Osteoporosis: Bone Disease

Osteoporosis is a bone disease that happens when you lose too much bone, make to little or both. As a result of this, your bones become weak and may break from a minor fall or, in serious cases, even from simple actions, such as sneezing or bumping into the couch. The term Osteoporosis means “porous bone”. If you look at a healthy bone under a microscope, you’ll see that parts of it look like a honeycomb. If you have osteoporosis, the holes and spaces in the “honeycomb” are much bigger that if the bone was healthy. This means your bones have lost either density or mass or both and that the structure of your bone tissue has become abnormal. As the density decreases, your bones are more likely to break. If you’re 50 years old or older and break
In some cases of primary osteoporosis, the condition is caused by either age-related bone loss or the cause may be unknown. The term idiopathic osteoporosis is used only for people who are under the age of 70. (Types of Osteoporosis) In cases of secondary osteoporosis, the loss of bone mass is caused by certain diseases, lifestyle factors, and/or medications. The majority of people with osteoporosis have at least one of the following secondary causes: Exposure to glucocorticoid medications, hypogonadism, Alcohol abuse, smoking, gastrointestinal disease, hypercalciuria (high levels of calcium in the urine), or immobilization. (Types of
Some studies have showed high blood levels of the amino acid homocysteine may be linked to lower bone density and higher risk of a hip fracture in the elderly. Magnesium plays an important role in forming bone. Magnesium deficiency is rare in well-nourished populations. (International Osteoporosis Foundation)Vitamin A has a role that is controversial to Osteoporosis. Vitamin A is presented as a compound called retinol in foods of animal origin. Such as Liver and other Offal, fish liver oils, dairy foods, and egg yolk. Vitamin A is also contained in some plant foods such as green leafy vegetables and red and yellow fruits and vegetables. (International Osteoporosis Foundation)Vitamin K is required for the correct mineralization of bone. Some studies have shown that low Vitamin K levels lead to low bone density and increase fracture possibilities in the elderly. Sources of Vitamin K consist of leafy green vegetables, lettuce, celery, liver and some fermented cheese. Zinc is a mineral required for bone tissue and mineralization. Severe deficiency is usually associated with calorie and protein malnutrition and contributes to impaired bone growth in children. Sources of Zinc include red meat, poultry, and whole grain cereal. (International Osteoporosis