STRONG BONES AREN'T BUILT BY CALCIUM ALONE

DEAR DOCTORS: Does taking calcium help keep your bones strong or not?

- ■DR EVE GLAZIER AND DR ELIZABETH KO

I am going through perimenopause now, and osteoporosis is on my mind. A friend says that just a calcium supplement isn't enough, you need to think about vitamin K. I haven't even heard of that. Can you please explain?DEAR READER: Perimenopause refers to the physical changes that take place as a woman nears the end of her reproductive years. A shift in hormone production by the ovaries triggers these changes. Most notably, oestrogen begins to fluctuate and gradually decline. As blood levels of oestrogen and other reproductive hormones rise and fall, a range of symptoms occur. These include irregular periods, hot flashes, sleep disruption and mood changes. Because oestrogen helps maintain bone density, perimenopause can also set the stage for osteoporosis. This is when the cycle of bone remodelling falls out of balance. Bone tissue is broken down more rapidly than it can be rebuilt. This results in porous, brittle and fragile bones that can be easily injured.