Don't let brittle bone disease creep up on you. Eat right, exercise regularly and take supplements.

If you are a young adult or adolescent and you want to develop osteoporosis in your later years, here's the best advice: Drink lots of coffee as soon as you wake up, skip breakfast, gulp down a doughnut mid-morning, have a cheeseburger, chips and diet coke for lunch. Combat the mid-afternoon slump with a chocolate bar. Take several cigarette breaks during the day. Skip exercise class because you are too busy or too tired and perhaps, have a glass or two of wine with supper.

Thankfully, however, those of you who would take this advice are becoming fewer and fewer as younger people learn the enormous cost of unhealthy eating habits!

Anyone diagnosed with brittle bone disease, either has failed to attain maximum bone mass during their first three decades of life or has suffered from a rate of bone loss that has exceeded that of bone build-up. Just as sure as you can tell the difference between the smoother skin of babies and the rougher skin of mature people, you can count on some bone loss in both sexes with advancing years.

Most people recognise the almost inevitable loss of height that occurs with increasing age. After the ages of 40 to 50, bone loss is 20 to 30% of the total bone mass in men and as much as 40 to 50% in women. The bones of the hands, hips and vertebrae show greater loss than those of the skull and legs, but none are totally spared.

With the increase of normal bone loss produces osteoporosis and with this condition comes pain, fractures and a change in posture, mainly the curving of the spine. A large number of other medical conditions may be accompanied by osteoporosis and for some people it runs in families due to their genes. However, by far the most common origin of osteoporosis is the excess bone loss that has no distinct medical origin but which is related to the various features of modern lifestyles.

A Plan of Action

Exercise:
We know that a sedentary existence quickly melts bones away. On the other hand, the female runner who exercises to excess and suffers extreme loss of body fat will also be prone to stress fractures. So the bottom line is, avoid extremes. Adopt a regular, sensible exercise programme and stick to it.  

Get adequate vitamin D:
Vitamin D helps your body absorb and utilise calcium. Exposure to the sun's ultraviolet light transforms a compound in the skin into a chemical forerunner of vitamin D as we don't get enough sun in this country, vitamin D can also be found in fortified milk and in supplements. Serum levels of vitamin D are marginally low in osteoporosis, perhaps a result of poor dietary habits or insufficient exposure to sunlight, especially in the elderly. However, this is also present in generations of TV watching and computer-using youngsters.

Monitor thyroid conditions
Patients who suffer with thyroid problems and those being given excessive replacement thyroid hormones may well suffer osteoporosis. In practice, doctors monitoring the treatment of a thyroid patient will keep a close eye on the situation and do blood tests to detect the start of osteoporosis.

Cut down on alcohol, sugar, soda, caffeine and animal protein:
These items are risk factors for the development of osteoporosis. Over-use of alcohol, sugar, caffeine, phosphates, smoking and a high-protein diet are known to increase the urinary loss of calcium. So to preserve bone it's best to be on a plant-based diet with a small amount of animal foods for variety.

Supplement your diet:
Magnesium, calcium, vitamins D & K and trace minerals are all necessary to combat osteoporosis. If you intend to take supplements, you must realise that individual diets and digestive absorption varies greatly, recommended doses are just general, so it is always best to seek medical advice before starting them. Vitamin K is found in leafy green vegetables and if a broad variety of plant foods is taken in your diet, such as legumes, vegetables, seeds, whole grains and fruits the odds are that you will be getting sufficient protein which means better retention of bone. Some people may require medications, although the number is relatively small when the previous recommendations for hormone replacements, exercise, plant-based diet and nutritional supplements are followed.