Osteoporosis

The risk factors for developing osteoporosis are largely genetic. If your mother had osteoporosis, chances are you will have issues with maintaining your bone density as well. Like many of the diseases I write about, the amount of people that suffer osteoporosis has been increasing over the years.

If your Mother had osteoporosis and your grandmother had osteopenia (mild bone loss) but your great grandmother was fine what does that mean?

It could mean we have better ways of detecting and diagnosing bone density. It could mean since we live longer there is a greater period of time for you to develop osteoporosis. Or it could be something a little closer to home, such as our lifestyle.

We know for a fact that bone density relies strongly on several factors.

1. Increased intake of calcium and magnesium. Calcium provides the structure, while magnesium allows a certain amount of "give". This helps to make strong bones (calcium) that are not brittle (magnesium)
   
2. Regular exercise including light weight lifting. 3 hours a week of exercise is shown to maintain bone density and in some cases reverse bone density loss.
   
3. Minerals such as boron and silicon. Boron helps to activate vitamin D, and Silicon improves the cross linking of collagen allowing for a stronger bone matrix.
   
4. Vitamin D to maintain bone density. Vitamin D assists in the absorption of calcium from the diet. it also promotes the storage of calcium in bone.
   
5. A diet rich in alkaline foods, such as leafy greens. The higher our diet is in acidic foods, the more our body will spill calcium into the kidneys to be lost in urination. an alkaline diet promotes the maintenance of bone integrity.

Nutrition and exercise plays a massive role in bone density. Studies exploring the standard American diet (SAD) show that over 50% of Americans fail to eat even one serving of vegetables a day. Without the intake of the essential co-factors as listed above bone density is lost. While supplementing with nutrients and vitamins is very helpful it can not take the place of a healthy diet.

In my practice it is important to first restore health via diet, and exercise. once the corner stones are in place we can add in nutrients like a calcium magnesium supplement along with Vitamin D. Through lab work and dexa scans we can monitor bone density ans measure our success. and at the same time significantly improve health.