Osteo Health
There are a number of ways to increase bone mass, at any age. Among all the healthy things you can do for your bones, weight lifting is number one! You can prevent and reverse osteoporosis, osteopaenia, and osteomalacia, which all refer to a loss of, or inadequate bone mass/ mineralisation.
Exercise
There is excellent research done in retirement residences, with some subjects in their 80's, who had never lifted before. On a free weight program, they gained significant muscle mass, and bone mass.
One particular study used mostly free weight squats with post menopausal women who showed measured increases in their bone mass in just 12 weeks! Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2013 Oct;27(10):2879-86. Lifting weights for longer would continue to cause further increases, which is amazing because post menopausal women are not known for GAINS in their bone mass. Side effects of free weights lifting are a smaller waist, fitter heart and better mood, to name a few.
The two go hand in hand. As you increase your muscular strength, your bones respond by becoming denser and stronger. The bones need a compelling reason to increase in mass, and weights are very convincing. The densest measured bone mass in any humans are mostly in olympic lifters and powerlifters.
A side effect of weight lifting, especially lower body weightlifting, is an increased metabolism. The cartoon lifter on the right is doing a deadlift, an excellent lower body exercise. Lifting weights, as explained on my fat loss page, is the most powerful exercise I know of for fat burning.
Other "exercises" that are remarkably good at increasing bone mass are Tai Chi and standing on a vibration pad, like the type found in T-zone gyms. There are several here in Toronto and I have had several sessions on a T-zone type machine. I like the circulation and recovery benefits; love hopping on one during or after a gruelling weight workout.
Calcium; myths and truths
Calcium is important for bone health, but so is magnesium, silica, manganese, zinc, selenium, and boron, among others. If you want to take calcium, or have been told by your doctor to do so, take it with other minerals, or do not bother at all. Calcium without magnesium is like a car without wheels- it just won't 'go'. Doctors often are unaware of the findings of the most important research done with calcium supplementation. When calcium is taken with an equal amount of magnesium, it is at least 3 times more effective. That means taking 500mg of each, is better than overdosing on 1500mg of plain calcium! Other research found that taking calcium with all of the above named minerals resulted in better bone mass improvement than calcium alone, or just calcium and magnesium.
I like the calcium complex by Progressive, the Calcium Magnesium by Natural Factors, and I really like the Ca lactate and the Ca chelate by Trophic, which I always take along with a good magnesium.
Check your health store for a good calcium, and steer clear of Tums, OsCal, Caltrate and other poor quality, over-rated garbage calcium products, often found in drug stores. The worst calcium that I ever, ever had the misfortune of seeing was one that a client picked up at Costco. Please- pick up things that you are not actually going to consume at such discount stores.
Vitamin D
or ergocalciferol/ cholecalciferol is mucho importante for Ca use in our bodies. With good reason, it is now being touted as a super vitamin, since it is important for immune function as well. Get at least 1000iu per day. Darker skinned people are at increased risk of D deficiency, because the melanin which is so good at protecting their skin from harsh sun also inhibits vit D formation from sun exposure. Speaking of the sun, forget sunblock- think about it- your skin ABSORBS. Would you eat sunblock? If your answer is "no", then do not put it ion your skin. Go ahead, and get sun exposure when weather permits, and do not get burned- you will have to determine how much sun you can handle with no burning- start slow, and get healing sun rays when you can!
Vitamin K
Found in fair amounts in dark green leafy veggies like kale, collards, beet greens and spinach, vitamin K is an important player in calcium metabolism and normal blood clotting. The various forms of K are phylloquinone from foods as listed above (vitamin K1), menaquinone from gut bacteria and natto, a fermented soy food (vitamin K2) and finally menadione which is synthetic and has much evidence against it, for health (vitamin K3). I just bought some natto in a large Korean grocery store the other day. A lady in the store asked me why I was buying it, incredulous at seeing a white guy buying such an ethnic product. I searched through about 6 different frozen natto offerings, finally finding one with no MSG. I put some on top of some really hot brown rice ... delicious!
There are a number of ways to increase bone mass, at any age. Among all the healthy things you can do for your bones, weight lifting is number one! You can prevent and reverse osteoporosis, osteopaenia, and osteomalacia, which all refer to a loss of, or inadequate bone mass/ mineralisation.
Exercise
There is excellent research done in retirement residences, with some subjects in their 80's, who had never lifted before. On a free weight program, they gained significant muscle mass, and bone mass.
One particular study used mostly free weight squats with post menopausal women who showed measured increases in their bone mass in just 12 weeks! Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2013 Oct;27(10):2879-86. Lifting weights for longer would continue to cause further increases, which is amazing because post menopausal women are not known for GAINS in their bone mass. Side effects of free weights lifting are a smaller waist, fitter heart and better mood, to name a few.
The two go hand in hand. As you increase your muscular strength, your bones respond by becoming denser and stronger. The bones need a compelling reason to increase in mass, and weights are very convincing. The densest measured bone mass in any humans are mostly in olympic lifters and powerlifters.
A side effect of weight lifting, especially lower body weightlifting, is an increased metabolism. The cartoon lifter on the right is doing a deadlift, an excellent lower body exercise. Lifting weights, as explained on my fat loss page, is the most powerful exercise I know of for fat burning.
Other "exercises" that are remarkably good at increasing bone mass are Tai Chi and standing on a vibration pad, like the type found in T-zone gyms. There are several here in Toronto and I have had several sessions on a T-zone type machine. I like the circulation and recovery benefits; love hopping on one during or after a gruelling weight workout.
