Combating Osteoporosis

You could say that our skeletal system is much like an employer who has trouble keeping workers, it has a lot of turnover – bone turnover is the continual process by which the skeletal bones breakdown and renew.

Bones are truly amazing structures, made of a thick outer shell and a stronger inner mesh filled with collagen, calcium salts and other minerals. All our bones combined make up the skeletal system which supports the human frame.

Each day, through the actions of two cell types, bones mend and rebuild themselves. Osteoblasts are cells that form bone and osteoclasts destroy bone. When the bone destroying osteoclastic cells outperform the bone-forming osteoblasts, the result is ‘bone loss’ and an increased risk of developing osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis means ‘porous bones’ and is a condition that literally breaks down the bone structure and has devastating effects on health and appearance.
More than 10 million Americans have osteoporosis. Many others suffer from a lesser form of bone loss called osteopenia.

Osteoporosis makes skeletal bones more fragile, increasing the risk of fracture. Common fracture sites include the hip, vertebrae, wrist and forearm, which are often slow to heal in those with osteoporosis. Osteoporosis can also cause other symptoms such as curvature of the spine, loss of height, poor posture, and bowed appearance, which explains why osteoporosis is also known as ‘widow’s stoop’.

There are a variety of reasons a person might develop osteoporosis or osteopenia:

• Insufficient diet
• Lack of physical activity
• Heredity
• Menopause
• Pollutants
• Toxins
• Certain medications

What can be done to prevent or reduce the risk of osteoporosis? Ideally, prevention would begin in early adulthood by building up bone mass to its peak; much like saving up for a rainy day! But it is never too late to impact bone loss through adopting a healthier lifestyle and making dietary changes.

Exercise plays an important role in the prevention of osteoporosis. Regular weight-bearing exercise has been shown to maintain bone mass and increase it in some cases. The entire concept of ‘use it or lose it’ rings true where exercise is concerned; bones build up in response to physical stress and breakdown when that stress is no longer there.

In a recent report, researchers studied 580 postmenopausal women and found that increased stair-climbing and walking daily was significantly linked with higher bone mineral densities in the hip and in the entire skeleton. The result is a decrease in both risk and incidence of fracture.

Nutrients play a vital role in reducing the risk of osteoporosis. Since bones are living tissues, bone cells need similar kinds of nutrients as other cells in the body. Calcium ranks number one on the list, but there is much more to the nutrient story than calcium alone.

The body absorbs calcium from food and also excretes calcium through urine. All is well if more calcium is absorbed than is excreted, which creates a positive calcium balance. However, if more calcium is excreted than absorbed, a negative calcium balance occurs. Remaining in this negative state over a long period of time leads to osteoporosis.

The recommended daily allowance of calcium is 1000-1200 milligrams. Sources of calcium include broccoli, dark green leafy vegetables, legumes, canned salmon, sardines, and dairy products such as milk and cheese. The most readily absorbed supplement is calcium citromalate. Be sure to check your supplement label, or you can test the solubility and absorbability of your calcium supplement. Simply drop the tablet into vinegar, if it does not dissolve within 30 minutes, you may need to consider another brand.

While it may get a lot less notice than calcium, vitamin D is just as important for bone health. Vitamin D helps the absorption of calcium from the blood to bone. A deficiency has been shown to play a role in osteoporosis. Sixteen studies that assessed hip fracture were reviewed; the use of one gram of calcium per day decreased the incidence of fracture by 24%. However, when combined with vitamin D, this increased to 54% in some cases. Although vitamin D can be found in dietary sources such as butter, margarine, liver and eggs, it has been shown that 15-30 minutes of sun exposure on the hands and face daily is enough for vitamin D production.

Beyond calcium and vitamin D, there are many other nutrients which are important factors in bone health and have successful research to back up their claims. These include:

• Vitamin K
• Magnesium
• Zinc
• Fluoride
• Ipriflavone

Now we know that regular weight-bearing exercise and a healthy diet that includes a variety of foods are important measures in preventing osteoporosis, but what about things to avoid?

Diets high in protein, refined sugar, salt, caffeine, alcohol and soft drinks contribute to calcium depletion. Smoking, antacids that contain aluminum and drugs such as diuretics, antibiotics and steroids are also culprits.

Phosphate is an essential nutrient, but excessive amounts may be harmful to bone by increasing bone breakdown. The recommended allowance for phosphorus is 700mg, but it is estimated that adults in the U.S. take in between 1000-1500 mg per day. This is partly due to increased use of phosphate in food additives and cola-type beverages.

With life expectancy at an all time high, we are sure to see a rise in bone disorders including osteoporosis. Don’t wait to begin your plan of action…the clock is ticking!