Excess fat can bind the calcium into a form that the body cannot absorb. Excess phosphorus found in soft drinks, red meat and foods with preservatives can impair calcium absorption and increase the amount drawn from the bones. In excess, wheat fiber binds calcium and takes it through the system before it has a chance to be absorbed. Coffee, alcohol and tobacco also inhibit calcium absorption. As we get older, the body favors bone loss over bone building.
Bones become porous and brittle and can result in osteoporosis.
This is sue in part to the body's decreasing ability to absorb calcium and an increase in calcium spillage. The amount of stomach acid necessary for optimum calcium absorption decreases as we age. Women have the highest percentage of osteoporosis which, it is thought, relates to the decrease in estrogen that occurs during menopause. Osteoporosis causes major orthopedic problems in almost one third of post-menopausal women. Slow Down the Process You can slow down the process of bone loss and lower the risks of esteoporosis.