 | | Calcium Carbonate Deposits |
Bone Building Nutrients "The world breaks everyone and afterward, some are strong at the broken places.~Ernest Hemingway It seems that nearly every day we have customers in that are confused about what calcium to take, how much, and in what form. Their doctors have recommended that they take calcium to prevent or repair bone loss, and usually recommend calcium citrate. Unfortunately, the bone building process is complex, so taking calcium alone may not do the job. This is particularly true if you already have osteoporosis or osteopenia. Osteoporosis is a disease of the bones characterized by low bone mass and deterioration of bone tissue. Osteopenia is a condition whereby you have bone mineral density lower than peak, but not low enough to be called osteoporosis. According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, 44 million Americans, or 55% of the people in this country over 50 suffer from these conditions. About 80% of these people are women. We generally don't feel our bones weakening and the first indication of a problem is a fracture. Fractures of the hip, spine and wrists are the most common. Although osteoporosis and osteopenia are usually considered diseases of older people, their foundation is actually laid in our youth. We reach peak bone mass in our late 20's and 85-90% of our bone structure is achieved by the age of 20. Let's talk about what causes bone loss, what to do to prevent it, what forms of calcium are best for supplementation, and why supplementation is preferable to bisphosphonates, a commonly prescribed class of bone drugs. The causes/risk factors of bone loss can include one or more of the following: - Poor diet-inadequate intake of calcium and related nutrients or a highly acidic diet
- Eating disorders-inadequate mineral intake and absorption can occur
- Prescription drugs-most notably chemotherapy and long-term corticosteroid use (prednisone, cortisone, prednisolone and dexamethasone, but also long term use of PPI's and antacids
- Smoking
- Alcohol Abuse-reduces bone formation and inhibits the body's ability to absorb calcium
- Family History
- Race-Caucasians and Southeast Asians are more likely to get osteoporosis
- Body Size-Those with smaller frames have less bone mass to start with, so any loss is problematic
- Sedentary lifestyle--weight-bearing exercise is important to the maintenance of bones
- High homocysteine levels have been correlated with bone loss
The best ways to avoid a problem are to eat a proper diet with adequate amounts of calcium and related nutrients, do weight-bearing exercise on a regular basis, and avoid smoking and excessive amounts of alcohol. A proper diet is one that is high in fruits and vegetables and low in acid-forming foods and beverages. Soda pop is one of the worst things you can do for your bones because it causes inflammation in the body, the phosphoric acid in it reduces calcium absorption, and these beverages are acidic. When we eat foods that leave acid after they are burned by the body for energy, then we must use minerals to neutralize the acid. Then minerals are not available for other uses in the body, including building bone. Read More |
