After age 35, a woman's bones slowly weaken and gradually thin until menopause. A woman's body stops making a female hormone called estrogen at menopause. After this time, her bones weaken at a much faster rate. If you do not take in enough calcium from your diet for the needs of your body, your body will take the calcium it needs from your bones. If you suspect that your diet is lacks adequate calcium, your health care provider can help you improve your intake.
Vitamin D is Important, Too Vitamin D can boost calcium absorption.
The daily vitamin D requirement for women between age 51 and 70 is 400 units. If you don't get out in the sun often or drink much milk, consider taking a vitamin supplement. If your bone thickness is low or lower than average at the time of menopause, you may benefit from estrogen replacement. Estrogen can slow bone loss and it may also actually help build bone in some women. The biggest potential drawback to estrogen replacement is that it only protects bones for as long as you take it.