What is osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis is a disease that weakens the bones and although the entire skeleton is usually affected, the involvement of certain regions, especially the hip joint, is more critical. During the process of osteoporosis, bones become fragile and may eventually break, even after minimal trauma.

The progression of osteoporosis is silent and in the days when basic screening tests were not routinely done, most sufferers become aware of their condition only after having suffered a broken hip, arm or vertebra. Besides fractures, other symptoms are backache, deformities of the spine and loss of teeth.

How does osteoporosis develop?
Bone is never a static structure and a constant process of remodelling takes place whereby calcium is deposited in some parts and absorbed in others. Various factors control this process. The difference between the amount of calcium either deposited or re-absorbed determines whether there will be a net loss or gain of bone.

Bone strength and growth increase during childhood and peak at the age of 25, where after they steadily decline. At menopause there is a sharp increase in bone loss, owing to decreased levels of oestrogen, which explains why osteoporosis is much more common amongst women.

What can I do to improve my osteoporosis?

Step 1
Do exercise.
Exercise plays a crucial role in both the treatment and prevention of osteoporosis. Muscular movement near any bone is a powerful stimulus for bone mineralisation. A resistance training programme done with light weights is ideal. (To make it easier for those who are not naturally inclined to do exercise, the LightHouse exercise programme contains a set of simple exercises that has been designed to do at home whilst you watch TV).

Step 2
Eat the right diet.
Nutritional factors that promote bone loss are a high protein intake, especially of red meat, excess alcohol, excess caffeine intake and a vitamin C deficiency. A diet rich in phosphate is also an important factor that contributes to bone loss. Phosphates (in the form of pyrophosphates, polyphosphates, etc. in food) compete with calcium for absorption, and the presence of excess phosphate in the intestine therefore inhibits the absorption of calcium. Red meat, for instance, has a 1: 30 calcium/phosphate ratio, which is very high compared to other natural foods. (This means that for each part of calcium, there are 30 parts of phosphate competing for absorption) Phosphates are especially abundant in all junk foods, artificial food additives, sodas and colas (including diet drinks). Besides inhibiting calcium absorption, phosphates also encourage bone loss owing to the effect that it has on the hormone PTH, which stimulates the absorption of calcium from bone.

A diet rich in animal products and refined carbohydrates also acidifies one’s system and encourages osteoporosis, as well as preventing the activation of vitamin D by the kidneys. A low stomach acid content (which can be caused by antacid medication as well as calcium in the ‘carbonate’ form) reduces the absorption of calcium in the bowel. (This can be improved by taking vitamin C)

Calcium, on the other hand, competes for absorption with other essential minerals like magnesium, zinc, manganese, boron and silicon, all of which are crucial to proper bone mineralization. Taking large amounts of calcium can therefore cause a shortage of these other minerals, whilst a balanced diet will prevent this.

Besides influencing calcium absorption, a deficiency in vitamin C will also lead to the formation of abnormal collagen molecules, resulting in imperfect bone formation.

Dairy products contain more calcium per volume size than any other food substance and are therefore beneficial. They are, however, also high in saturated fat and you should therefore concentrate on eating the low-fat / fat-free versions such as skim milk and low-fat yoghurt. Canned fish with bones, like salmon, sardines and mackerel, are rich in calcium, and broccoli, bok choy, collard greens and turnip greens are excellent vegetable sources of calcium.  Almonds, brazil nuts, hazel nuts, sunflower and sesame seeds are all good calcium sources, but they also contain a high concentration of unsaturated fat; although they are beneficial for many reasons, they can unfortunately be very fattening if consumed in large quantities.

Step 3
Take medication.
Your doctor will assist you in this regard, and if you are already taking prescription medication, stay on it.