Osteoporosis and Calcium Balance
May 7, 2012 Leave a comment
Written by Don Tolman – www.thedontolman.com
Osteoporosis is usually called the “silent disease” because bone loss occurs without symptoms.
Some people may not know that they have osteoporosis until their bones become so weak that a sudden strain, bump or fall causes a hip fracture or a vertebra to collapse.
A collapsed vertebra may first be felt or seen in the form of severe back pain, loss of height, spinal deformities such as kyphosis, also called severely stooped posture.
What is it?
It is a disease that makes bones fragile and likely to break. If not prevented or if left untreated, osteoporosis can develop painlessly until a bone like the hip, spine or wrists breaks.
The particular concern if for the fractures of the hip and spine, although any bone can be affected. A hip fracture requires hospitalisation and major surgery most of the time. It can damage a person’s ability to walk unassisted and may cause prolonged or permanent disability or even death. Loss of height, severe back pain and deformity can accompany spinal or vertebral fractures.
Women are four times more likely than men to develop the disease although millions of people are at risk.
The most direct and serious factors that influence bone loss are nutrition from whole food, sunlight and water combined with exercise. These factors also play an important role in maintaining a soft tissue cushion to protect the skeleton from the impact of a fall.
Calcium and Calcium Balance
Calcium is a vital nutrient for bone health, required for the heart, muscles and nerves to function properly and for blood to clot normally.
Calcium is lost daily through urine, feces, sweat and shed skin, hair and nails. The lost calcium is generally replaced by calcium in the diet. Bone is broken down to release calcium when the diet does not hold enough calcium to offset such losses.
Many nutrients, like vitamin D, significantly influence calcium balance. It has a positive impact on calcium balance because it increases calcium absorption in the gastrointestinal tract.
Direct sunlight is the most readily obtainable source of vitamin D. Vitamin D deficiency is a problem among the elderly, those in institutional settings, and people with chronic neurological or gastrointestinal diseases. The biggest setback is among those who avoid sunlight and/or use sunscreen and sun block!
Protein is necessary in our diets to build tissue during growth and to repair and replace tissue throughout life. It is also demanded for fracture healing and proper function of the immune system. Protein deficiency is an important factor contributing to death, institutionalisation and loss of independence among the elderly following hip fractures.
By increasing calcium excretion, protein also increases the body’s need for calcium. Additional protein in the diet is used by the body for energy, just like fats and carbohydrates. Though, as protein is burned for energy, it produces a chemical called sulphate, which the body excretes through the kidneys. Sulphate increases the excretion of calcium, which is how the body replaces its entire old skeleton with a new one every two years!
What is bone?
Bone is living, growing tissue. It is made up of a protein that provides a soft framework, called collagen and a mineral that adds strength and hardens the framework, called calcium phosphate. This mixture of collagen and calcium makes bones strong yet flexible to withstand stress. More than 99 percent of the body’s calcium is found in the bones and teeth; the remaining one per cent is found in the blood.
Risk Factors
Risk factors mean the particular factors that are linked to the development of osteoporosis or contribute to an individual’s likelihood of developing the disease. Some people with osteoporosis may have all of these risk factors, while other people with osteoporosis may have none. Some risk factors are unchangeable while others can vary.
Risk factors you cannot change include: Age, body size, ethnicity, family history and gender.
Women have a greater chance of developing osteoporosis because women have less bone tissue and lose bone faster than men because of the changes involved in menopause.
The older you are, the greater your risk of osteoporosis. Your bones become less dense and not as strong as you age.
Petite, thin-boned women are at greater risk.
Asian and Caucasian women are at highest risk. African-American and Latino women have a lesser but significant risk.
Risk factors you are able to change include: Anorexia, certain medication, cigarette smoking, diet low in calcium, excessive use of alcohol, inactive lifestyle and sex hormones.
Calcium: An important role in contributing to the development of osteoporosis is an inadequate supply of calcium over the lifetime. Many published studies show that low calcium intakes seem to be associated with low bone mass, rapid bone loss and high facture rates.
Good sources of calcium include:
Almonds, breads and cereal grain, citrus, dark leafy vegetables, organic dairy products and tofu.
Calcium demands change during one’s lifetime: the body’s demand for calcium is more intense during childhood and adolescence, when the skeleton is growing rapidly, and during pregnancy and breast feeding.
Also, postmenopausal women and older men need to consume more calcium. This may be caused by inadequate amounts of vitamin D, which is essential for intestinal absorption of calcium, so make sure you get sunshine everyday!
For more on this topic and thousands of other Self Care tips, check out my “encyclopaedia of wholefood medicine”, the Farmacist Desk Reference.
Written by Don Tolman –
Written by Don Tolman –
Written by Don Tolman – 




