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Osteoporosis
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Health care providers and the general public have long been aware of the importance of calcium and vitamin D for maintenance of bone density after menopause. Less well known is the accumulating evidence that a predisposition for osteoporosis begins in childhood and adolescence. In fact, some evidence indicates that a women's diet while pregnant can influence her child's later bone mass. Thus, monitoring functional calcium levels may be as important early in a women's life as it is after menopause, especially for strenuously athletic adolescents and young adults. In addition to a need for calcium, a sufficient supply of magnesium and zinc in the diet have also been found to be critical for preventing loss of bone mass, and aging itself constitutes an independent risk factor for magnesium deficiency. Thus, osteoporosis prevention is a lifelong process of assuring a women sufficient levels of magnesium and zinc, as well as adequate amounts of calcium and vitamin D.

REFERENCES

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