Lovely Bones

There is a lot of misinformation regarding nutrition in general being disseminated, however, one area in particular takes the trophy, that being skeletal or bone health. Statistics show that women are 68% more likely to suffer from osteoporosis and its predecessor, osteopenia, than men. Studies have shown that the potential loss of bone density is a threat for approximately 50% of females and 25% of males. Our skeletons are in a continual process of old bone resorption and new bone formation. Bone density peaks at 30 for most. Peak bone mass loss occurs immediately after menopause and will continue into the postmenopausal years. Everyone will experience some bone loss in their lives and some risk factors, such as body frame size can not be changed, however, there are a number of ways to build bone density. One of these ways is not to take the pharmaceutical Fosamax, which has actually been shown to cause a necrotic loss of bone in the alveolar bone in the jaw after two years of usage!
I work in the Wellness department of a food cooperative and see many female customers daily. Many of whom are very concerned with the health or lack of health of their skeletons. Many worry for good reason, as many times after an elderly person breaks a hip, they begin on the slippery slope to extinction and poor quality of life until that time. Many of these female customers are in the search for the perfect Calcium supplement in order to stave off this disease. I proceed to tell them that while Calcium is important, it is not the most important nutrient to consume in order to fend off this nasty disease. They are also misinformed regarding which foods to eat in their daily diet in order to absorb optimum levels of  Calcium. They always think that dairy products are the top product to eat to obtain all of their dietary Calcium. I promptly inform them that because dairy products are high in protein and acid, they are not good at all for the skeleton. In fact, if consumed in excess, they will leach Calcium from the bones in order to buffer the acid! The best foods regarding Calcium content are: sardines with the bones in, sesame seeds, dark green leafy vegetables, almonds, etc. I have never been a huge dairy consumer and had a DEXA Scan about five years ago and was told that my bones are like the Rocky Mountains! These scans are a valuable tool to utilize in order to know where one's skeletal mass is at, unfortunately, they are very expensive. I was lucky enough to be part of a University of Minnesota study and got the test done for free. In lieu of a full DEXA Scan, one can always have a heel scan done at a health expo or local pharmacy, this will tell you where you are at and you can take it from there. I recommend knowing where your status is regarding your bone density. It is as important or more so than all the other numbers one has to know, such as; cholesterol, blood pressure, etc. It is best to obtain at least half of the daily requirement of Calcium per age group from diet and to supplement as well to insure that you are getting enough.  Adult Calcium requirements vary but do remain the same for approximately two decades for individuals in the age ranges of 19-50. The daily requirement is 1,000 Mg's. Calcium can not however, form bone cells without other minerals, called co-factors, of which, Magnesium is the most important. In fact when a Magnesium deficiency exists, the prospect is great that a person will see an imbalance within the cell between levels of Calcium and Magnesium. A good Calcium supplement will also contain Vitamin D, Boron, Phosphorus, etc. The type of Calcium is also very important. Calcium Hydroxyapetite is the most absorbable followed by Calcium Citrate. Many people are under the false impression that Calcium Carbonate, the type of Calcium found in Tums/Rolaids, is a good form, when in reality, it is very bad for the body and can deposit along artery walls as well as in joints mimicking joint and arthritic conditions. Tums and Rolaids not only do not provide the co-factors needed for absorption, but the alkalizing component deters absorption further as an acid environment is needed for absorption to occur. Since Tums type products destroy the stomach acid, they help to set one up for eventual bone loss as well!
One other key component to bone strength is regular weight bearing exercise. Preferable frequency of six to seven times per week is the best for sessions of at least 30 minutes. Weight lifting is very important for both men and women as it helps to prevent what is called Sarcopenia, or decreased muscle mass in the elderly. Smoking and excess alcohol consumption also adversely affect bone health (no brainer) as well as lack of sunlight. So, go "rattle dem bones" before you lose them!