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PREVENTIVE MEASURES-You cannot succeed in life without good bones. The bones most likely to be damaged by lack of care includes the jawbone, teeth, spine, hip, legs, and joints-all very important.

The objective is to achieve the highest possible bone mass before old age, and then to maintain it as long as possible. The following recommendations will help you fulfill these objectives:

The body requires calcium for many things, although bones are the most obvious need. For example, there has to be a certain amount of calcium in the blood all the time. But when, for one reason or another, the intake of certain minerals is not adequate, calcium is reabsorbed out of the bones in order to supply other needs elsewhere. (One of these needs is providing calcium to a growing fetus during pregnancy.) The bones become porous and "honeycombed," and so fragile that breaks can more easily occur.

A major cause is a lack of calcium intake over a period of years. Other causes include inability to absorb calcium as well, a calcium-phosphorous imbalance (too much phosphorous), lack of exercise, or lack of certain hormones.

Obtaining enough nutrients, through diet and supplements, is important to maintaining strong bones.

Calcium at 2,000 mg a day, magnesium at 1,000 mg per day, along with plant-derived colloidal minerals is needed.

Digestive aids may be needed to help absorb this and other minerals. Especially important is sufficient acid in the stomach. Either betaine HCl (hydrochloric acid supplement) or lemon juice can be taken.

Calcium and minerals are found abundantly in natural foods such as green leafy vegetables, carrot juice, and broccoli. The green leafy vegetables are generally the best sources. Along with them ranks sesame seeds. They are the best ratio of high calcium and low phosphorous of any food.

A dietary calcium/phosphorous ratio of 2:1 is ideal, yet can only be attained by taking calcium supplements. Here are some samples of this ratio of calcium to phosphorous in several foods: grain - 1:8; red meat - 1:12; organ meat (liver, kidney) - 1:44; fish - 1:12; carbonated drinks - 1:8.

People who eat meat and/or drink various colas and sodas obtain an immense amount of phosphorous.

Millet is rich in calcium and magnesium. Almonds are high in calcium. The grains, amaranth and quinoa, are rich in minerals.

Fruitarians (people who only eat fruit) do not get enough calcium or the magnesium needed to help the calcium be utilized.

Eat plenty of vegetables, raw and steamed.

Other foods high in calcium include brown rice, kale, turnip greens, pinto beans, spirulina, collard greens, and sesame seeds.

Those with dentures tend to find vegetables difficult to eat. This results in a magnesium and calcium deficiency. They should have vegetable soups, potassium broth, and raw vegetable juices daily.

Lack of hydrochloric acid can be a cause of poor calcium (and other mineral) absorption.

Vitamin D is necessary (400-1,000 IU daily) for calcium absorption and repair. You need a basic 400 IU daily. Sunlight will help you get part of what you need. (It is estimated that, on the average, only 10% of our daily requirement comes from sunlight; so other sources are also needed.) People over 65 may need 800 units daily.

In one study, the more sunlight that was obtained by the test group, the less likelihood of osteoporosis developing.

But excess doses of vitamin D, taken repeatedly, caused bone deterioration.

Potassium is needed for cell formation, and vitamin C is necessary for the maintenance and development of bones. Vitamin C is called "cell cement"; it not only fights infection, but also holds your body together!

Garlic, onions, and eggs contain sulfur, which is needed for healthy bones.

Manganese helps prevent osteoporosis (loss of bone mass). Rats on a low manganese diet developed porous bones.

Vitamin A helps increase the rate of bone growth. It is needed for proper digestion and assimilation of nutrients.

Vitamin B complex helps bone mass formation. B6 increases connective tissue strength in bones.

Vitamin K (found in alfalfa, greens, and other chlorophyll foods) is needed to help the body synthesize osteocalcin, a special protein matrix which attracts calcium to the bones.

Folic acid works to prevent the formation of toxic homocysteine from the essential amino acid, methionine. The presence of homocysteine is involved in producing osteoporosis. (Alcohol, tobacco, and oral contraceptives increase folic acid deficiency.)

Trace amounts of fluorides are also needed for bone development, but get it out of food-not from additives, fluoridated water, toothpaste, etc.

