Fractures caused by thinning and brittle bones affects one in three women and one in twelve men. It is a leading cause of death.
At around the age of 35 bone mass peaks. From then on it declines, especially for females who have ten to fifteen percent less bone mass than men at skeletal maturity. There is an additional loss of bone mass for eight to ten years from a reduction in hormone levels at the menopause. Many choose to take Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), but this is not the answer. HRT increases the risk of blood clots, heart attacks, strokes and cancer.
Calcium Can Cause Problems If Taken Alone
Calcium is of course important. However osteoporosis is not a deficiency disease caused by a lack of calcium. It is not recommended to take calcium supplements on their own. There is no certainty that the calcium will end up in the bones. It could find its way into tissues instead. This may create its own health problems. Vitamin D certainly improves the absorption of calcium, but calcium has important synergistic relationships with a range of other minerals.
Magnesium Is Also Important
Two-thirds of the magnesium in the body is found in the bones. It plays a vital role in the metabolism of calcium and bone. A deficiency of magnesium decreases the strength of bone, its volume and its development. It is positively associated with bone mineral density (BMD) as has been demonstrated in a number of population studies.
Strontium Can Stimulate Bone Formation
A century ago studies demonstrated strontium to be able to effectively stimulate rapid bone formation and that the combination of strontium with calcium was superior to using calcium alone to mineralise bones.
Boron Helps Bones To Heal
Boron is an important mineral for calcium retention. Dr Rex Newnham, a world authority on boron has stated that broken bones will heal in half the usual time with adequate supplies of this mineral.
Manganese Is Required 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 Copper, Zinc & Silicon
Silicon is very rigid and is used by the body at calcification sites of bones. Zinc is necessary if bones are to form normally. Copper works in conjunction with zinc. Depletion leads to bone defects and calcium loss. Iron may also play an important role in bone formation.
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.
Vitamin C is needed to make collagen within the bone structure. It may also offer some skeletal protection against free radicals and oxidative stress. This is especially the case for cigaretter smokers. Smoking is associated with an increase in the risk of hip fracture.
The bone remodelling process also requires vitamin A. Bone health is impaired with deficiencies.
A toxic byproduct of protein metabolism is called homocysteine. Studies suggest that the body is less able to convert it to less toxic compounds at the menopause. This means the body requires more folic acid to complete the task. Other vitamins which help lower homocysteine are vitamins B6 and B12.
And Finally
In conclusion, bone health depends on a sufficient supply of a wide range of nutrients that goes well beyond calcium and vitamin D. Such an approach is likely to be far more successful than current orthodox approaches which leave a lot to be desired.
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