Bone mass reaches a peak at about the age of 35. After that it declines, especially for women who have 10 % - 15% less bone mass than men at skeletal maturity. There is then an accelerated loss of bone for up to a decade around the menopause when there is a decline in hormone levels. The answer is not Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). This increases the risk of heart attack, strokes, blood clots and cancer.

Calcium Can Cause Problems

Calcium is of course important. However osteoporosis is not a deficiency disease caused by a lack of calcium. It is not recommended to take calcium supplements on their own. There is no certainty that the calcium will end up in the bones. It could find its way into tissues instead. This may create its own health problems. Vitamin D certainly improves the absorption of calcium, but calcium has important synergistic relationships with a range of other minerals.

Magnesium Is Also Important

Two-thirds of the magnesium in the body is found in the bones. It plays a vital role in the metabolism of calcium and bone. A deficiency of magnesium decreases the strength of bone, its volume and its development. It is positively associated with bone mineral density (BMD) as has been demonstrated in a number of population studies.

Strontium Can Stimulate Bone Formation

Early in the 20th century, studies were carried out that demonstrated that strontium in combination with calcium was more effective in mneralising bone that using calcium alone.

Boron Helps Bones To Heal

Boron is an important mineral for calcium retention. Dr Rex Newnham, a world authority on boron has stated that broken bones will heal in half the usual time with adequate supplies of this mineral.

Manganese Is Required For Bone Growth

To mineralise bone, manganese is required. Women with osteoporosis were found to have blood manganese levels at only 25% of the level of those who didn't have this condition. Deficiencies of manganese can give rise to abnormal growth of bone and cartilage as well as degeneration of the vertebral discs.

You Need Copper, Zinc & Silicon

Silicon is quite rigid and the body uses it at sites of calcification of the bones. If bones are to form normally they require zinc. Copper works in co-operation with zinc. Depletion of this mineral can lead to bone defects and a loss of calcium. Iron is also believed to play a role in the formation of bones.

Let's Not Forget Those Vitamins

Vitamin D is required for calcium to be absorbed in the intestines. It also helps regulate bone turnover. Deficiencies are quite common in the elderly since its status declines with age.

Vitamin K is also important in the metabolism of bone. It is required for bone formation, remodelling and repair. Epidemiological studies have shown that those people who lack vitamin K in the diet or in the circulation have a lower BMD or an increase in fractures.

Vitamin C is needed to make collagen within the bone structure. It may also offer some skeletal protection against free radicals and oxidative stress. This is especially the case for cigaretter smokers. Smoking is associated with an increase in the risk of hip fracture.

The bone remodelling process also requires vitamin A. Bone health is impaired with deficiencies.

There is an increased requirement for folic acid at the menopause, studies suggest. This happens because the efficiency of converting homocysteine - a toxic byproduct of protein metabolism - to less toxic compounds becomes impaired. Other nutrients that protect against the damaging effects of homocysteine include vitamin B6 and B12, so these may be helpful too.

And Finally

To conclude, bone health depends on more than just calcium. It requires a whole range of vitamins and minerals. This approach to ostoporosis is likely to be far more successful than current orthodox methods.