Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Photo by Autumn Goodman on Unsplash The skin is the largest organ in the body and it is responsible for many functions that contribute to our health and well-being. It protects the body against physical and chemical aggressions, serves as a sensorial receptor, regulates body …
Collagen is the most abundant protein in our bodies. It is found in our bones, skin, nails, muscles, tendons and ligaments. Think of Collagen simply as the ‘glue’ that holds us together. While our bodies naturally produce Collagen, by the time we hit age 25, …
It’s common knowledge that inactive individuals can have a higher risk of becoming obese and developing numerous conditions, including type 2 diabetes. But did you know that inactive individuals, especially teenagers, have weaker bones than those who are physically active?
According to the study performed at the Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute by researchers from the University of British Columbia (UBC) and the Centre for Hip Health and Mobility, as much as 36% of the human skeleton is formed in girls between the ages of 10 and 14 and boys between 12 and 16 years old. Leigh Gabel, lead author and PhD candidate in orthopedics at UBC used high-resolution 3D x-ray images to compare the differences between youth who met the daily recommendation of 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per day and those who got less than 30 minutes a day. Bone strength is classified by a combination of the bone size, density, and microarchitecture.
Researchers and authors of the study report that both schools and communities need to take steps towards helping children to lead a more active lifestyle. While any and all exercise is great for kids, weight-baring activities like walking, running, basketball and hiking may be best for their bones.
Bone is living tissue that is consistently changing, with new bone replacing old bone constantly. During childhood and adolescence, much more bone is being deposited than withdrawn as the skeleton grows. The amount of bone tissue in the skeleton peaks in our late twenties. Though Osteoporosis commonly occurs in older individuals, according to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, it can occur in both young and middle-aged adults. “Optimizing peak bone mass and developing lifelong healthy bone behaviors during youth are important ways to help prevent or minimize Osteoporosis risk as an adult.”
According to Nicole Crane, BS, NTP, of all bone nutrients, Calcium, Magnesium, Vitamin K2, Strontium, and Collagen are required in the largest amounts to keep your bones healthy and strong.
Approximately 99% of the calcium in our body is found in the bones, with the remaining 1% in blood to maintain essential life supporting functions like the beating of the heart, relaxation and constriction of blood vessels, nerve signaling, muscle contraction and other essential life supporting functions. Calcium plays numerous important roles in the body, including muscle contraction and hormone secretion, blood clotting and pH balance. An acidic pH will always lead to bone loss, as calcium is used as an alkaline buffer for blood. Many people either do not consume enough calcium, or consume poorly absorbed forms. You must be replenishing your body with calcium!
Magnesium influences calcium and other mineral metabolism in bone, reducing bone turnover and promoting new bone formation. Magnesium is required to transport calcium into the bones and for the formation of normal calcium crystals in bone tissue.
By far, the most underappreciated and most necessary nutrient for rebuilding bones is Vitamin K2. It has long been known that vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium; however, it wasn’t until more recently that researchers discovered that vitamin K2 is necessary to direct calcium into the bones where it belongs and away from soft tissues, including the arteries.
Strontium is one of the newest players in bone health. This mineral is more dense than calcium and shares a number of its bone functions. Most strontium, about 90%, is found in bone. This mineral gives strength to bone and draws calcium to the bone and encourages minerals to be deposited in bone. The more bone building activity that takes place, the greater the uptake of strontium into the bones. Strontium enhances the activity of the osteoblasts, the bone builder cells, while reducing the activity of the osteoclasts, which break down bone.
Ninety percent of the organic mass of your bone is made out of collagen. Think of the relationship collagen has with our bones as a relationship that a foundation has to a house. collagen is the compound that provides the framework healthy bones to occur.
The skin is the largest organ in the body and it is responsible for many functions that contribute to our health and well-being. It protects the body against physical and chemical aggressions, serves as a sensorial receptor, regulates body temperature, and supplies our cells with …
Jerry Hickey is a pharmacist and radio personality and fills the esteemed role of Scientific Director and President of Invite Health. He has spent his professional life analyzing nutritional information and medical studies with the aim of creating the highest quality and most natural nutraceuticals …
Osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis, is inflammation in the joints, mainly due to a breakdown of cartilage. Osteoarthritis frequently occurs in the knees, hips, spine, and the fingers. Common medical treatments do not usually improve healing or change the path of this condition. Typical medication is aimed at decreasing pain, inflammation, and stiffness while improving joint mobility. However, nutritional supplements are being studied intensively to see if they can slow the progression of cartilage destruction and redirect the course of the condition towards actual healing.
The breakdown of cartilage is central to osteoarthritis. Cartilage is a firm but rubbery shock-absorber located at the end of bones that protects the bone and joint. With osteoarthritis, the cartilage becomes stiff, decreasing its shock-absorbing quality and causing it to gradually wear away. With increasing cartilage destruction, the bones can actually rub together causing tendons and ligaments to become stretched and painful.
To improve cartilage and aid osteoarthritis nutritionally, it is important to stabilize the health of the four cartilage components – collagen, proteoglycans, trapped water, and chondrocytes.
