more won't be absorbed.

Get enough vitamin D, to help deposit calcium in bones. If you drink milk, you're more than likely getting enough, but you can also get vitamin D from a little sunshine since your body makes vitamin D when ultraviolet light touches your skin.

Too much caffeine, alcohol, protein and sodium are all suspected of increasing the risk for osteoporosis, since they increase the rate at which calcium is excreted from the body. Although this remains controversial, moderating your consumption of those types of foods or beverages will only help your health in the long run.

If you're menopausal, talk to your doctor about hormone replacement therapy (HRT). HRT can help slow bone loss and may protect you from other side effects of menopause, such as hot flashes, but be warned, HRT is also associated with serious side effects.

Which foods provide calcium? Low-fat and nonfat milk and dairy products are the best sources of calcium. Although other foods provide calcium, they aren't absorbed as well by your body. Also, if you are substituting soy products for milk products, look for soy that is fortified with calcium.

Food Serving Size Mg Per Serving Swiss cheese 1 oz. 272 Cheddar cheese 1 oz. 204 Skim milk 1 cup 302 1% or 2% milk 1 cup 300 Whole milk 1 cup 291 Plain low-fat yogurt 1 cup 415 Flavored low-fat yogurt 1 cup 345 Cooked collard greens 1/2 cup 168 Cooked broccoli 1/2 cup 68 Cooked spinach 1/2 cup 84 Cooked kale 1/2 cup 103 Orange 1 medium 60 Cooked kale 1/2 cup 103 Orange 1 medium 60 Chopped dates 1/2 cup 26 Pink salmon (canned with bones) 3 oz. 160 Sardines (canned with bones) 3 oz. 372 Tofu (processed with calcium) 4 oz. 150 Calcium fortified cereals (Total) 1 oz. 350

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written by Rhonda, October 05, 2006

I don't believe the information in this article about dairy products. I believe the information from Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine that dairy products are a marketing marvel and that they actually deplete your bones of calcium not restore it. In fact, all products with animal fat are dangerous to bone strength/health.