You already know that your diet plays a big role in your overall health, but a balanced diet rich in calcium and vitamin D is particularly important for preventing or slowing the progress of osteoporosis. Your body stores pounds of calcium in its bones, and calcium is an essential nutrient for all of your body's organs and tissues. Therefore, maintaining your calcium levels helps keep all of your body — not just its bones — healthy and fit.

A woman's calcium requirement changes as she ages. Between the ages of nine and eighteen, you should get at least 1,300 milligrams of calcium every day. You can drop that amount to 1,000 milligrams per day from ages nineteen to fifty. By the time you reach age fifty, you need at least 1,200 to 1,500 milligrams of calcium every day. (If you're still having periods or taking estrogen, the lower number will do, but if you're in menopause and not on estrogen, move up to the higher amount.) What foods give you the greatest calcium boost? Here are just some examples (remember to check food product labels):

Sources of Calcium

But getting plenty of calcium isn't your only dietary weapon against osteoporosis. While vitamin D doesn't put more calcium into your system, it does help your body use the calcium you eat. Your body absorbs vitamin D from the sun; if you live in a cold or northern climate, or don't spend much time outdoors, vitamin D added to your calcium supplement will help your gastrointestinal system absorb the calcium. Women between the ages of fifty-one and seventy need about 800 units of vitamin D every day. You can get 25 percent of your daily requirement simply by drinking an eight-ounce glass of vitamin D-fortified milk every day. Eggs and some fish, including sardines, mackerel, and herring, contain small amounts of vitamin D.

Don't misunderstand: eating a well-balanced diet with adequate amounts of calcium and vitamin D won't guarantee an osteoporosis-free life. But without question it's the best method available for helping your body prevent or slow the disease.

Using Calcium and Vitamin Supplements

Although diet is always the best source of vitamins and nutrients, as you approach menopause, you may find that your diet needs some boosters in the form of supplements. Some estimates indicate that most menopausal women eat only about half as much calcium as they require each day. And many women have trouble digesting dairy products, so upping their intake of milk, yogurt, and cheese may not be an option for getting the increased calcium their bones demand.

Calcium supplements are available in a number of forms today, and they can be a great benefit to any woman approaching menopause. Keep these facts in mind when choosing and using calcium supplements:

• The elemental calcium content of any supplement is what matters most. Check the label carefully to make sure the supplement carries the appropriate amount of elemental calcium.

• Choose calcium supplements from reputable makers; check the label to see if the calcium is purified and look for the USP (United States Pharmacopoeia) symbol to help guarantee the reliability of the source.

• Calcium works best when you take it in 500 milligram doses, divided over the course of the day.

Because vitamin D is available in few nondairy foods, many people need to supplement their daily supply. Most all-purpose vitamins contain a daily dose of vitamin D, as do some calcium supplements. And minerals such as phosphorous and magnesium are important for bone health, too. Again, adequate doses of these are available in most multivitamins.

Remember, a well-balanced diet is always your best source of nutrients, including vitamins and minerals. But as women approach menopause, most find that they need supplements to round out their daily requirements of calcium. As with any health-related plan, however, discuss all dietary and food supplement decisions with your doctor or health care professional before making any changes in your current practices.