by Kevin Hwang, M.D.

Question
I have osteoporosis (-3.6 is my bone-density score). What diet will improve my condition?
-- Alena, Ontario, Canada

Answer
Good question. The key is to make sure you’re getting enough calcium and vitamin D—and not to neglect exercise. But with your bone-density score, you’re probably going to need to add something else to your regimen. More about that in a minute.

BONE LOSS, BONE GAIN
Bone is living tissue comprised of cells and minerals. And just as your skin cells slough off and get renewed, bone is in a constant state of loss and gain: Bone-eating cells, called osteoclasts, remove it. Bone-building cells, called osteoblasts, renew it, by taking calcium and phosphorus from the bloodstream and depositing it in the bones.

In the meantime, vitamin D helps the intestines absorb calcium from food and reduces the amount you lose in your urine.

In your 30s, you start losing more bone than you can build. For women, this really speeds up during menopause. If you lose too much, you have osteoporosis—weak, brittle bones.

DIET
To slow down this bone loss, it’s essential to get enough calcium and vitamin D. The Institute of Medicine recommends 1,300 milligrams of calcium a day for people ages 9 to 18, 1,000 milligrams for those 19 to 50 and 1,200 for people 51 and older.

Vitamin D is a little trickier. This article explains more about that controversy.

If you can meet the recommendations with food alone, that’s great. If not, take a supplement. They’re usually safe and inexpensive.

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Board-certified internist KEVIN HWANG, M.D., is a member of our print magazine editorial board. He's an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston and co-director of UT Weight Management.

Last updated and/or approved May 2008.
Original article appeared in summer 2007 issue.

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