Causes of Osteoporosis

• Family History: If someone in your family has or had osteoporosis, you're more at risk.
• Sex: Women are simply more likely to develop osteoporosis.
• Ethnicity: White and Asian people are more likely to be affected by osteoporosis than black or Hispanic people, but this does not mean that black or Hispanic people are not at risk. Then there are causes that you can somewhat control but are also partly out of your hands:
• Estrogen Levels: Estrogen protects bones, so if you have low estrogen levels, you're more at risk for developing osteoporosis. Menopause causes a fast decrease in estrogen levels, which is why if you're a post-menopausal woman, you need to be especially vigilant about your bone health. Women may lose bone at a rate of 4 to 8% per year for several years after their ovaries stop producing estrogen.

As a post-menopausal woman or a woman who's had her ovaries removed, you should look into estrogen therapy to increase your hormone levels.

Even if you're a young woman now, years from menopause, you should be thinking about your estrogen levels. Irregular periods can indicate low estrogen levels—and serve as an early warning to take care of your bones. Irregular periods may also result from over-exercising or under-eating, both of which can increase bone loss.

Men also have estrogen, but for them, it's the testosterone that protects the bones. If they have low levels of sex hormones, they're more at risk.

• History of Broken Bones: If you've broken bones in the past, you could be more at risk for osteoporosis because the broken bone(s) probably lowered your bone mineral densiry (BMD).
• Low Body Weight: Petite and small boned women (under 130 pounds) have less bone mass to begin with, so they need to be particularly vigilant about their bone health.
• Osteoporosis is also caused by factors that are completely in your control, and this is what makes osteoporosis preventable. In thinking about your bones, you should be considering:
• Diet: Every day, you should be getting the proper amounts of various minerals and vitamins that promote bone growth.
• Calcium: Calcium gives your bones what they need to grow and regenerate. If you don't get enough calcium every day, your bones will be weaker. How much calcium you need varies by how old you are; read this article that explains how much calcium you should get.
• Vitamin D: Calcium needs vitamin D; without it, your body can't absorb and use calcium as effectively. Without enough vitamin D in your diet, some of your calcium intake could be going to waste, adversely affecting your bones. Like calcium, the recommended vitamin D intake changes throughout life.
• Other Vitamins and Minerals: Phosphorous, magnesium, vitamin K, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 are all also important to bone growth. Fortunately, a well-balanced diet (think the Food Pyramid) almost guarantees that you'll be getting enough of these. If you aren't getting enough and want to promote good bone health, you might need to take a supplement.