What is Bone Remodeling?
Just like your skin, your bones are made of living tissue that is constantly being refreshed by a gradual process of breaking down old bone and replacing it with new. Two different types of cells perform this action: ostcoclasts, which break down old bone, and osteoblasts, which build up new bone using calcium from your diet. This continuous process is called bone remodeling. Bone remodeling is a constant process that begins in infancy and continues throughout your life. In fact, between 10% and 30% of the adult skeleton is actually replenished each year. That’s why it’s so important to get enough calcium in your diet from childhood on. In adulthood, bone tissue is likely to break down faster than it can be rebuilt. For women, this is especially true after menopause. The decreased estrogen levels resulting from the hormonal changes of menopause make the difference between bone breakdown and rebuilding even greater. In fact, during the first five years after menopause, some women may lo
