Building Strong Bones

Building Strong Bones

by Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., CNS

Building Strong Bones

Osteoporosis is a progressive disease that causes porous bones. As bones become weak and brittle, the risk of fractures increase. About 10 million Americans have the disease and the National Osteoporosis Foundation estimates that another 34 million are at risk. But there's a lot you can do in advance to protect and preserve your bones.

Beyond Calcium

Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the human body. And while it is vitally important for strong bones, it is not the only key factor. Calcium works in tandem with other minerals and vitamins -- particularly, magnesium and vitamin D.

According to a National Health and Nutrition Examination survey, Americans are not getting the optimal amount of magnesium. Without adequate magnesium, calcium isn't absorbed properly. Vitamin D also is essential for calcium absorption. When buying supplements, look at the label for other supporting minerals -- such as Vitamin K, manganese, boron, silica and strontium.

How Much Do We Need?

Depends on your age: Both the Institute of Medicine and the National Osteoporosis Foundation recommend 1300 mg per day of calcium for males and females from 14 to 18-years-old. For adult males and females between the ages of 19 to 50, 1000 mg a day is recommended -- and 1200 mg for those over 51.

The National Osteoporosis Foundation also recommends at least 400 to 800 IU of vitamin D daily if you're under 50. If you're over the age of 50, you'll need more. You can get vitamin D from sunlight, fortified milk, egg yolks, liver and supplements.

Is Milk the Best Source?

The Harvard University Nurses Health Study, which has followed nearly 80,000 women for over 12 years, found that the women who consumed the most calcium from dairy foods actually had more broken bones than those who rarely drank milk.

Walt Willet, M.D., chairman of the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, says "there is virtually no evidence that drinking two or three glasses of milk a day reduces the chances of breaking a bone".

Other research has shown a connection between milk and acne, as well as, dairy and prostate cancer. It might make sense to consider other sources of calcium besides milk.

Best Foods for Calcium

You're not limited to milk for calcium, as there are plenty of foods that are calcium-fortified naturally. Two ounces of swiss cheese provides 530 mg of calcium, more than twice the amount in 6 ounces of milk. You'll get 240mg of calcium from two ounces of sardines, two stalks of cooked broccoli gives you 250mg, six ounces of cooked collard greens provide 225mg and three ounces of almonds contains 210mg. Other sources: fermented soy products like natto , dried raw figs, rhubarb, pinto beans, turnip greens, and kale.

Calcium Checkbook

Think of the calcium stores in your body like you would a checking account. Many things in the American diet are "calcium robbers", draining your calcium bank account. Phosphoric acid, found in sodas -- both regular and diet -- is the number one offender. Sugar is also a common culprit. Calcium absorption is also decreased by vitamin D deficiency and low stomach acid.

Supplements 101

The most common forms of calcium supplements are calcium carbonate and calcium citrate. Since calcium carbonate requires more stomach acid to absorb, calcium citrate is an alternate choice.

Take note that coral calcium, which has been touted on infomercials as a superior form of calcium is actually nothing of the sort. According to noted naturopath Michael Murray, coral calcium has only about 24 to 38 percent of calcium and is composed mainly of calcium carbonate. And since stomach acid is needed for calcium absorption, popular drugs such as 'Tums' and dolomite are not very good supplement choices.

Reducing Osteoporotic Fractures

According to the Continuing Survey of Food Intakes of Individuals an astonishingly high number of Americans are not getting the recommended level of calcium in their diet. A recent study published in the medical journal, 'The Lancet' analyzed more than 52,600 people over age 50 who took calcium and vitamin D supplements for an average of 3.5 years. The group had a 12 to 24 percent reduction in osteoporotic fractures.

Exercise: Best Bone Builder

Adults who exercise regularly are able to maintain a good balance between bone-building and bone-dissolving processes in the body. Exercise also limits bone loss during old age.

And it's never too late to start -- President Ronald Reagan began weight training at age 82. Most experts recommend a combination of weight-bearing exercise (walking, jogging) and muscle-building exercise (weight training). Remember to work all the major muscles -- that means chest, shoulders, arms, legs and back.