A diet low in calcium can lead to osteoporosis, a disease that causes the bone tissue to become porous and brittle. This is because your body will leach the calcium out of your bones if your dietary intake of calcium is insufficient! One in four women past the age of 65 develop osteoporosis, which can mean that any slip or fall may result in the breaking of bones, such as hip fractures. Possible symptoms of osteoporosis include lower back pain when standing, bending or lifting, rounded shoulders and stopped posture, or a gradual loss of height. Calcium deficiency does not generally manifest itself until later in life, when it is too late to build bone mass. Women build bone mass until the mid-thirties, at which point the emphasis shifts to maintaining healthy bones. After menopause, there is a rapid decline in bone mass due to hormonal changes. Regular weight-bearing exercise can greatly mitigate the effects of age on your bones. Strength training has also been shown to have a dramatic, positive effect on bone health. It’s never too late to start! Smoking is very deleterious to bone health, as is excessive alcohol consumption, soft drinks (the phosphorous can leach calcium out of bones) and excessive caffeine.
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