aging fracture bone health

As you age, your risk of osteoporosis and fractures increases...

Did you ever break a bone?  If you did, you know that you want to avoid it. Here is how...

How to lower your risk of broken bones when you age

Bone is a tissue that undergoes continuous remodeling according to use. This removes old bone and replaces it with new bone.

With aging generally this balance shift towards greater bone removal.

So - What can We do?

In its September 2020 issue, Life Extension magazine editor William Faloon reviewed the literature on fracture prevention.  (https://www.lifeextension.com/magazine/2020/9/fracture-prevention )

Fact: 

“About 1 in 2 women and 1 in 5 men will suffer an osteoporotic fracture after age 49”.

 Ouch!

How about you: did you break a bone yet?

I remember breaking my wrist in 2016. Fell in a ditch. Thanks to the right supplements, it healed in record time.

But many people nowadays have osteoporosis, and most don’t even know it.

How do you find out? You need a bone density scan. Did you have your baseline scan yet?

So, it is important to learn about bone health as we get older. Keep reading!

The Many Causes of Osteoporosis

What is the cause of osteoporosis - and how can we prevent it – or treat it?

There are many different possible causes! Here are the most common ones:

  • Low Vitamin D level: Most people, especially when we get older, have Vitamin D (25-hydroxyvitamin D) level much lower than the optimal range (which is from 50 ng/ml to 80 ng/ml). Each 10 mg increase was associated with a 7% reduced relative risk for any fracture and a 20% reduced relative risk for hip fractures.
  • Deficiency of Vitamin K2 (MK-4 and MK-7). You may have heard of Vitamin K1, which is essential for blood clotting. But did you know that Vitamin K2 is just as important? Vitamin K2 is needed to transport Calcium from the tissues (e.g. arteries!) into bones and teeth…
  • Getting older by itself leads to an imbalance between cells that break bone down and cells that make new bone.
  • Lack of weight-bearing exercise like walking, running, weight training makes this worse.
  • Hormones: Menopause (with estrogen deficiency) and low testosterone also contribute
  • Medications: Often we take medications like certain stomach pills (Proton Pump Inhibitors) or hormones and many others that are “nutrient-robbers” and reduce absorption of essential bone-building (and brain-building) nutrients like B-Vitamins, Calcium, Magnesium and others.
  • Stomach surgery like gastric bypass surgery, as well as very restricted diets, when not properly supplemented, lead to nutrient deficiency and may cause bone loss.
  • Inflammation caused by omega3/6-fatty acid imbalance and/or pro-inflammatory foods can disable enzymes needed for bone repair
  • Toxins in our Food or Environment can inhibit mitochondrial function. (Mitochondria are our Energy Generators and necessary for all functions of our body). With impaired function, new bone cannot be built.

What does this mean?

Now, there have been intervention studies with Vitamin D and calcium with dismal results. They didn’t make a real difference in some studies. Studying the data, we notice that the dosages used were low (e.g. 400-800 IU of Vit. D daily) and the serum level achieved was between 10 and 26 ng/ml, which is much lower than most experts recommend.

No single intervention has been shown to improve fracture risk.

But Combinations Do!

There have been lesser-known and publicized studies that showed that sufficient dosages leading to Vitamin D levels in the optimal range, especially if combined with sufficient calcium intake, balanced with Magnesium, Boron, Vitamins K1 and K2, B-Vitamins and Trace minerals, as well as lifestyle changes (weight-bearing exercises) and toxin-reduction (smoking, alcohol) as well as avoidance of bone-reducing medications like Proton Pump inhibitors, warfarin, corticosteroids, testosterone-antagonists (as in certain prostate cancers) and others, lead to a restoration of bone integrity and much reduced fracture risk.

Summary:

Bone is a tissue that undergoes continuous remodeling according to use. This removes old bone and replaces it with new bone.

With aging generally this balance shift towards greater bone removal. Bone density peaks early in life (ages 18-30). It is extremely important to eat a nutritious diet or properly supplement during childhood and youth to achieve optimal bone density.

You will “feed” on this bone mass for the rest of your life.

later in life a combination of nutrition, supplements, exercise and lifestyle factors can slow down bone loss and help prevent painful fractures as you age.

About the author

Dr. Christine Sauer

Dr. Christine Sauer is a German-trained physician and naturopath, a Certified Brain Health Professional and Brain Trainer (Dr. Daniel Amen MD) as well as a gastrointestinal disease specialist, working as a Holistic Health
& Life Coach and Educator.
Her own struggles with chronic pain, weight loss, and mental health
issues have led her to dedicate her life to improving the overall health, gut health and the brain/mental health of others and enabling them to drop unwanted pounds, improve their parenting skills, overcome ADHD (develop laser-focus) and even grow their business - all with natural means, using strategies based in neuroscience combined with her own quirkiness, sense of humor, common-sense, love and care.
She wrote #1 bestselling books, speaks on stages (incl. a TEDx Talk) and lectures on these topics. She also coaches individuals, groups, and families. and teaches teenager on ourschool. As “The Doctor Who Knows How You Feel” she is known to make a lasting impression and positive difference in the lives of her clients, friends and followers. Main website: https://DocChristine.com

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