strong to the bone.(Brief Article)

More than 28 million Americans have been diagnosed with osteoporosis, 80 percent of whom are women. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), another 18 million have low bone mass, meaning they're at risk for the disease. And half of all American women over age 50 will suffer an osteoporosis-related fracture in their lifetime. What's particularly frightening about this disease is that it siphons away the strength of your bones without any symptoms. It results in 1.5 million fractured or broken bones annually--often leading to permanent disability--and nearly a quarter of hip-fracture patients over 50 die within a year of their fracture.

While osteoporosis can hit anyone, post-menopausal women are at the greatest risk. For starters, most women don't get enough calcium in the course of their lifetime. When this accumulated deficiency is coupled with the plummeting estrogen levels of menopause, bone mass is quickly lost. According to the NIH, women can lose up to 20 percent of their bone mass in the first five to seven years following menopause, making them more susceptible to osteoporosis. The good news is that the disease is considered highly preventable, with proper nutrition and exercise the keys to developing--and maintaining--strong, fracture-resistant bones.

Today's standard American diet, however, especially for women, falls short when it comes to calcium. That, plus contemporary lifestyle habits--smoking, caffeine, soft drinks, too much stress and not enough exercise--rob us of the little calcium we have managed to store. In fact, the Food and Nutrition Board (which sets the Dietary Reference Intakes and RDAs) says that the average woman only consumes between 530 and 785 milligrams (mg.) per day of this important mineral--far less than the daily 1,000 mg. recommended for premenopausal women and the 1,200 mg. for women ages 51 to 70.

 
calcium adds up 
 
Yogurt (nonfat, plain)              8 oz     452 mg. 
Collard greens (frozen, cooked)     1 cup    358 mg. 
Milk (nonfat)                       8 oz.    302 mg. 
Soy or rice milk (fortified)        1 cup    280 mg 
Tofu (fortified)                    4 oz.    260 mg. 
Turnip greens (cooked)              1 cup    194 mg. 
Mustard greens (cooked)             1 cup    169 mg. 
Figs (dried)                       1/2 cup   144 mg. 
Kale (cooked)                       1 cup     94 mg. 

Many people overlook the fact ...