Keeping Your Bones Strong
By Garden of Life

This informative article will tell you how to keep your bones strong. This is most important as we reach middle age and beyond. It is good to start young, as we can only build our bones up until we are 35 years of age. After that, we can only prevent bone loss.

If you are overweight, losing weight is beneficial for your health. There is no doubt about that. But, if you lose weight, will you lose bone mass? There are no clear cut answers to this question though you might lose some bone (and muscle) while losing weight. If you do, will this increase your risk for osteopenia or osteoporosis? Not necessarily. But it depends on how much bone mineral content (BMC) and bone mineral density (BMD) you start with and how much you lose. This article will tell you how to keep your bones strong no matter what. However, if you are concerned and think you are at risk for osteoporosis, ask your doctor to refer you to a specialist who can do a DEXA (dual energy x-ray absorptiometry), scan for you. You should have a DEXA scan of both your lumbar spine and hip. In addition to getting your bone density checked every few years, follow this guide and you’ll maximize your bone health.

Exercise

You will be doing double duty when you incorporate weight bearing exercise into your workouts. These exercises help you build muscle, which burns more calories even at rest and, muscle pulls on bone actually stretching it and making it stronger. Bone is a dynamic tissue. Though it is often thought of as hard and inflexible, it can be pulled and is constantly being remodeled with new bone cells replacing old ones. Weight bearing exercises such as running, jumping, weight lifting and dancing help build bone.

Nutrition

Though calcium steals the show when it comes to bone health, several other minerals also play key roles in helping build and maintain strong bones. Magnesium, copper, and vitamins D and K all play essential roles in bone health as well. First, let’s take a look at calcium. Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the human body and, it is deposited and withdrawn from bone daily. The body takes calcium from bone as necessary to maintain blood levels of calcium (necessary to keep your muscles, such as your heart, contracting and your nerves functioning). If you don’t take in sufficient quantities of calcium, too much will be leached from your bones thereby leaving them porous or brittle over time. It is therefore essential, to consume enough calcium through your diet. Calcium is found in dairy products, canned fish with bones (yes, you can consume the bones, just crush them up) and dark green leafy vegetables (don’t rely on these completely though as many are also high in oxalic acid which binds calcium). If you are going to supplement, look for one with a highly absorbable form of calcium, such as Microcrystalline Hydroxyapatite (MCHA).

Magnesium serves as an important part of over 300 enzymes in the body and is also a component of bones. Magnesium is a bulky mineral and takes up quite a bit of space and therefore one multivitamin pill cannot possibly contain your daily magnesium needs or you would never be able to swallow it! Magnesium is also found in green leafy vegetables, peanut butter, black-eyed peas, pecans, whole-wheat bread and lima beans among other foods.

Like magnesium, copper can be found in bone as well. Copper deficiencies are rare in healthy people though excess intake of zinc or iron can impair the body’s absorption of copper. Individuals with celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, cystic fibrosis or tropical sprue are also at risk for deficiency. Copper can be found in sesame seeds, cashews, mushrooms, soybeans, barley, navy beans, and garbanzo beans.

Phosphorus is a major component of bones and teeth and is widely available in most foods. Therefore, deficiencies are very rare. Fluoride helps harden tooth enamel and may protect against osteoporosis as well. Supplementation with fluoride isn’t necessary though it isn’t widely available in food. Why? Because most municipal water supplies are fluoridated. If you primarily drink bottled water, consider drinking straight from the tap sometimes or drinking tea (preferably made with tap water) or fish with edible bones.

Vitamin K is often thought of as the clotting vitamin. Yes, it does help your blood clot so you don’t bleed profusely, but it also helps manufacture proteins necessary for bone health. Friendly bacteria in our intestines manufacture vitamin K and you can also obtain it from the following foods (preferably organic): spinach, broccoli, eggs, wheat bran, milk, strawberries and oranges. Those individuals that have a prolonged use of antibiotics may be at risk for low vitamin K levels because antibiotics destroy some bacteria in your intestines. If you are on blood thinning medication or anticoagulants, consult with your physician.

Sunshine

You could get vitamin D from food (canned salmon, milk, etc.) but, chances are you aren’t getting enough from your daily diet. If you spend a few minutes outside everyday, your body will synthesize all of the vitamin D you need thanks to the sun’s UVB rays (though elderly people sometimes don’t synthesize vitamin D as efficiently as younger individuals). Among other tasks, vitamin D regulates both calcium and phosphorus levels in the blood and promotes bone formation and mineralization.

The bottom line when it comes to bone health is prevention. Ensure that you are eating a healthy diet rich in calcium, vitamin D and magnesium (copper and vitamin K you will likely get from a varied diet) and engaging in weight bearing exercise. Though it is possible you may lose some bone while you lose weight, your body actually has built extra bone to carry around extra weight. So eat right, exercise and if you are worried, get a DEXA scan for reassurance.

Christine’s Comments: Garden of Life’s Living Multi Calcium Advanced is a bone density support formula that helps build and maintain good bone health. It provides an excellent source of MCHA calcium, along with a broad spectrum of vital minerals and nutritional cofactors to help support healthy bone density. It includes a vitamin K complex with the Poten-Zyme (fermentation process) vitamin K1 and vitamin K2 derived from fermented soy, natto, as opposed to other chemically synthesized forms found in other calcium products on the market. It also includes a Homocysteine Balance Complex of betaine and Poten-Zyme B Vitamins that support healthy bone metabolism and Homocysteine levels and a Vital Mineral Matrix that contains essential trace minerals organically bound to a whole food rice matrix for optimal absorption that support bone health. Click here for product information.

1 - We can build bone up until approximately 35 years of age. After that, we can only prevent bone loss.