health

This guest post is by Damon P. Miller II, MD, ND

Our bones are alive, constantly renewing and rebuilding themselves, and to have strong and healthy bones, there are some simple steps you can take.

The most important drug for your bones is exercise. Gardening and housework are some of the best exercises. Running, walking and cycling give a good workout to the legs, but do not do much to strengthen the bones of the spine and upper extremities. If your lifestyle does not include cutting wood and carrying water, you need to include weight training in your exercise routine. I prefer the slow motion weight training for its safety record and effectiveness (this is what they do at Alive! Whole Life Fitness). Yoga and Pilates classes that focus on core strength are widely available, affordable and useful.

Lessening the risk of hip fracture is important, but by my reading, the value of the pharmaceuticals such as Fosamax is over-rated. These drugs have some risks (ask your dentist about Fosamax induced osteonecrosis), and the decrease in risk of hip fracture is so small as to be almost zero. Research has shown that there is far better data for the value of taking adequate amounts of Vitamin D3 each day. Women who have hip fractures are almost always deficient in Vitamin D, and women who take adequate amounts of Vitamin D3 have a markedly reduced risk of hip fracture. I recommend at least 1000 to 3000mg per day of Vitamin D3. To put this dosage in perspective, know that a caucasian person in a sunny climate can produce almost 10,000mg per day of Vitamin D, with no known adverse effects.

The current recommendations for calcium intake are probably too high. Also, most women take far too little magnesium. I recommend that you take equal amounts of a soluble, well absorbed calcium and magnesium supplement, and for many women, recommend more magnesium than calcium. Use magnesium malate, which is less likely to cause diarrhea, 1-4grams per day, and calcium citrate-malate, 250-450mg per day.

The best food sources of calcium are organic dark-green leafy vegetables such as collards and kale. Milk from cows is not a good source of calcium for most people. The reasons for this are complex, and include the fact that the proteins found in milk (whey, casein and albumin) cause an exaggerated loss of calcium in the urine. People who consume milk, yogurt, cheese and ice cream daily lose more calcium than they take in from the milk, and end up in a negative calcium balance. We in the United States have the highest per capita consumption of milk and dairy products of any country in the world, and we also have the highest incidence of osteoporosis induced fractures. You figure it out. (Visit www.notmilk.com for some wild fringe information on the dairy industry)

Bone density studies do not measure the strength of your bone, just the density. Density does not necessarily equate with strength. Read The Myth of Osteoporosis by Gillian Sanson for a good discussion of this.

Use this affirmation: “My bones are alive, and I have strong and healthy bones.”

Dr. Miller has recorded a two-CD set of one of his best talks on bone health. You can get a copy at: http://www.bettereyehealth.com/item–Healthy-Bones-CD-Set–SU-001680.html, or by calling his office at 888-838-3937.

Tagged as: Aging, health, Supplements

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