Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Osteoporosis is often called “the silent disease” because people cannot feel changes in their bone density. This is why it is so important to make sure you are getting nutrients that can support your overall bone health.
The weakening of your bones and the decrease in your bone mineral density is important to understand for both men and women for all ages. Let’s talk about all different and important aspects of bone health and what you should do to maintain their strength as you age.
We all know that drinking too much soda can impact our bodies negatively. But a new study explores the association of soft drink consumption with osteoporosis among post menopausal women. Here’s what researchers have found.
Osteoporosis is a condition where your bones progressively become weak and brittle. It predominately affects older adults and increases the risk of fractures as the individuals bone mineral density becomes reduced. There are numerous risk factors including age, sex and lifestyle habits like alcohol consumption and tobacco use.
Published in the journal Menopause, researchers focused on the impact of soft drink consumption on bone health in women, specifically in the bone density of the spine and hip. The also studied the relationship between soda intake and the risk of hip fracture over a 16 year follow up period.
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Using data from the Women’s Health Initiative, an ongoing national study that involved 161,808 postmenopausal women ( using data from 72,342 for this study), participants provided detailed health information and questionnaire data outlining lifestyle factors, including diet. The questionnaire including specific questions regarding the intake of caffeinated and caffeine-free soft drinks.
The authors write, “For total soda consumption, both minimally and fully adjusted survival models showed a 26% increased risk of hip fracture among women who drank on average 14 servings per week or more compared with no servings.” This was only statistically significant for caffeine-free sodas, which produced a 32% increase in risk. Although the pattern was similar for caffeinated sodas, it did not reach a statistical significance.
This significant link was only present when comparing the women who drank the most soda – at least two drinks per day – with those who drank none. The scientists found no links between soda consumption and bone mineral density.
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The study authors believe that this might be because added sugars have a “negative impact on mineral homeostasis and calcium balance.” Another theory the authors outline concerns carbonation, which is the process of dissolving carbon dioxide in water. “It results in the formation of carbonic acid that might alter gastric acidity and, consequently, nutrient absorption.” However, they are quick to explain that “whether this factor plays a role in these findings is yet to be explored.”
More research is needed, as researchers note that the study results are not definitive and the study had limitations.
Photo by Natalie Collins on Unsplash It’s common to think that bones are hard, lifeless parts of your body. But it’s actually the opposite – your bones are living and growing tissue. As both men and women age and reach peak bone mass, the balance …
Our bones are constantly being broken down and built back up, so the body can remove old frail bone cells and replace them with new strong ones. But calcium is not the only nutrient you need.
About 325,000 Americans over the age of 65 will break their hip this year. A minimum of 25% of those with hip fractures will need assistance walking after the fracture, 25% will end up in a nursing home and 25% or more will die within the coming year due to complications directly attributable to the hip fracture. Seventeen percent of women and 30% of men who suffer with a hip fracture die within the first year following a hip fracture.
Dr. Richard Dell stated, “If the U.S. healthcare system, started to take osteoporosis seriously, it could slash the incidence of hip fracture by 25%”. That’s a lot of saved lives. Dr. Dell is an orthopedic surgeon with Kaiser Southern California, an HMO with around 3.1 million members. Dr. Dell recently described the HMO’s Healthy Bones Program initiated to identify patients at risk of bone fracture and to make sure they also received adequate treatment. The program reduced hip fracture incidence in participants by an average of 37.2%.
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The screening teams lead by orthopedic surgeons identified about 620,000 HMO participants who were at risk of developing brittle bones (osteoporosis). These included women over age 65, men over age 70, anyone taking drugs that worsen bone loss, and anyone over 50 who recently had a fragility fracture. They screened the bones of all at risk with a DEXA scan X-ray. Those that required it were treated with medication and educated about osteoporosis and the plan worked. The report appears in the early online ahead of print version of the November 3rd, 2008 issue of the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. Note: over one-third of Americans over the age of 65 (about 12 million people) will fall this year and falls are the leading cause of fatal and nonfatal injuries in older Americans. A percentage of this figure is tied into hip fractures.
Health professionals agree that adequate levels of Vitamin D and Calcium are necessary for building strong bones. But the amount of Vitamin D thought necessary is now recognized as being sorely deficient. Building bones require the activity of osteocalcin, a protein that places calcium squarely within bones. Vitamin K acts as an essential binding agent in osteocalcin, allowing the fusing of calcium into the bones. Various studies show that Vitamin K2 and Vitamin K1 are necessary for building bone in the hip and the spine. Strontium is a mineral that has a number of activities for building strong bone. Large studies using Strontium in thousands of patients show impressive results for improving the health of the spine, hips, wrists, and other bones and the evidence shows dramatic benefits within the first year. Strontium has two actions – slowing the breakdown of bones (this is what drugs do) while improving the rate at which bone is rebuilt (this is what drugs do not do). Because of its dual activity and because Strontium is helpful in all age groups (even in those over the age of 80) Strontium is a smart adjunct to all bone building programs.
Beyond providing raw materials essential to bone health and eliminating unfavorable habits, the following strategies may also help to enable your body to utilize bone nutrients more efficiently:
The effectiveness of methods discussed in this article are dependent upon a constant intake and supply of the fundamental bone nutrients, along with a healthy lifestyle and good living habits – no smoking, moderate alcohol consumption, regular exercise, and a healthy diet.