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Fractures caused by thinning and brittle bones affects one in three women and one in twelve men. It is a leading cause of death. At around the age of 35 bone mass peaks. From then on it declines, especially for females who have ten to fifteen percent less bone mass than men at skeletal maturity. There is an additional loss of bone mass for eight to ten years from a reduction in hormone levels at the menopause. Many choose to take Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), but this is not the answer. HRT increases the risk of blood clots, heart attacks, strokes and cancer. Calcium Can Cause Problems If Taken Alone Calcium is known to be important. However osteoporosis is not a calcium deficiency disease. Taking a calcium supplement alone is not recommended. It won't necessarily be absorbed into the bone. Instead it may remain in the blood and end up in the tissues causing its own health problems. While absorption is improved with vitamin D, it also has close relationships with other minerals. Magnesium Is Also Important One third of the body's magnesium is found in tissues, two-thirds is found in the bones. Its role is crucial in calcium and bone metabolism. Bone strength, volume and development is decreased in deficiency states. A number of population studies show a positive association with bone mineral density (BMD). Strontium Can Stimulate Bone Formation A century ago studies demonstrated strontium to be able to effectively stimulate rapid bone formation and that the combination of strontium with calcium was superior to using calcium alone to mineralise bones. Boron Helps Bones To Heal Calcium is better retained in the bone in the presence of boron. According to world authority on boron, Dr Rex Newnham, boron can speed up the healing of broken bones in half the usual time. Manganese Is Needed For The Growth Of Bone To mineralise bone, manganese is required. Women with osteoporosis were found to have blood manganese levels at only 25% of the level of those who didn't have this condition. Deficiencies of manganese can give rise to abnormal growth of bone and cartilage as well as degeneration of the vertebral discs. You Need Zinc, Copper & Silicon Silicon is a rigid substance and the body uses it at the calcification sites of bones. Zinc is required for bone to form normally. Copper works in association with zinc. A lack of this mineral can lead to defects in the bone and calcium loss. Iron may also have a role to play in bone formation. Let's Not Forget Those Important Vitamins Vitamin D is required for calcium to be absorbed in the intestines. It also helps regulate bone turnover. Deficiencies are quite common in the elderly since its status declines with age. Vitamin K is vital for bone formation, remodelling and repair. A few population studies show that deficiencies of vitamin K in either the diet or circulating in the body is associated with reduced BMD or an increase in the rate of fracture. Vitamin C is also required for bone health. It is vital for the formation of collagen within the bone matrix. It may protect the skeleton from oxidative stress especially for those that smoke. Cigarette smoking increases hip fracture risk. Vitamin A has an important role to play in bone remodelling. Deficiencies of this vitamin have detrimental affects on bone health. A toxic byproduct of protein metabolism is called homocysteine. Studies suggest that the body is less able to convert it to less toxic compounds at the menopause. This means the body requires more folic acid to complete the task. Other vitamins which help lower homocysteine are vitamins B6 and B12. And Finally In conclusion, bone health depends on a wide range of nutrients that goes well beyond just supplementing with calcium. This approach is likely to achieve more success than current orthodox treatments for osteoporosis.
Article Source: http://www.rightarticle.com
This article is a brief version of a larger article that can be found at complementary health. Michael Sellar is a UK writer and editor of a newsletter for holistic health professionals. More articles can be seen at nutrition articles
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