Ten surprising facts about bone health every woman should know.

2003 SEP 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- You have cottage cheese for lunch and regularly swim after dinner, so you think you're getting the calcium and exercise you need to ward off osteoporosis.

Sorry, think again.

"Many people are surprisingly misinformed or uninformed about how to build healthy bones," said David Hamerman, MD, director of the new Center for Bone Health at Montefiore Medical Center (MMC). "Women know they need calcium and that they rapidly lose bone mass after menopause, but not much more."

As a result, one in two women and one in eight men over 50 will have an osteoporosis-related fracture in their lifetimes, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation. Few people suspect they have this "silent disease" until their bones are so thin and weak they break easily, especially in the hip, spine, and wrist. In many cases, adopting healthy bone habits earlier in life could have prevented osteoporosis.

"Osteoporosis is the consequence of a lifetime of poor nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle practices," Hamerman said. "It's not just an older person's disease."

If you understand your risk of developing osteoporosis, you can grow old with your bones intact. These 10 little-known facts about bone health nutrition tips, lifestyle risks, and warning signs can help:

1) Your body stores almost all of its calcium in the bones, which act as a calcium "bank." You deposit calcium daily, and the body withdraws daily what it needs. Anything that isn't used is stored for future use. The amount of daily calcium you need varies at different stages of life, but remember the body won't absorb more than 500 mg at a time. Wait 4 to 6 hours between doses or dairy servings.