Beautiful bones

BONES….something most of us don’t give a second thought to until there is a problem. However, if you’re a menopausal woman, have been/are a heavy drinker or smoker, have a family history of osteoporosis, have any type of gastrointestinal disease causing malabsorption, or have been on medications such as glucocorticoids long-term; then it may be something to start thinking about.

Bone is living tissue that, as well as giving our body structure and protecting vital organs, plays many other important roles including being crucial to immune health and acting as a storehouse for many nutrients, minerals and even fats. It really doesn’t get the kudos it deserves!

Often it’s ongoing back pain, a fracture or broken bone that will be a clue that there's a problem, or a DEXA scan will show low bone mineral density. Menopausal women are particularly at risk as the low oestrogen state that comes with this stage of life results in increased bone loss, in tandem with a markedly decreased ability to absorb Calcium.

So is it as simple as popping a Calcium tablet or increasing intake in the diet? Unfortunately the answer is no. In fact, taking Calcium in isolation has been found to be anything but helpful. Calcium works best when surrounded by its buddies - in particular Vitamin D and Vitamin K2, and Magnesium, Zinc and Vitamin C also have important roles to play. I also like to include collagen peptides specific to bone-building in the diet, along with Silica for its important role in formation of the bone matrix and collagen stimulation.