Osteoporosis is a disease, more common in women, that causes
bones to become fragile and more susceptible to breaking. The
disease can have serious effects on women's health and quality
of life. Some women - most commonly those who don't have good
access to health care - experience fractures that could have
been prevented if their osteoporosis had been treated. At the
same time, not every woman who is warned about bone thinning
needs to be worried. What is Osteoporosis? Osteoporosis
literally means porous bone. Throughout life, natural process
breaks down bones and builds them back up again at the
microscopic level. Pregnant women release bone to transfer
needed minerals to the developing fetus and then build their own
bone strength up again after giving birth. After age 35-40 all
adults begin to lose bone as the breaking down process
overwhelms the building process. For a few years around the time
of menopause, women lose bone more quickly, possibly because
they no longer need extra stores of minerals to sup