No Bones About It

Older Americans, more active than ever before, should take preventative measures to keep their bones strong and healthy. According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, an estimated 10 million Americans currently have osteoporosis, with another 34 million estimated to have low bone mass, which puts them at increased risk for the disease.
Osteoporosis is a disease that affects your bones, making them fragile and causing them to break easily. One in five American women will likely develop osteoporosis. It can occur in men as well, but because men have larger skeletons than women, they don't start to lose bone until later in life. An inactive lifestyle, heavy alcohol use, and smoking can all increase your risk for osteoporosis. You also have an increased risk of developing it if there is a history of the disease in your family or if you have had any fractures after the age of 50.
Osteoporosis can be difficult to detect because it has no symptoms. It can silently weaken your bones until they eventually break. A bone mineral density (BMD) test is the only way to tell if you have osteoporosis or not. The test is painless and easy to perform. It measures how strong your bones are and can help determine if you're at risk for osteoporosis.
The best way to prevent bone disease is to live a healthy lifestyle through a good diet and exercise. A diet with lots of calcium and vitamin D is essential. Calcium helps to strengthen your bones, while vitamin D makes the calcium more effective. There are many over-the-counter supplements available if you're not getting enough calcium or vitamin D in your diet. You should ask your doctor or pharmacist to help you pick out one that is right for you.
Calcium
Calcium is needed for the heart, muscles and nerves to function properly and for blood to clot. Inadequate calcium is thought to contribute to the development of osteoporosis. Surveys show that many women and young girls consume less than half the amount of calcium recommended to grow and maintain healthy bones.

Depending on your age, an appropriate calcium intake falls between 1000 and 1300 mg a day. If you have difficulty getting enough calcium from the foods you eat, you may take a calcium citrate supplement to make up the difference.  (Many supplements contain calcium carbonate, but this form of calcium is not absorbed by the body as well as calcium citrate.)

Vitamin D
Vitamin D is needed for the body to absorb calcium. Without enough vitamin D, you will be unable to absorb calcium from the foods you eat, and your body will have to take calcium from your bones. Vitamin D comes from two sources: through the skin following direct exposure to sunlight, and from the diet. Experts recommend a daily intake between 400 and 800 IU per day, which also can be obtained from fortified dairy products, egg yolks, saltwater fish, and liver.
For more information, The National Osteoporosis website is a good resource. Visit them at www.nof.org.