Over 10 million people in the United States suffer from osteoporosis. This results in approximately 2 million, sometimes life threatening fractures, of the hip, spine or wrist. More than 50% of women and 25% of men over the age of 50 are affected. Much of this could be avoided by understanding the most important affordable supplements that can provide us with good bone health.

We are starting to see that we are recommending to much calcium to combat this problem and that bone-density scans are not as accurate as once thought in predicting who will and will not have a fracture.

DEFINING OSTEOPOROSIS

The characteristics of osteoporosis are low bone mass and the structural deterioration of the bone tissue. This causes the bone to be fragile and susceptible to fractures. The hip, spine and wrist are the most common bones to have fractures but they can occur anywhere. Our bones protect our vital organs, provide strength for muscles, and store calcium. Bone is a complex living tissue and not just a lifeless structure.

Diet and exercise can affect bones because they constantly changing. Up until the age of 30 we are efficiently building up our bone. After that the ageing process starts to set in and we are breaking down bone at a faster rate than we are forming new bone.

As we age the levels of estrogen, testosterone and progesterone begin to drop causing bone loss. This is true in both men and women but is more pronounced in women after menopause.

WHAT MAKES OUR BONES STRONG?

Calcium is responsible for making our bones dense. Bones also need flexibility to prevent them from becoming brittle and weak.

This is where the bone matrix comes in. This is the flexible protein part of the bone to which minerals such as calcium and phosphorous adhere to. Exercise is responsible for strengthening this bone matrix while nutrition provides the raw material and several different hormones are responsible for the formation and breaking down of bone.

There is a bone specific protein called osteocalcin which is responsible for binding calcium to this matrix and giving it strength. Adequate levels of vitamin K are essential for this protein to function properly. Vitamin D will facilitate the absorption of calcium into the body while vitamin C is needed for the formation of collagen and the stimulation of proteins. Studies have shown that by increasing antioxidant intake, especially vitamin E, significantly reduces the risk of hip fractures. This is even more evident in people who smoke. There has also been recent evidence that an increased homocysteine level in the blood is a risk factor for developing osteoporosis. Vitamin B12, B6 and folic acid are very effective in lowering these levels.

There are also several minerals that are needed for good bone health. Magnesium will help with calcium absorption, while phosphorous regulates the formation of bone and calcium metabolism. Other minerals such as silicon, zinc, copper and boron also contribute to keeping our bones strong and healthy.

In summary, good bone health requires both proper nutrition and exercise. Get yourself tested for various vitamins and minerals and make up any deficiencies found with diet or affordable supplements. This will assure that you have healthy bones and avoid the problems associated with osteoporosis.