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  Preventing Menopausal and Post Menopausal Bone Loss with Nutrition

 

 

 

Medical studies indicate
that calcium intake of levels between

1200/1500 mg a day
reduce postmenopausal bone loss.

However, the average

calcium intake
of postmenopausal women
in the United States is only 
about 550-600 mg a day.
This is substantially below
recommendations.

 

Osteoporosis

is preventable

 

Healthful foods
such as calcium enriched

cold or hot cereal,

soy milk, protein bars
orange juice, yogurt

and many, many foods

mentioned in the 
sections below such as

hard cheese and kale 

combined with 
one 500/600 mg
calcium supplement

each day
will help obtain
adequate calcium levels.

  

 

   Calcium works in partnership . . .

Inadequate calcium intake, poor calcium absorption, and excess calcium secretion increase the risk for osteoporosis. Conserving calcium and ensuring that calcium is being well absorbed by the body are primary nutritional objective. This can be achieved by increasing intake of dark leafy vegetables (especially kale) and fruits, which are nutritionally dense in boron, magnesium, and potassium. Antioxidant abundant vegetables and fruit also help the body maintain an alkaline state. Diets that are characterized by less dietary acid are associated with better indices of bone health.

   

Calcium  works in partnership with boron, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium to strengthen bone. Boron helps conserve calcium & magnesium. Boron helps prevent bone demineralization (break down) by reducing the amount of magnesium and calcium excreted in the urine. In post- menopausal women 3 mg of boron daily has the added benefit of increasing estradiol levels in the blood.

   

Cabbage and dandelion greens are two of the most abundant sources of boron. Alfalfa, apples, almonds, hazelnuts, legumes, parsley, peanuts and wine are additional sources of boron. Alfalfa and green leafy vegetables are also a good source of vitamin K. Vitamin K is a cofactor in the post-transitional carboxylation of several bone proteins, with osteocalcin being the most abundant.

  

Between 50 and 60 percent of magnesium exists in bones. Magnesium influences both bone matrix and mineral metabolism in bone. Bone mineral with decreased magnesium content results in larger and more perfect bone mineral crystals which are thought to be more brittle than amorphous (shapeless) crystals. Maintaining adequate levels of boron and magnesium helps prevent calcium loss and therefore bone demineralization. 

 

Magnesium also relaxes the smooth muscle around blood vessels. This vasodilatory effect results in a positive (relaxing) effect on blood pressure.

  

 

                                

                                                                  

              

               1200 mg of calcium throughout the day. . . no problem

 Over the age of 45, 

consuming 1200/1500 mg of calcium

during each day helps maintain bone.

In addition to calcium supplementation,

naturally occuring calcium in food

is absorbed by the body.

Snacking on calcium rich food is healthful

because calcium is absorbed by the body slowly.

The body can assimilate about 500 mg at once.

Daily dietary consumption of foods that

are abundant in calcium also

contain a variety of other

important nutrients.

These other nutrients

enhance calcium absorption.

 

Yogurt, orange juice fortified with calcium,

fortified cereal, almonds and

 non-dairy almond drinks,

soy milk, and soy protein bars are

calcium rich snack foods.

Healthful snacking

can help reach

a daily intake of 1200 mg

of calcium.

In the morning,

measure a serving of

cold cereal that is fortified

with high levels of calcium

and snack on

this during the day.

Adding walnuts,

sesame seeds, and/or soy nuts

will make this snack

more calcium

abundant.


Osteocalcin

is a bone protein
that attracts
calcium to bone tissue.
Osteocalcin uses
vitamin K as
a cofactor.

 Kale is a potent source of vitamin K. 

 
  

Hard cheese is high in calcium. A half-cup of cottage cheese contains 60 mg of calcium while an ounce (a one inch cube) of cheddar contains 200 mg, an ounce of swiss cheese contains 270 mg.

 

Additionally, one cup of yogurt contains about 450 mg, three ounces of canned mackerel contains 250 mg, half cup of part skim ricotta cheese contains 330 mg and an ounce of whole roasted sesame seeds contains 280 mg.

