When most people think of bones, what comes to mind are the lifeless, dead bones of skeletons. But, bone is actually a dynamic, living tissue.
Healthy bones are dependent on an intricate interplay of many nutritional and hormonal factors.
In the human body, there is a constant process of breaking down and remaking of bones. This is the first clue that there is more to osteoporosis than a lack of dietary calcium. The two conditions, osteomalacia and osteoporosis, are different in that in osteomalacia there is only a deficiency of calcium in the bone. Little attention has been given to the important role that this organic matrix plays in maintaining bone structure. Although the entire skeleton may be involved in postmenopausal osteoporosis, bone loss is usually greatest in the spine, hips, and ribs.