In women, bone loss may be greatest in the first three to five years following menopause and may continue steadily afterward. The introduction of estrogen replacement therapy can reduce the risk of fractures by as much as half. This therapy, however, can have side effects of bloating and weight gain. Early signs of osteoporosis may be backache or increased stiffness although there are usually no symptoms. As the disease progresses, there may be a loss of height, sharp back pains and a deformed spinal column along with decreased overall mobility.
Osteoporosis is believed to be caused by several factors.
Among those factors are a deficiency of calcium, vitamin C and various proteins. Dairy foods such as milk and cheese contain calcium but many avoid them for fear of consuming too much fat. This thinking is erroneous since low-fat dairy foods still have a high level of calcium. Many of packaged foods are also fortified with calcium, such as orange juice, and may be used as a source of calcium by people who do not care for dairy foods or those who are lactose intolerant. Vitamin D helps the body to absorb calcium and may be obtained from fortified cereals, milk and fatty fish such as salmon.