Bones and nutrition: common sense supplementation for osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a serious public health concern. Skeletal fragility, leading to spine and hip fractures, is a major source of morbidity and mortality. Adequate calcium intake from childhood to the end of life is critical for the formation and retention of a healthy skeleton. It is important to prevent bone loss from occurring, to identify potential risk factors, and to correct them. Many genetic and lifestyle factors influence the risk for osteoporosis. Among these, diet is believed to be one of the most important, especially the roles of calcium and vitamin D. Deficiency in other dietary factors--eg, protein, vitamin K, vitamin A, phytoestrogens, and other nutrients--might also contribute to the risk for osteoporosis. In this article, the roles of diet and nutritional supplementation in preventing and treating osteoporosis are reviewed.