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Bone Health - Beyond Calcium
By Dr. Taryn Forrelli, N.D. – Healthy Living Article
Most people know that a diet rich in calcium is important for building
and maintaining strong healthy bones, but too often, they overlook the
importance of other determinants of bone health, including trace
minerals, vitamin D, vitamin K, and even inflammation.
Research has established that trace minerals, like silica, vanadium,
boron and strontium, are essential for normal growth and development
of skeletons in humans and animals. Although they are minor building
components, they play important functional roles in bone metabolism
and turnover, and have been shown in clinical studies to significantly
improve clinical outcomes when combined with calcium.
It has long been known that vitamin D plays an essential role in
regulating calcium absorption from the digestive tract and enabling
bone mineralization. Recently, however, it has become apparent just
how common vitamin D deficiency is, especially in individuals living
in northern latitudes where sun exposure and, hence, natural vitamin D
production by the body are limited. Since a deficiency of vitamin D
can influence not only bone health but immune health, blood sugar
metabolism and normal cell growth as well, many medical experts are
advocating supplementing the diet with 800 IU or more of vitamin D a
day in the form produced by the body, D3.
 Vitamin K is another vitamin creating a buzz amongst researchers
interested in bone health. It is required by bone cells for the
production of a protein that binds to calcium, helping to keep it in
the bones and out of the arteries where it can contribute to
hardening. Like vitamin D, low levels are associated with increased
bone fragility and weakness. Vitamin K has also been shown to reduce
inflammation in the body. Inflammation is known to accelerate the
aging process. This includes increasing the breakdown of bone, making
it difficult to maintain strength, no matter how much calcium is
present. In addition to vitamin K, taking herbs like turmeric, ginger,
green tea and holy basil to maintain a healthy inflammation response
can help keep bones strong and healthy. (See
Zyflamend by New Chapter
for healthy inflammation response).
The bottom line: If your bone health supplement program
only consists of calcium, you are missing the big picture. Bone is a
complex living tissue requiring so much more than calcium alone. A
protocol and nutrition formula we developed at
New Chapter called
Bone Strength Take Care,
combines whole food forms of calcium, vitamin K, vitamin D, and trace
minerals along with inflammation-modulating phytonutrients is the only
way to ensure your body has all of the nutritional building blocks it
needs for bone health and beyond. With all these trace minerals and
cofactors found in the algae source we use, this is called a whole
food calcium supplement, and it really is the way to go.
For more information about
Bone Strength Take Care, click here.
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