NUTRITIONAL SUPPORT
FOR BONE HEALTH
We all want to maintain quality of life as
we age. Strong bones are a support frame
that enables us to remain active. Building
bone is a complex function involving many
components. Included here are only a few
of numerous nutritional factors, but they are
significant ones. Being aware of them will
assist in making good dietary choices.
VITAL VITAMIN D
The sunshine vitamin! Did you know that
the ability to synthesize vitamin D from the
sun decreases with age? Yet, vitamin D is
vital to the maintenance of bone health.
Your digestive system can’t absorb calcium
without it.
Many people with osteoporosis have low
levels of vitamin D, which is easily detected
in a blood test. There is much debate over
the normal range and the amount adequate
for bone health, which may vary individually.
What is agreed upon is the level at which
vitamin D becomes toxic: above 150 ng/ml .
For healthy adults the RDA is 600 IU per day,
unless you are over age 70. Then, the RDA
is 800 IU. Your health care practitioner may
recommend a higher dosage to increase
low levels and monitor to insure you remain
within safe limits.
Good food sources include: egg yolk,
shrimp, fatty fish (salmon, cod, tuna, etc.)
VITAMIN K2: THE KEY
Sometimes called the forgotten vitamin,
K2 is emerging as a key component of
bone growth. Most people are familiar
with vitamin K1, known for clotting the
blood. Most people are not deficient in
K1; however, fat-soluble K2 deficiency
has become more common. It is not easily
obtained through diet.
K2 is required to activate osteocalcin*, which has
a myriad of benefits, one of which is facilitating
incorporation of calcium into the bone matrix.
Think of it as bone cement. When vitamin D3 is
adequate, K2 will also inhibit bone resorption.
The result is more bone gained and less bone
lost. Vitamin K2 has been found to reduce spinal
fractures by 60%, hip fractures by 77% and any
non-spinal fractures by 81%. *
*Cockayne S, Adamson J, Lanham-New
S, Shearer MJ, Gilbody S, Torgerson DJ.
Vitamin K and the Prevention of Fractures:
Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of
Randomized Controlled Trials. Arch Intern
Med. 2006;166(12):1256–1261. doi:10.1001/
archinte.166.12.1256
Food Sources: Grass fed meat & dairy sources,
egg yolks (from free range chickens) and Natto
(most economical and sourced from fermented
soy beans)
WHAT ABOUT CALCIUM?
Your skeleton acts as a storehouse for calcium.
It is your parathyroid’s job to monitor the
calcium level in the bloodstream and keep it
within a very narrow parameter. There are two
ways to insure there is enough calcium for
this job.
1. Calcium Absorbed from Diet
• Directed to bloodstream as needed
• Directed to bones if not needed (or
demand is placed on skeletal system)
• Excess excreted (or sometimes
deposited elsewhere)
2. Calcium Withdrawn from Bones
Calcium from diet is the preferred method.
Withdrawal from the bones is a backup
system. If necessary, calcium from the bone
remodeling process is redirected into the
bloodstream. So, consuming enough calcium
to reduce withdrawal from bones can have a
positive influence on bone retention. At this
website you will find a calculator to determine
if you are eating enough calcium:
https://www.iofbonehealth.org/
calcium-calculator
Consider supplementation only if your diet
is insufficient. In excess, supplementation
can be harmful.
Getting calcium deposited into the bone
is more complicated than withdrawal. The
process is dependent upon numerous
cofactors. Among them are vitamin D,
magnesium, vitamin K2, and zinc; also collagen
production. Both hormonal and mechanical
signals are needed to direct calcium to the
bone remodeling system. Hormonal signals
are at their peak in growing children and
adolescents. They also provide mechanical
signals by placing a high demand on the
musculoskeletal system through physical
activities like running, playing, sports, etc.
Adult bones need high impact activities also,
but sufficient impact to trigger bone building
can be difficult to achieve safely. If you are
interested in a safe system with a proven track
record of stimulating bone growth through
osteogenic loading there is a facility in Farragut
that can provide that service to you. Contact
OsteoStrong Farragut for a complimentary
consultation. You can also read more about
the method in the 2019 Spring Edition of
Farragut Life Magazine.
11110 KINGSTON PIKE, KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE • LEARN MORE BY VISITING OSTEOSTRONG.ME OR CALL (423) 839-6600