 

For a well organized listing of calcium abundant food, click on the last link on the source listing below.


 

. . . when a food label,

states that a serving supplies 25 percent of daily calcium,

you can

convert this

to milligrams by adding

a zero; 

 25 percent is

equivalent to 250 mg;

50 percent equals 500 mg. 

 
      
 

Bone functions as the body's calcium nutrient reserve. It is well understood that as a result of skeletal homeostasis, the body will withdraw calcium from bones if there is not enough circulating in the blood and extra-cellular fluid.

 

Bone remodeling, the process through which old bone is replaced with new, releases approximately 500 mg of calcium from bone each day. Daily loss through bodily waste and sweat average about 200 mg/day. Depletion can increase substantially under conditions of strenuous exercise. When calcium loss exceeds absorbed intake, bone, via osteoclast activity, is digested for its calcium. Osteoclasts are cells that nibble away at bone.

Calcium builds and sustains bone mass, and the calcium within bone contributes to bone strength. Calcium intake is positively correlated with bone mineral mass; calcium absorption decreases with age. Long-term low calcium intake, poor calcium absorption, and excess calcium excretion increase the risk of osteoperosis (thin, weak bones).

As such, a calcium supplement for women between the ages of 48 and 52 is health enhancing.

 
   Vitamin D helps transport calcium

Calcium is absorbed by the body only when vitamin D is present. Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin found in fatty fish, eggs, green leafy vegetables, non-dairy almond drinks, and tofu. Vitamin D (cholecalciferol) is also manufactured in the skin from direct exposure to sunlight. Vitamin D enhances bone mineralization and increases bone density by regulating calcium and phosphorus metabolism. Vitamin D influences the absorption of these minerals and their deposit into the bone.

 

Low calcium and vitamin D intakes lead to elevated parathyroid hormone. Parathyroid hormone (PTH) causes calcium release from the bone matrix by stimulating osteoclast cell activity and bone resorption. As blood levels of calcium increase, the stimulus for PTH release ends.


Wearing sunscreen with a sun protection factor of eight or above has been shown to reduce vitamin D production by 95 percent. Clouds, smog, and clothing also decrease the amount of vitamin D that reaches the skin.

In younger postmenopausal women who are not vitamin D deficient, vitamin D supplementation has minimal effect on bone mineral density. However, vitamin D and calcium supplementation studies show reduced fracture rates in the institutionalized elderly. Results indicate that a daily dose of 700-800 IU reduces the risk of hip and non- vertebral fractures in ambulatory or institutionalized elderly persons. Four hundred IUs of vitamin D per day was not sufficient for fracture prevention.  


An Important Concept:

Calcium and vitamin D supplements reduce the rate of bone loss in postmenopausal women. Studies indicate that 1200/1500 mg of calcium and 400-800 IU of vitamin D per day help maintain bone mass in postmenopausal women. The larger dose of 800 IU of vitamin D per day is recommended for the elderly, and housebound or institutionalized individuals.

 

Calcium carbonate or calcium citrate are the most commonly used supplements.

It is beneficial to take the calcium supplement with a meal to enhance absorption.

Taking vitamin D with a fatty food will enhance its absorption.

 

 

          Sources: The Medical College of Wisconsin
          http://healthlink.mcw.edu/article/1031002449.html
 

         Role and Importance of Calcium in Preventing and Managing Osteoporosis 
         Robert P. Heaney MD   Creighton University, Omaha Nebraska. Medscape 2006 

         Nutritional Influences on Bone Health: An Update on Current Reseach and Clinical Implications
         Susan A. Lanham-New PhD. Medscape 2006

 

        Click below for a listing of calcium rich foods

         http://http://www.ucsfhealth.org/adult/edu/calciumContent/index.html

 

 

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Information is provided for educational purposes to help individuals form an understanding of biological processes as they effect health. This information is not intended for medical diagnosis or treatment.