April 28, 2014

Axial loading, otherwise known as exercise or physical labor, is a key to bone health!

Did you know that a right hitting teenage tennis player can have right arm bones 40% larger in volume then the non hitting left side? The aggressive use of a set of bones and muscles before one finishes puberty will positively affect their growth. This effect is long lasting and can be a part of the osteoporosis prevention strategy.

Historically, osteoporosis was not a common disease because humans spent lots of time in the sun getting vitamin D, eating foods that contained magnesium and calcium, keeping their hormones balanced, and axial loading through physical exertion.  

As always, it is easier to prevent a disease than to treat it. As a pediatrician, I see the world through the eyes of children. What is their outlook of health? Today, far too many children are on the couch playing games and not spending enough time outside in the sun exercising. If we believe the above hypothesis and do not intervene as parents, then we are watching an epidemic grow and complacently allowing it. 

The answer is simple:

1) Send them outside to play as much as possible. Preferably, you will play with them. 

2) Encourage adequate vitamin D through diet, supplements and sensible sun exposure (avoid ALL burns).

3) Eat lots of green vegetables that are loaded with magnesium and calcium.

4) Teach them to avoid cigarettes, alcohol intake and drugs that induce bone loss.

5) Ensure that pregnant mothers do the above 4 as well. See the next article.

Dr. M

A new study * out of Canada in the Journal Pediatrics this week looks at the association between tooth health and maternal vitamin D status during pregnancy. 

Robert Schroth and his colleagues from the University of Manitoba School of Dentistry studied 207 women and their offspring for dental cavities in relation to the maternal vitamin D status. They found an inverse relationship between the mother's vitamin D level and the child's risk of developing a cavity. 

The amount of data regarding vitamin D and health could fill my office with paper. It is one of the most critical hormones for our growth and development. Vitamin D issues start before we are born. It is imperative for every mother and mother to be to have adequate levels of Vitamin D in their blood stream prior to and during pregnancy. These maternal levels can be checked by a blood test and decisions on how you want to normalize deficiency or insufficiency can be discussed with your physician. 

Prenatal health continues to be a target for prevention strategies that affect our children. Whether it is diet, stress, exercise or vitamin D status, the life and health of a mother dramatically affects her child. 

*(The study had limitations in that the study population was an inner city low income group and only 65% stayed in the study. However, the remaining 135 children's parents had no differences from the missing group in regards to vitamin D status and other demographics. The data is likely valid in light of previous studies on the subject.)

Dr. M

Rick Dove, environmental consultant and former Southeastern Representative for the Waterkeeper Alliance, will speak on "North Carolina's Environment in the Eye of the Perfect Storm" at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 29, at Catawba College.