Calcium; myths and truths
Calcium is important for bone health, but so is magnesium, silica, manganese, zinc, selenium, and boron, among others. If you want to take calcium, or have been told by your doctor to do so, take it with other minerals, or do not bother at all. Calcium without magnesium is like a car without wheels- it just won't 'go'. Doctors often are unaware of the findings of the most important research done with calcium supplementation. When calcium is taken with an equal amount of magnesium, it is at least 3 times more effective. That means taking 500mg of each, is better than overdosing on 1500mg of plain calcium! Other research found that taking calcium with all of the above named minerals resulted in better bone mass improvement than calcium alone, or just calcium and magnesium.
I like the calcium complex by Progressive, the Calcium Magnesium by Natural Factors, and I really like the Ca lactate and the Ca chelate by Trophic, which I always take along with a good magnesium.
Check your health store for a good calcium, and steer clear of Tums, OsCal, Caltrate and other poor quality, over-rated garbage calcium products, often found in drug stores. The worst calcium that I ever, ever had the misfortune of seeing was one that a client picked up at Costco. Please- pick up things that you are not actually going to consume at such discount stores.
Vitamin D
or ergocalciferol/ cholecalciferol is mucho importante for Ca use in our bodies. With good reason, it is now being touted as a super vitamin, since it is important for immune function as well. Get at least 1000iu per day. Darker skinned people are at increased risk of D deficiency, because the melanin which is so good at protecting their skin from harsh sun also inhibits vit D formation from sun exposure. Speaking of the sun, forget sunblock- think about it- your skin ABSORBS. Would you eat sunblock? If your answer is "no", then do not put it ion your skin. Go ahead, and get sun exposure when weather permits, and do not get burned- you will have to determine how much sun you can handle with no burning- start slow, and get healing sun rays when you can!
Vitamin K
Found in fair amounts in dark green leafy veggies like kale, collards, beet greens and spinach, vitamin K is an important player in calcium metabolism and normal blood clotting. The various forms of K are phylloquinone from foods as listed above (vitamin K1), menaquinone from gut bacteria and natto, a fermented soy food (vitamin K2) and finally menadione which is synthetic and has much evidence against it, for health (vitamin K3). I just bought some natto in a large Korean grocery store the other day. A lady in the store asked me why I was buying it, incredulous at seeing a white guy buying such an ethnic product. I searched through about 6 different frozen natto offerings, finally finding one with no MSG. I put some on top of some really hot brown rice ... delicious!
Milk- the big lie
Milk has never been proven in population research to be good for bones. In fact, population research shows us the opposite. Countries with the highest milk consumption, like the USA, and Nordic countries have the highest rates of osteoporosis. To put it kindly, milk is not at all linked with strong bones, in population, large scale research. Fruits and vegetables are!
Milk is very high in phosphorous, as any renal specialising RD should be able to tell you. Excess phosphorous draws calcium out of the body. Milk is very high, as well as dark meats. The number one source of excess phoshporous in our diets is from pop.
Milk has never been proven in population research to be good for bones. In fact, population research shows us the opposite. Countries with the highest milk consumption, like the USA, and Nordic countries have the highest rates of osteoporosis. To put it kindly, milk is not at all linked with strong bones, in population, large scale research. Fruits and vegetables are!
Milk is very high in phosphorous, as any renal specialising RD should be able to tell you. Excess phosphorous draws calcium out of the body. Milk is very high, as well as dark meats. The number one source of excess phoshporous in our diets is from pop.
Pop
Soft drinks are notoriously high in phosphorous. American research has directly linked pop consumption to weakened bones, even in youngsters. Even though phosphorous is an essential mineral, too much is deadly for calcium status, and bone health.
FRUITS and VEGETABLES
In older and newer research, fruits and vegetable consumption shows up as the most powerful dietary influence on bone mass! Vatanparast et al, Tucker et al, Prynne et al; more references following;
References
Vatanparast H, Baxter-Jones A, Faulkner RA, Bailey DA, Whiting SJ.
Positive effects of vegetable and fruit consumption and calcium intake on bone mineral accrual in boys during growth from childhood to adolescence: the University of Saskatchewan Pediatric Bone Mineral Accrual Study .
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2005 Sep;82(3):700-6.
Tucker KL, Hannan MT, Chen H, Cupples LA, Wilson PW, Kiel DP.
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1999 Apr;69(4):727-36.
Potassium, magnesium, and fruit and vegetable intakes are associated with greater bone mineral density in elderly men and women.
Prynne CJ, Mishra GD, O'Conell, MA, et al
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2006;83:1420–8.
Fruit and vegetable intakes and bone mineral status: a cross-sectional study in 5 age and sex cohorts.
Soft drinks are notoriously high in phosphorous. American research has directly linked pop consumption to weakened bones, even in youngsters. Even though phosphorous is an essential mineral, too much is deadly for calcium status, and bone health.
FRUITS and VEGETABLES
In older and newer research, fruits and vegetable consumption shows up as the most powerful dietary influence on bone mass! Vatanparast et al, Tucker et al, Prynne et al; more references following;
References
Vatanparast H, Baxter-Jones A, Faulkner RA, Bailey DA, Whiting SJ.
Positive effects of vegetable and fruit consumption and calcium intake on bone mineral accrual in boys during growth from childhood to adolescence: the University of Saskatchewan Pediatric Bone Mineral Accrual Study .
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2005 Sep;82(3):700-6.
Tucker KL, Hannan MT, Chen H, Cupples LA, Wilson PW, Kiel DP.
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1999 Apr;69(4):727-36.
Potassium, magnesium, and fruit and vegetable intakes are associated with greater bone mineral density in elderly men and women.
Prynne CJ, Mishra GD, O'Conell, MA, et al
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2006;83:1420–8.
Fruit and vegetable intakes and bone mineral status: a cross-sectional study in 5 age and sex cohorts.
