Recipe for Good Bones

It is important to understand that your bones are a living, active material and not dead or static. Your bones are continually building, renewing, repairing, and breaking down. Both men and women reach their peak bone mass at 30 years old and then lose about .4 % mass each year. The first 1-5 years after women reach menopause is when the rate of loss is at its greatest. A common misconception is that men don't lose bone at the same rate as women, they actually do, but they create more bone density during the growth period so the loss isn't at the same percentage of bone density they started with. So it's optimal that children and young adults build their bones to reach maximum bone density before they reach 30 years of age (Journal Nutrition 126, 1996). Risk factors that influence bone loss are your age, hormones, inactivity, nutrition, lifestyle, illness, medications, genetics and ethnic background (Osteoporosis International, 1993).

When bone loss is greater than bone repair, or when there is not enough calcium from our diet and our body "robs" calcium from our bones, it leads to a condition called osteopenia, which is widespread bone loss affecting 34 million Americans. This can lead to a more significant problem of having porous bones, or osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is responsible for 1.5 millions fractures in the US each year, with 10 million people with osteoporosis, and a total direct cost per year at 17.5 billion a year in the US alone. (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition).  At least a third of women and a tenth of men over 50 will have osteoporosis related fracture in their lifetime. 50% of women who break a hip will never walk again and 1/3 of all hip fractures will occur in men. If we check our diets and learn from cultures that have less bone fractures, then we can change these frightening statistics.

First Start with Some Calcium…

 According to the surgeon general, 75% of Americans are not getting the recommended daily supply of calcium, putting them at risk for osteoporosis. Ideally, calcium should come from food sources, where it is most absorbable.  Too much calcium from supplements and not from food sources can lead to kidney stones, bone spurs, and mineral imbalances (The Calcium Information Center, 1997 from "Non-Dairy: Something to Moo About, Inc).  A recent study of postmenopausal women by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that women who get their sources of calcium mainly through diet have healthier bones than those who relied on supplements alone for heir calcium needs. The study shows that only 35% of calcium through supplements alone is absorbed by the body. Calcium supplements are a billion dollar industry, the number one supplement sold today in the US, according to the Nutrition Business Journal.  Calcium needs an acidic gastric environment to absorb best, so calcium from an antacid is very contradictory, and taking a calcium channel blockers can present a problem with optimal absorption.
 
Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academy of Sciences recommends different amounts of calcium throughout our lives: Infants to 3 years require 250-500mg a day, children 4-8 should get 800mg, and kids up to 19 years should get 1300mg per day. Adults, until menopausal age for women should get 1000mg and women 50 years and older should get 1200mg per day. Pregnant teenagers need more calcium and breastfeeding women need an extra 550mg a day. Menopause increases calcium loss in the bones due to the drop in estrogen, which keeps the calcium in the bones. The most amount of loss occurring in the first 5 years of onset (J Bone Min Res 1987).

A test for chemical markers in the blood and urine can show how much calcium you are absorbing, and a bone densitometry is a simple, painless test that measures bone density.  The DEXA scan is the most accurate test and is used in clinical trails for to measure calcium absorption, but takes awhile to see change.  Find out right now what your average daily calcium intake is from food try this    Calcium Calculator.

Don’t Forget the Collagen

One of the most important pieces of information about bone density is usually left out many supplements and literature. At a recent Metagenics® seminar about calcium supplements, it was pointed out that much research supports the need for MCHC (Micro-Crystalline Hydroxy-apatite Crystals) a whole bone extract, as an excellent source of calcium and other nutrients essential to bone formation (Bone, 1989). Since bone is organic and living, you need the reinforce the strength and rigidity by reinforcing the collagen matrix (MCHC) which makes up 30 % of bone, as well as the inorganic minerals (calcium, magnesium, phosphorous), which makes up 45% of bone (Manitoba Medical review, 1965; Clinical trails Journal, 1973; American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1982).  MCHC includes macro-minerals like calcium, magnesium and phosphorous; trace minerals like boron, zinc, copper and selenium; type 1 collagen, which is the predominant type found in healthy bone matrix; bone amino acids, protein, and growth factors.  When you look for supplements, look for MCHC, and research the company that produces it. There are organizations that use organic ingredients that have the most absorbable minerals in the form of MCHC and these are typically not sold at regular grocery stores at discount prices.
 
Medications like Fosamax and Boniva reduce the break down of bone, but do little to remove the old bone that breaks down. If you take these, or want more information, talk to your doctor about the side effects (which can be a build up of your old bone and gastrointestinal symptoms), and any drugs you are taking that might interact with calcium. You may have to supplement with calcium and vitamin D even if you decide to take prescribed medications.
 
As we all already know, calcium is very important for healthy bones and teeth. Did you also know that calcium helps the body perform other very important roles? These include the transmission of nerve impulses, muscle contraction and relaxation, blood clotting, normal heartbeat, stimulation of hormone secretion and the activation of enzyme reactions.