Although we are a generation of excessive calcium
supplementation and cheese consumption, we have not been able to
make a dent in osteoporosis or hip fractures. In 2008,
osteoporosis will cost $17.8 billion in the United States. By
the time thy reach their 90s, one out of every three women and
one out of every six men will suffer from a hip fracture. About
fifty percent of these will have permanent disabilities, while
fifteen to twenty-five percent will require nursing home care;
and ten to twenty percent will die within a year.
Mainstream medicine is now catching up, after warning for years that no
amount of calcium supplementation or dairy products could make
up for the damage done by the Western diet and sedentary
lifestyle.
The bones in your body are made up of crystals of the
calcium-phosphorus mineral apatite embedded in a connective
tissue matrix, which produces a material of unique toughness.
Bone formation requires a constant supply of protein, calcium,
magnesium, phosphorus, vitamin D, potassium, and fluoride.
Additionally, manganese, copper, boron, iron, zinc, silicon, and
vitamins A, K, C, and all B's are required.
The Western diet often provides inadequate amounts of magnesium,
boron, copper, silicon, and vitamins D and K and has high ratios
of sodium to potassium, which favors the excretion of calcium
and magnesium by the kidneys, instead of retention. Diets that
are high in animal foods, grains, and sugars make the blood
slightly acidic, which draws more calcium, magnesium, copper,
manganese, and zinc out of bone storage than is wanted. There
are other metabolic factors that are associated with acidic
blood which contribute to bone loss. These include increased
cortisol and reduced muscle strength.
If you're inactive and don't eat enough fruits and vegetables,
all the calcium and magnesium in the world will not be able to
help you. By balancing produce with animal foods and refined
carbohydrates, one can keep blood pH levels slightly alkaline,
like they should be, and keep potassium and sodium intakes about
equal.
Dairy products are the best sources of calcium, magnesium, and
vitamins A and D. Children and adolescents who do not consume
dairy products cannot get enough calcium unless they supplement
or choose foods that are supplemented. Females and males
establish peak bone mineral density between the ages of ten and
twenty. A bone-growth diet must be combined with exercise in
order to achieve appropriate bone mineral density. In adulthood,
it is possible to maintain BMD without substantially increasing
it, especially for women. After menopause, exercise is strongly
encouraged, as they help to increase BMD and reduce falling
injuries by improving strength and coordination. It is
absolutely necessary that women and men exercise regularly and
intensely throughout life so that they can build a high peak BMD
and retain it into old age.
Other bone-supporting nutrients are currently being researched
for their role in preventing BMD loss and the fractures that
result. Silicon, which is used to construct the bone protein
matrix, is a marker of low hip BMD and a diet low in plant foods
when found in low quantities. Vitamin D, which is a growing
deficiency, is manufactured in our skin and requires about
twenty to thirty minutes of sun exposure three times per week
for whites to produce and darker skinned people require ten to
fifty times as much sun to make the same amount of vitamin D.
Vitamin K is found in fruits and vegetables and is another
reason why high produce intake is so important, as it is
associated with increased BMD and a decreased fracture risk.
Recent studies have found that a daily combined supplementation
of 400mg Magnesium, 200 mcg of vitamin K, 400 iu of vitamin D,
and 1000 mg of Calcium increased BMD in individuals over time as
well as those who consumed two servings of fruits and two
servings of vegetables each day.
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