Osteoporosis

Calcium and phosphate are two minerals that are essential for normal bone formation. Throughout youth, the body uses these minerals to produce bones. If calcium intake is not sufficient, or if the body does not absorb enough calcium from the diet, bone production and bone tissues may suffer. Calcium and phosphate may be reabsorbed back into the body from the bones, in which case the bone tissue becomes weaker. This results in brittle, fragile bones that can be easily broken. Usually, the loss occurs gradually over an extended period of time (years) and most of the time, a person will sustain a fracture before becoming aware that the disease is present. By the time this occurs, the disease is in its advanced stages and damage can be profound.