Calcium and Phosphorus in Health and Disease

Book excerpt: Calcium and Phosphorus in Health and Disease is a valuable source of information on the role of nutrition in maintaining bone health throughout the life cycle. It emphasizes nutritional interactions with mineral metabolism and maintenance of bone health. This book presents the basic concepts of regulation of calcium and phosphorus metabolism by calcemic hormones and the structure and function of calcified tissues. It provides an in-depth review of bone growth and maintenance and calcium metabolism throughout the life cycle. Pregnancy and lactation, the effects of physical activity, and the special problems of nutrition and bone health in the elderly are addressed. It presents the basic biochemistry of mineral homeostasis and bone development and presents reviews by experts on the treatment and epidemiology of osteoporosis. This text/reference is extensively illustrated, with numerous original drawings created especially for this work. Calcium and Phosphorus in Health and Disease will benefit both students in medical and basic sciences who are beginning their studies in this area and researchers and clinicians who are not expert in this field but need a source of basic information on the subject. The book's current discussions and up-to-date references will quickly move the beginning student to a higher level of understanding.