The use of sodium fluoride, once thought to help treat osteoporosis, is now known to do the opposite. While it does increase bone mass in the spine, the bone is inferior in quality. Woman receiving the compound were three times more likely to fracture an arm, leg, or hip than if they took a placebo. As little as 16 mg of sodium fluoride a day produces abnormal bone marrow cells. Adequate natural fluoride is in all food and water sources.

Calcium supplements include calcium carbonate, calcium lactate, calcium citrate, and calcium gluconate. All of these dissolve well, so they are absorbed adequately.

The mineral, calcium, has to be combined with another substance in order that it might be maintained in a stable compound (calcium lactate is calcium plus lactic acid). Calcium carbonate includes a somewhat higher percentage of elemental calcium than do the other forms, but all are beneficial. (Calcium carbonate not only has the highest amount of calcium per tablet, it is the least expensive form.) As with most other supplements, calcium in powder form is more economical than in tablets.

It is important that there be sufficient acid in the stomach, in order to absorb the calcium and other minerals from the food. An increasing lack of this acid, with age, is part of the reason why older people do not absorb minerals as well and have poor bone structure. If necessary, take supplemental hydrochloric acid (betaine HCl) or lemon juice before each meal.

Horsetail extract is a good source of silica, a vital mineral in the formation of bones. Horsetail, along with oat straw, are consistently recommended as the best supplemental sources for absorbable silica. Boron and silica, both needed for good bone formation, are found in horsetail and oat straw. When your friends come over to visit, invite them to have some savory oat straw tea with you!

Alfalfa, comfrey, and slippery elm also help build strong bones.

Seaweed (Nova Scotia dulse or Norwegian kelp) is an good source of many major minerals, and an outstanding source of the trace minerals.

Kelp, dulse, blue-green algae, hijiki, and kombu are rich in minerals. Wheat grass juice, green drink, and liquid chlorophyll are also.

A summary of minerals which are needed includes silicon, boron, zinc, manganese, and copper, along with calcium. (The body also needs phosphorous and magnesium, but too much of either one inhibits the body from absorbing calcium. These minerals tend to compete with calcium for absorption in the blood and bone marrow. In the case of magnesium, though, normal supplementation should not be a problem.)

The following substances remove calcium and other minerals from the food before it is digested or leach it from the bones: white-sugar products, chocolate, caffeine products, and alcohol. Each of these are harmful to the bones.

Vinegar and meat acids also diminish bone mass. This is because other dietetic acids are later changed to alkaline forms after they leave the stomach, but not vinegar or meat acid (purines, uric acid, etc.)

It is well-known among medical professionals that sugar, coffee, caffeine, a high-meat diet, and smoking produce osteoporosis and similar bone problems.

One study of middle-aged men and women with symptomatic osteoporosis were almost exclusively heavy smokers.

A high-sugar diet causes calcium to be excreted in the urine. Excess sodium does this also.

Chocolate contains oxalic acid and prevents the absorption of calcium.

Women who drink coffee and soft drinks are more likely to have osteoporosis.

Certain foods contain oxalic acid in moderate amounts (the cabbage family, which includes kale, collards, almonds, and asparagus), and some contain it in still larger amounts (chard and, especially, spinach), and some in extremely large amounts (rhubarb, poke). Avoid oxalic acid foods, if you want strong bones in your old age.

Some foods contain the calcium inhibitor, solanine. These include tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, bell peppers, and tobacco.

Whole grains contain phytin, a substance which tends to bind with calcium and prevent its absorption and use by the system. Some suggest that you take calcium supplements at different times than grains, to insure its absorption. Those who are in desperate need for additional calcium will want to take this advice. They can take calcium powder near bedtime, when it is best absorbed. Calcium also aids in sleeping, for it tends to relax the muscles.

High phosphorous foods tend to compete with calcium and also combine with it, locking it out. Such foods include soft drinks, high-protein animal foods, and yeast products.

Cola drinks are especially harmful in this respect. Cola drinks, frankly, are a terrible concoction: (1) They contain an acid which is stronger than vinegar. (2) The acidity is masked by an excessive amount of sugar, which itself leaches calcium from bones. (3) Cola drinks are basically phosphoric acid, or a strong acid in a phosphorous medium. Phosphorous locks directly onto calcium, and carries it out of the body, making it unavailable to the body. A tooth placed in a glass of cola drink will melt away entirely within a few hours.

