Osteoporosis – the Skeleton in the Cupboard

The ability to keep your bones strong depends to a large extent on how your body makes use of calciumWhat it does: Promotes a healthy heart, clots blood, promotes healthy nerves, contracts muscles, improves skin, bone and dental health, relieves aching muscles and bones,…, magnesiumWhat it does: Strengthens bones and teeth, promotes healthy muscles by helping them to relax, also important for PMS, important for heart muscles and nervous… and phosphorus, all of which are incorporated into bone. Of these, calcium is the most abundant mineral in bone. However, more and more evidence is accumulating to show that dietary calcium intake is only one of a number of factors that influence the proper use of calcium in the body. Your intake of magnesium, vitamin DWhat it does: Helps maintain strong and healthy bones by retaining calcium. Deficiency Signs: Joint pain or stiffness, backache, tooth decay, muscle cramps, hair loss…. and proteinProteins are large molecules consisting of chains of amino acids. Proteins are essential nutrients for the human body – they are a building block of…, plus weight bearing exercise, play a significant role. Although our calcium intake has stayed relatively constant, the incidence of osteoporosis has rocketed. Consequently, one in three women, and one in 12 men, has a fracture by the age of 70, most commonly of the hip. In the UK, 50,000 people fracture a bone as a result of osteoporosis every year – that’s one every three minutes.