A and C may also assist in decreasing the incidence of several cancers. Research has also indicated the benefits of including vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage and brussels sprouts in the fight against the disease. Osteoporosis Osteoporosis results from the loss of hydroxyapatite, a calcium-rich mineral and protein matrix from the bone. A diet deficient in calcium has been linked to the development of osteoporosis. Osteoporosis causes the bones to become porous and sensitive to pressure caused by weight-bearing or pulling muscles.
Osteoporosis occurs more frequently in women than men.
It often affects those who are small-boned, of Northern European descent and whose mothers, maternal aunts or grandmothers had the condition. Symptoms of osteoporosis include chronic back pain, muscle spasms and bone fractures due to minor falls. It is difficult to diagnose because there is no readily available way to objectively measure calcium loss. Since osteoporosis occurs after menopause, the absence of the sex hormones estrogen and progesterone have been linked to its onset. Estrogen therapy may be one treatment, but its ability to decrease calcium loss may last only a short time.