Don’t let Osteoporosis, “the silent thief,” steal your bones. According to Toronto-based Osteoporosis Canada, almost 2 million Canadians are living with the disease. One in four women, and at least one in eight men, over age 50 are affected.

As we age, we lose bone mass and our bones become thin and brittle. Osteoporosis is significant and abnormal bone loss, which makes bones weaker and easily broken.

Although no single cause has been identified, osteoporosis becomes more of a risk with age. Another major risk factor is a family history of fragility fractures — fractures that occur from simple activities such as lifting groceries out of the car trunk, being hugged too hard or sustaining an otherwise soft fall from a standing position.

These fractures wouldn’t happen to someone with healthy bones, says Tanya Long, national education manager with Osteoporosis Canada.

A fall that might normally result in minor bruising on a healthy person, she says, could result in a fracture for someone with osteoporosis. Says Long: “The effects of fracture can be devastating.”

With osteoporosis, there are no symptoms until you experience a fracture.

Regard fractures to the wrist, spine and hip as possible indications of the disease, Long says. If you fracture your wrist past the age of 40, check with your family doctor to determine whether you have osteoporosis. One fracture could be followed by subsequent, more serious fractures, perhaps to the spine or hip. A fractured hip can lead to the loss of mobility — or even death — in older patients.

Osteoporosis is not preventable and there is no cure, but lifestyle changes and, in some cases, medication can slow the progression of the condition, says Jennifer Sygo, registered dietitian, director of nutrition with Toronto-based Cleveland Clinic Canada and nutrition columnist with the National Post: “People who have already lost some bone can see an improvement in bone [with an improved diet]. But, in general, you won’t see a 65-year-old having bones as strong as they were when they were 20.”

Sygo and Long offer these suggestions to keep bones healthy:

> Have A Healthy Diet. Calcium and vitamin D can reduce the ravages of age and osteoporosis. Osteoporosis Canada advises a daily dose of 1,000 milligrams of calcium and 400 to 1,000 international units of vitamin D if you’re under age 50; or 1,200 mg of calcium and 800 to 2,000 IU of Vitamin D if you’re over 50.

Calcium that comes from food sources — milk, cheese, yogurt, leafy greens, salmon, fruit and vegetables — is preferable. The Osteoporosis Canada website (www.osteoporosis.ca) offers a chart to help you calculate how much calcium you are getting from your diet. If you’re not getting enough, Long advises, make up the difference with supplements: “Take a look at your diet and do a rough calculation.”

Don’t take more calcium than you require, as there is emerging evidence that too much calcium can be harmful. A study published in the British Medical Association Journal found that high doses of calcium increases the risk of heart attack or stroke in post-menopausal women by 30%. And in men, Sygo says, too much calcium can increase the risk of prostate cancer.

If you need to take more than 500 mg of calcium daily, take the dosages at different times of the day — one in the morning and one at night. Says Sygo: “You can’t absorb more than 500 mg of calcium effectively at one time.”

Be sure to take the recommended amount of vitamin D. Calcium relies on the presence of Vitamin D for absorption.

Cut back on foods that leach calcium away from the bones, such as caffeine, alcohol and salt. And make sure your protein intake is adequate.

> Get Physically Active. Key bones, such as those in your legs, back and wrists, need stimulation in order to remain strong. Walk, jog, dance, play tennis or climb stairs. Also, add some weight-resisting activities, such as weight training, pushups or various yoga exercises. When a load is placed on bones, they respond by forming new, stronger bone. New evidence suggests strong muscles build strong bones.

> Get Assessed At Age 50. Both men and women should discuss their osteoporosis risk with their doctors. If you have a family history of osteoporosis or other risk factors, your doctor will arrange a bone mineral density test. Everyone who has reached age 50 should get such a test.

> Check Your Risk Factors. Women are at higher risk because bone loss accelerates as they approach menopause. Thin and small-boned women and men, those taking steroids for medical reasons and heavy drinkers (more than three drinks a day) are also at risk. IE