Health Hotline Magazine | May 2022

each 10 ng/mL increase in vitamin D levels was associated with a seven percent lower risk of any fracture and a 20 percent lower risk of hip fracture. Studies have shown that a combination of vitamin D and calcium help maintain bone density and reduce the risk of hip fractures, however, the amount of vitamin D is critical. In one study, researchers found that women taking 1,000 IU of vitamin D daily maintained their bone density, while those taking only 400 IU lost bone density over one year. Vitamin K2. This oft-forgotten nutrient plays a crucial role in bone health (vitamin K2 supplements are an approved treatment for osteoporosis in Japan). Vitamin K—specifically vitamin K2—is necessary for the activation of the proteins osteocalcin and matrix Gla. Once activated, osteocalcin holds calcium to the bone and matrix Gla ensures that calcium is delivered from the blood to the bones, and not deposited in places where it shouldn’t be, like the arteries. In vitro, vitamin K2 has been found to enhance the production of bone-building osteoblasts, while inhibiting the production of osteoclasts, the cells responsible for breaking down bones. It’s also been shown to enhance the activity of vitamin D in the bones. One three-year long study including 244 postmenopausal women found that daily supplementation of 180 mcg of MK-7, a form of vitamin K2, significantly decreased age- related decline in both bone mineral density and bone strength. Other important bone-building nutrients include magnesium , part of the mineral-protein matrix that regulates the transport of calcium to bones; calcium, the most abundant mineral in the bones and one that is easily depleted from our bodies; and vitamin C , essential for the production of collagen, the most abundant protein in the bone matrix. Zinc , copper , strontium , silicon , and boron are also important bone-building nutrients; many of these can be found in combinations formulated specifically for bone health. Brand new research is also showing that the tocotrienols (family of E vitamins ) can help reduce bone loss in postmenopausal women, while animal research is finding that the antioxidant quercetin has a balancing e ect on bone metabolism, promoting bone building while inhibiting bone loss, and increases bone mineral density.

Build &Maintain: Strong Bones

Age-related bone loss begins in our forties, so this is the time to start thinking of giving your bones a little extra support.

A report published in 2021 by the Centers for Disease control (CDC) showed that the incidence of osteoporosis in American adults 50 and older was nearly 13 percent, while prevalence of osteopenia, low bone mass that can lead to osteoporosis, was 43 percent. Women experienced higher rates of both osteopenia and osteoporosis. The report also showed that the prevalence of osteoporosis has increased specifically among women over the last decade. To know how to best support bone health, it’s important to understand exactly what bone is. Most people tend to think of bones as hard and inflexible, but they are not. Bone is dynamic living tissue composed of a mineral matrix (calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, silica, etc.) and a non-mineral matrix made mostly of protein, namely collagen. The minerals make bones hard and dense, while the proteins provide flexibility. Without protein, bones would become too brittle and break, and without minerals, bones would become too soft and lose their density. In optimal health, your bones have just the right balance of minerals and protein to maintain their strength, density, and flexibility. There are many nutrients crucial to bone health, some of which haven’t even been identified yet. Some of these nutrients may come from food, but for various reasons, we often don’t get optimal amounts of important bone-building nutrients from food alone. For this reason, you may consider implementing a supplement plan to support bone health. Age- related bone loss begins in our forties, so this is the time to start thinking of giving your bones a little extra support. Vitamin D. Without optimal levels of vitamin D, your body cannot properly absorb calcium, an important bone-building mineral. In addition to helping the body absorb this mineral, it also ensures that calcium is delivered to the bones. Vitamin D deficiency leads to decreased calcium absorption and ultimately the release of calcium from the bones in order to maintain circulating calcium concentrations in the body. A meta-analysis of observational studies published in 2019 that included 39,141 participants found that higher blood levels of vitamin D were associated with lower risks of any fracture and hip fracture specifically;

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