Build Strong Bones and Prevent Osteoporosis

Developing strong bones when we're young will literally help carry us into
our senior years. Contrary to popular belief, proper bone health begins in
childhood. Our bodies start building bones in infancy and this continues
until about age 30. This process results in a steady accumulation of bone
mass until it reaches our bodies peak level. Unfortunately 'what goes up
must come down' and after about age 30, we begin a gradual loss of bone
mass.

The most commonly known bone health issue is Osteoporosis. What is
Osteoporosis? It is a disease effecting both men & women that causes
decreased bone mass and structural deterioration of bone tissue. People
with Osteoporosis are at greater risk for bone fractures, especially of the
hip, spine, and wrist. According to the surgeon general 50% of women and 25% of
men over the age of 50 are at risk for broken bones due to Osteoporosis.
You can see if you are building or breaking down bone by using The Bone
Resorption Assessment test available at http://www.genovadiagnostics.com/
Women should also get periodic bone density testing.

OK, SO WHAT CAN WE DO?

Prevention of osteoporosis includes ensuring that the diet contains adequate
calcium. It is important to realize however that taking CALCIUM ALONE IS
NOT THE ANSWER!

Bone health is dependant upon a full range of additional nutrients such as
magnesium, vitamin D3, boron, manganese, phosphorus, strontium, zinc, copper, silicon, vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, folic acid, vitamin A, and dietary protein. Adequate stomach acid is needed for proper absorption.

It is also important to note that all calcium products "are not created
equal". Calcium products made from bone meal, dolomite and oyster shell are poorly absorbed by the body, and are of little value. So what are the best Calcium choices?
Listed in order of priority they are the amino acid chelates calcium glycinate,
malate, citrate, lactate; then calcium carbonate, and calcium phosphate.
Also important to add to a treatment program is Calcium hydroxyapatite,
which maintains more available phosphorus for bones than other calcium
products. In other words since no calcium product does it all, it is best
to use a combination of the amino acid chelated calcium and the
hydroxyapatite form. See our full line of Calcium, magnesium and other mineral products at http://www.thewayup.com/products/minerals.htm

YOU MUST ALWAYS TAKE MAGNESIUM WITH CALCIUM SUPPLEMENTS!

Taking calcium without sufficient magnesium is a common and dangerous
mistake, which can actually contribute to bone density loss. Magnesium is
critical to bone health and even a mild deficiency has been reported to
increase the risk of Osteoporosis. The job of Magnesium is to regulate the
transporting of calcium throughout the body and is a vital cofactor for
almost all reactions involving calcium absorption and bone formation.
Magnesium stimulates the hormone that tells your body to put calcium in your bones and suppresses the hormone that tells your body to remove calcium from your bones. Our bodies contain approximately 25 grams of magnesium and two thirds of this is in the bones. Ideally, the balance of calcium and magnesium ranges from 2 parts calcium 1 part magnesium to equal parts of both, equal being preferred. Since magnesium can act as a laxative, doses may need to be limited. We offer a full line of Magnesium products at http://www.thewayup.com/catalog.htm

Other vital supplements and their roles in bone health include:

VITAMIN D3 is needed to transport calcium to the bones and to
improve bone strength. Being fat-soluble, vitamin D can be stored in the
body. Because of such storage, it was previously assumed a daily dose of
400-800 units was adequate. But I have discovered that at least half the people I test are vitamin D3 deficient. In some cases the deficiencies have taken months of high dosing (2400-10,000 units daily) to resolve. It is important to have
a blood test for Vitamin D (25 hydroxy) because along with being critical
to bone health, vitamin D3 in higher doses has been shown in several studies to lower risk of cancer including both breast & prostate and to help prevent depression, diabetes, and heart disease. We offer three strengths of vitamin D on our website at http://www.thewayup.com/products/0028.cfm

If your doctor will not order the vitamin D3 (25 hydroxy) test, you can order for
yourself at http://www.lef.org/Vitamins-Supplements/Health-Well-Being/Health-23000-7...

STRONTIUM is used to stimulate new bone growth by improving bone turnover.
It does this by stimulating the bone building cells (osteoblasts) and inhibiting
the bone breakdown cells (osteoclasts). Since Strontium is a mineral
metabolized in the body similar to calcium, they should be supplemented at
different times of day.
A double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial published in the New
England Journal of Medicine (2004) evaluated the progress of 1649
postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. The treatment group received 2
grams of Strontium Ranelate along with calcium and vitamin D. After three years
the treatment group showed increased bone density of 14.4% in the lumbar
spine, 8.3% in the femoral neck of the hip, and 9.8% in the total hip. In
addition this study showed those taking Strontium had 41% fewer spine
fractures over the test period than those on the placebo. Read more about
my Strontium choice at http://www.thewayup.com/products/0089.cfm

CONCLUSION
It's time to take charge of your bone health. At minimum for prevention
take a good multivitamin & a calcium/magnesium supplement. For those with
already thinning bones, a family history, or are at higher risk of
Osteoporosis, I recommend implementing a complete bone support program.

To learn more about all the supplements for bone health, you can read my
more extensive newsletter at http://www.thewayup.com/newsletters/120108.htm

PEACE, HEALTH, AND HAPPINESS,
PRISCILLA SLAGLE M.D.
AT HTTP://WWW.THEWAYUP.COM