White-flour products contain chlorine, which is harmful to the bones.

Do not use foods with preservatives, because of their phosphorous content.

Drugs, such as diuretics, inhibit calcium assimilation.

Do not eat meat or vinegar if you want strong, healthy, joints. A diet high in animal protein tends to causes the body to excrete increased amounts of protein. Beef, for example, contains 25 times as much phosphorous as calcium! A high-meat diet will invariably lead to calcium deficiencies.

A study conducted by The Journal of Clinical Nutrition reported that vegetarian women had significantly less bone loss than women who eat meat.

Avoid large meals and overeating. Chew your food well, so it will be properly absorbed.

The amount of protein a man eats may influence the level of calcium in his body. Tests at Wisconsin University, confirmed by other studies, revealed that a high-protein diet causes calcium loss. Eskimos, on their high-protein diets, had lower bone mineral levels than Americans. In the 60-90 age bracket, bone loss in meat eaters was 35%; in vegetarians it was 18%.

Excessive fat intake reduces bone mass. On test animals, the daily loss of calcium on the high-fat diet was more than four times as much as on the low-fat diet.

The harder the fat was, before eating, the more calcium loss it caused.

Exercise strengthens the bones. It causes the body to strengthen the insides of the bones, by increasing the webbing connections within them. Exercise definitely increases bone density. The body must have regular weight-bearing exercise, such as walking. When this occurs, more minerals are laid down in the bones, to strengthen them-especially where you need it the most: the bones of the legs, hips, and spine. Conversely, a lack of exercise accelerates the loss of bone mass. It is believed that lack of activity in old age is a factor in the increased levels of bone loss in those years.

Daily exercise outdoors provides vitamin D and stimulates osteoblastic cells. Exercise increases muscle tone, strengthens muscles, prevents disuse atrophy and further demineralization of the bones.

NASA research experts say the best activity for maintaining bone mass is gravitational: walking or jogging. When you are not pushing against gravity very much (because you are sitting in a chair or lying in bed), you are tending to lose bony material. Try to walk at least 20 minutes a day out-of-doors.

"Strain changes" are important in building and maintaining bone mass. How often you do it is more important than the intensity when it is done. Try to maintain the bounce of earlier years: keep that spring in your step; put a little strain on your body and muscles every so often. Do this more moderately as you age, but keep it up.

Bed rest tends to cause a negative calcium balance. Bones placed in plaster casts develop localized osteoporosis, regardless of the diet, hormonal balance, etc. It is called "disuse osteoporosis." Exercise is vital to healthy bones.

Too much calcium supplementation, during bone healing (when in bed or confined to a chair while recovering from a fracture, etc.), can induce kidney stone formation during the immobile period while the cast is on. The problem is that the person is not active enough at that time.

Acidophilus in the large bowel is needed for the digestion of food. It is also needed to produce vitamins B6, B12, and folic acid, all of which are needed to make bone mass. Lactic acid foods, such as sauerkraut, are very helpful.

Supplementing your diet with two herbs, suma and dong quai, will help regulate hormonal imbalances. Suma contains sitosterol. This increases natural estrogen production without stimulating an oversupply. Flaxseed oil also helps the body produce needed hormones.

Avoid chilling. Rats exposed to cold stress developed bone mass which was less dense.

Distilled water is an excellent way to obtain pure water. But keep in mind that you must also be including proper minerals in your diet, including some kelp or dulse, to replace the minerals lost by drinking distilled water. (Distilled water is chemically hungry, and locks onto some minerals in your body when you drink it.)

Do not take estrogen drugs because, although it increases bone mass somewhat, it also places the user at high risk for cancer. Estrogen therapy initially increases bone formation, but eventually leads to decreased bone mass and lack of response to the parathyroid hormone. Taking estrogen also increases the risk of breast cancer, stroke, and myocardial infarction (heart attack).

If you take the thyroid hormone or an anticoagulant drug, increase the amount of calcium you take by 25-50%.

Older people who take tranquilizers have 70% more hip fractures.

-Also see "Fractures" and "Osteoporosis" for additional information on factors affecting bone formation and loss.

This page was last modified on 2 December 2010, at 17:01.

URL: http://naturalencyclopedia.com/Strengthening_Bones

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