By osteoporosis is meant a slowly progressing decrease of bone structure and an enlargement of the bone marrow cavity. It affects one in three women after menopause; the bones become porous and brittle and the person gets more prone to vertebra and bone fractures (in particular to fractures of the thigh bone near the hip joint) caused by minor accidents or even in the course of normal daily activities.

Bone is not dead matter.  The bone maintenance process, i.e. the replacement of worn-out material by new, is a continual and natural process.  It is only when this metabolic balance is disturbed by osteoporosis, when more bone structure is broken down and removed than is added, that the bones start becoming porous.

About 1.5 to 2.25 kg of calcium is stored in the body, of which 98% is found in the bones and the rest (a mere 2%) in the blood and the fibrous tissue.  This balance is controlled by hormones and by vitamin D.  If there is too much calcium in the blood it will be stored in the bones or removed through normal catabolic processes in the body.  On the other hand, if there is a shortage of calcium in the blood, it will be taken from the bones.  The changes in the hormonal balance in women after the menopause can lead to a serious disturbance of this balancing mechanism and to excessive removal of calcium from the bones; this is the most frequent cause of osteoporosis.  Other causes can be: overactivity of the thyroid or adrenal gland, shortage of oestrogene, being bedridden over a longer period and lastly, a general shortage of calcium.

It is important to start compensating in good time for the loss of calcium in the bones, well before the critical stage has been reached.  This can be done by a balanced diet, sufficient exercise and an increased intake of gelatine, calcium and manganese supplements.