Boost Your Bone Health!
Event Date: Posted on: November 19th, 2008Bone Basics: The bone remodeling process…
Throughout our lives there is a continual cycle of bone renewal where older bone tissue is broken down, taken away and replaced with new bone material. This process is called bone remodeling. Several cells are responsible for this cycle. Osteoclasts are cells that take away the old bone in what is called resorption. Osteoblasts are cells responsible for forming new bone. Osteocytes act as sensors to locate areas of bone that need to be replaced and then send signals to osteoclasts to remove this material. Once the bone is resorbed, osteoblasts are summoned to the area and deposit a new bone matrix which is then filled with minerals, particularly calcium, in order to give the bone its strength. In a normal state, bone breakdown is coupled with equal bone deposition. But in osteoporosis there is a negative balance where bone resorption exceeds renewal. Read below to learn what you can do the help keep your body’s bone remodeling process in balance.
Prescription Drug Alert: Warning to those on bisphosphonates longer than five years…
Recently the most widely prescribed class of drugs for treatment of osteoporosis, the bisphosphonates which include Boniva, Actonel, and Fosamax, has been linked with a new adverse side effect. Those who have been on the medication for five or more years are spontaneously fracturing. Since this drug inhibits the osteoclastic cells, bone material with micro-damage or micro-fractures which would normally be removed and replaced with new bone is instead lingering in the bone matrix. So over time the quality of the bone is poor and integrity lost, making fracture more likely and defeating the very intention of the drug. It is currently not recommended individuals be on this medication for longer than five years. See below for tips on how to increase your bone density without using medication in case you have exhausted the five year limit or are weary about starting a drug treatment.
Newer medications are being developed that focus on increasing the osteoblastic, or bone building cell, activity instead of interrupting the normal bone remodeling process. Hopefully, these will prove more beneficially than previous medications.
Improve Your Lifestyle, Build Your Bones
Diet: The Trifecta…
For proper bone health the body needs sufficient levels of calcium, magnesium, and vitamin D. The three work together in concert with each other and with hormones in the body to ensure proper bone remodeling and improved bone quality. The daily recommendation for calcium intake is 1200-1500mg per day. Calcium can be found in many food sources including green vegetables, fish, tofu, and dairy products. For magnesium, it is recommended that one receive 500-1000mg per day. Easy sources of magnesium include nuts, beans, and fish. Finally, it is important to get 400-800 IU of vitamin D daily. If you are older than fifty 800-1000 IU are recommended. The best source of vitamin D is sunlight. Getting twenty minutes of daily exposure to bare skin is sufficient. It is possible to receive proper amounts of all three nutrients through food and sun exposure. However, supplementation may be warranted for those with special dietary restrictions or lack of sun exposure.
Individuals such as dancers, who maintain a low body weight may be more at risk for poor bone health. Due to excessive exercise or intentional restriction of food intake the dancer may not be getting sufficient amounts of nutrients required for proper bone strength. Additionally, from high physical exertion and low body fat the female dancer may stop menstruating. In this case the dancer not only has a lack of nutrition but their levels of estrogen are significantly reduced which lowers the quality of bone due to estrogens’ role in correct absorption of calcium. These individuals should seek assistance from a nutritionist to ensure proper caloric intake as well as advice regarding supplementation. Regular visits to a gynecologist to check for hormonal imbalances may also be warranted.
Exercise: Stand Up For Your Bones…
The best type of exercise for osteoporosis is weight bearing, where one is up on their feet, placing load through the limbs. The bone remodeling process, particularly the bone building cells, are stimulated through the good stress placed on the skeletal system during exercise. Activities such as walking, jogging, and step aerobics have been shown to improve bone density when performed regularly. For the upper body, lifting light weights or performing push-ups on the wall or floor to place load through the arms can be beneficial to the bone density of the upper extremities. Activities such as swimming and biking, although good for other reasons, are not as effective for building bone, as you have eliminated gravity and the true loading of the skeletal system.
For additional information about osteoporosis visit these websites:
National Oseteoporosis Foundation: www.nof.org
National Woman’s Health Network: www.nwhn.org
International Bone and Mineral Society: www.bonekey-ibms.org