Collagen Addresses All Aspects of Joint HealthHydrolyzed collagen from New Zealand is a pure source of complex nutrients that may aid the health of all four cartilage components. Hydrolyzed collagen supplies both collagen-specific peptides and GAGs. After conducting some research on peptides, it can be said that collagen specific peptides may actually stimulate repair of the joint differently than the well-known nutrients chondroitin and glucosamine (two important GAGs). A high quality collagen also supplies a minimum of 20% GAGs as chondroitin-sulfate (composed of complex chains of glucosamine), keratan sulfate and hyaluronic acid.
The chondroitin sulfate is the most abundant GAG in the human body and is an important component of both joint and bone structure. Keratan sulfate is a GAG foundin bone and is also found attached to chondroitin sulfate to create joint tissue. Hyaluronic acid is the major GAG component of the joint lubricating and shock absorbing synovial fluid. Hydrolyzed collagen is also the richest source of the primary amino acids that constitute collagen, cartilage and connective tissue, bone, tendon, ligament, joint, muscle, hair, skin and nails. These amino acids are glycine, proline, hydroxyproline, lysine, and hydroxylysine.
Hydrolyzed collagen has been used in Europe for decades and studies show it may improve both arthritis and osteoporosis. In German studies, seven to ten grams of hydrolyzed collagen protein per day for one to three months decreased the pain and stiffness of arthritis while improving joint function. Both the glycosaminoglycans and the collagen specific peptides, found in the hydrolyzed collagen, have been shown in a number of studies to help heal the joint – independent of other modalities.
It is important to point out that collagen production slows as we age. Collagen is the superstructure for tissues throughout our body so the sagging of our face, thinning of our hair and wrinkling of our skin can be traced to slowed collagen production. Studies show that supplementation with hydrolyzed collagen may speed up our creation of collagen.
There are a number of herbs that have demonstrated consistency in reducing inflammation in human and animal studies. Among the most useful of these herbs are Turmeric, Boswellia Serrata and the proteolytic enzyme Bromelain, derived from the stem of the pineapple plant.
The root of the Turmeric plant has been used in Ayurvedic medicine (traditional Indian herbal healing) for thousands of years. Turmeric is also used in cooking, being mildly spicy and giving curry its characteristic yellow color. Turmeric is rich in many nutrients especially curcuminoids collectively known as curcumin. Curcumin gives the plant its activity. Turmeric is the most potent anti-inflammatory herb according to research and is also a strong antioxidant. Because of these qualities, Turmeric has a number of activities.
Various studies show that Turmeric helps reduce inflammation in the liver, in the blood vessels, in the joint and brain. Recent epidemiological research has shown that areas of India with the lowest rates of Alzheimer’s disease also consume the highest quantities of Turmeric rich curry. A recent study in the Journal of Neuroscience shows that Turmeric reduced inflammation and cellular damage in the brains of mice, consistent with decreasing the risk of Alzheimer’s type of damage. Other studies show it may be helpful in managing inflammation in the brains of individuals with multiple sclerosis.
Turmeric may be useful for arthritic conditions and it may help manage inflammation. Research has indicated that Turmeric reduced the production of particular prostaglandins, inflammatory chemicals that contribute to arthritis. It depleted substance P in the nerve endings, an activity that may help reduce arthritic pain.
Boswellia Serrata is another important Ayurvedic herb. It’s rich in Boswellic acid, the ingredient largely responsible for its anti-inflammatory activity. Boswellia is traditionally used for arthritis and this usage is supported by modern research. Animal studies show that Boswellia is a potent 5- lipoxygenase inhibitor, that may give it the potent anti-inflammatory, anti-arthritic benefit.
In a study of patients with osteoarthritis of the knee, those on Boswellia had significant improvement in knee pain, joint flexibility, and overall joint health. These patients had increased ability to use their knee and were able to walk a longer distance than the individuals on placebo. Although many agents that are helpful with arthritis are irritating to the digestive tract, Boswellia lacks this toxicity. In fact Boswellia serrata has been shown to decrease inflammation in the intestines of individuals with chronic colitis.
Bromelain is a proteolytic enzyme derived from the stem of the pineapple. In a study Bromelain reduced mild acute knee pain in a dose-dependent fashion. Bromelain gave greater relief at higher potencies and also improved the well- being of these patients.
MSM, a derivative of onions, has been shown in animal studies to decrease inflammation. Ongoing research shows that MSM has anti-inflammatory and possibly anti-allergy activity. In a recent study, MSM greatly reduced the symptoms and need for chiropractic care in patients with acute athletic injuries versus those on placebo.
Horsetail Rush grows naturally in Europe. Horsetail supplies silicic acid, an ingredient that has been shown to help with post-traumatic swelling. The German Regulatory Commission approved the use of Horsetail to aid poorly healing wounds. Recently, researchers reported that Horsetail helps to strengthen and regenerate connective tissue; a process necessary for improving the joint health of arthritic joints.
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