Osteoporosis

What is osteoporosis?

What are the types of osteoporosis?

There are two common forms of osteoporosis:

Primary osteoporosis

Secondary osteoporosis

What are the risk factors for osteoporosis?

• Sex and age
  
• Body size – low body mass index (BMI)
• Early menopause
  
• Childbearing
• Medications – e.g. steroids, anti-epileptic drugs
  
• Hormone-related disorders such as thyroid disease, reduced amount of sex hormones, and adrenal glands disorder
  
• Medical conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, or disorders of the intestinal tract
• Prolonged bed rest and lack of exercise
• Lack of calcium and vitamin D in diet
• Excessive weight loss/dieting
• Smoking and high alcohol intake
  
  

Healthy living with calcium​

Calcium is key when it comes to preventing and treating osteoporosis. It helps in the production of strong bones. Vitamin D helps calcium to be easily absorbed into the bones. Therefore, it is important to know which kinds of food are rich in calcium and Vitamin D. 

The recommended daily intake of dietary calcium is 1000mg to 1200mg, and for Vitamin D is 600(IU) to 800(IU). The best way to obtain enough Vitamin D is to have at least 30 minutes of sunshine a day. If sun exposure is not advisable because of medical reasons, Vitamin D can also be obtained in food like egg yolk, cod liver oil, oily fish such as herrings and sardines.

Calcium supplements

Here's how you can get the most out of calcium supplements:

For further reading about calcium-rich foods and supplements, download a copy of our brochure in either English or Mandarin:
Osteoporosis.pdf
骨质疏松症.pdf