You Can Overcome Osteoporosis - But You Need More Than Calcium
Thinning and brittle bones give rise to fractures. This affects a third of women and one out of every twelve men. It is a major cause of death.
Bone mass peaks at around age 35. From then it’s downhill all the way, especially for women whose bone mass is 10% - 15% less than men’s at skeletal maturity and then suffer with accelerated bone loss for 8 - 10 years around the menopause when hormone levels decline. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is not the answer. It increases the risk of blood clotting, stroke, heart attack and cancer.
Calcium Can Cause Problems
Calcium is important. But osteoporosis is not disease caused by calcium deficiency. Just taking calcium supplements is not the answer. There is no guarantee is will be absorbed into the bone. It could remain in the blood and be delivered to non bone tissues where it may create its own problems. Vitamin D improves the absorption of calcium but it is also works in synergy with other minerals.
Magnesium Is Also Important
Two-thirds of the body’s magnesium is found in the bones. It plays a crucial role in calcium and bone metabolism. Deficiency causes decreased bone strength and volume and poor development. A positive association with Bone Mineral Density (BMD) has been demonstrated in many population studies.
Strontium Can Stimulate Bone Formation
In the early part of the 20th century studies showed strontium to be effective in stimulating rapid formation of bone and that strontium and calcium were superior to calcium alone in mineralizing bone.
Boron Helps Bones To Heal
Calcium is better retained in the bone in the presence of boron. According to world authority on boron, Dr Rex Newnham, boron can speed up the healing of broken bones in half the usual time.
Manganese Is Needed For Bone Growth
Manganese is required to mineralise the bone. Blood manganese levels in osteoporotic women were found to be only 25% of those without osteoporosis. Deficiencies lead to abnormal bone and cartilage growth and degeneration of vertebral discs.
You Need Zinc, Copper & Silicon
Silicon is quite rigid and the body uses it at sites of calcification of the bones. If bones are to form normally they require zinc. Copper works in co-operation with zinc. Depletion of this mineral can lead to bone defects and a loss of calcium. Iron is also believed to play a role in the formation of bones.
Let’s Not Forget Those Vitamins
Vitamin D is required for calcium to be absorbed in the intestines. It also helps regulate bone turnover. Deficiencies are quite common in the elderly since its status declines with age.
Vitamin K is also important in the metabolism of bone. It is required for bone formation, remodelling and repair. Epidemiological studies have shown that those people who lack vitamin K in the diet or in the circulation have a lower BMD or an increase in fractures.
Bone health can certainly be added to the long list of conditions that vitamin C can treat. It is required for the collageneous structure of the bone. Vitamin C may also protect the skeleton from oxidative stress especially for cigarette smokers. Smoking greatly increases the risk of hip fracture.
Vitamin A is important in the bone remodelling process. Deficiencies are known to be detrimental to bone health.
There is an increased requirement for folic acid at the menopause, studies suggest. This happens because the efficiency of converting homocysteine - a toxic byproduct of protein metabolism - to less toxic compounds becomes impaired. Other nutrients that protect against the damaging effects of homocysteine include vitamin B6 and B12, so these may be helpful too.
And Finally
In conclusion, bone health depends on a wide range of nutrients that goes well beyond just supplementing with calcium. This approach is likely to achieve more success than current orthodox treatments for osteoporosis.
Filed under: Health & Fitness