Bone Health Vitamins

In today’s more health conscious world, all kinds of vitamin and mineral supplements are available. There are many people who use these products in an attempt to improve the quality of their health. One of the most popular types of supplement is calcium. Consumers have long been given information on the importance of calcium supplements for good bone health.

While everyone regardless of age or gender needs calcium for healthy bones, the biggest group of people who can benefit from a calcium supplement is postmenopausal women. These ladies are at a higher risk for osteoporosis. It has long been known that as we age, bone density lessens and our ability to produce more healthy bone cells diminishes. Many people in this group and others are taking the preemptive strike against bone loss by ensuring that they get the recommended amount of calcium each day.

Besides postmenopausal women, older people in general are finding that taking a calcium supplement is an excellent way to help reduce the risk of severe bone loss or fracture. Both men and women naturally lose some of the strength in their bones and the result is more brittle and fragile bone mass. Turning to the aid of a calcium supplement helps to hold off this often common problem. The hip is prone to breaking as the body ages. Another part of the skeleton frequently at risk for fracture is the shoulders. One minor fall could result in weeks or months of recuperation, even hospitalization.

When the natural production of estrogen and other female hormones declines during menopause bone density is quickly affected. Bone loss of 2%-3% each year during menopause is not uncommon. In addition to menopause being a risk factor for osteoporosis, women who are small boned, Asian or Caucasian, and have a family history of Osteoporosis are generally at higher risk. Taking preventative measures is one way women can avoid osteoporosis and take care of their bone health.

Of course younger people are not at as high a risk as those who are in or approaching their golden years, but it isn’t impossible for even younger groups to experience below average bone mass from inadequate calcium consumption or insufficient weight bearing exercise. Pregnancy and other hormonal changes take their toll on the quality of the bones as well. Everyone should be on the look out for their skeletal structures continued good health and strength.

Calcium rich foods and supplements help maintain blood calcium levels therefore reducing the need for calcium releases from the skeleton. Calcium intake helps keep bones strong and reduce the risk of hip fracture and other unnecessary bone breaks. In the case of osteoporosis, height is often lost as a result of the spine bending due to soft bone tissue. A calcium supplement or calcium rich foods, plus exercise, can help you slow the loss of height or other preventable effects to ensure a more satisfying, safer future.

When you are considering taking a calcium supplement, it’s important to be aware of the recommended intake for specific age groups and genders. Here is in the U.S., the recommended intake for young adults, 19 to 50, is 1000mg a day. After that age, the amount of calcium intake you should aim for is 1200mg. Vitamin D is often a part of bone health as well. Younger adults should generally take 5mg daily with the older adults advised to get 10mg.

If you are in doubt as to the importance of calcium supplements, take a look at how much money is spent annually in osteoporosis related insurance claims or medical costs. In Europe the number tops out at $37.6 billion with the U.S. reporting $17.5 billion. A good portion of that money probably was spent on osteoporosis related fractures. Of course those figures don’t add in the pain and recovery time needed to heal from such an injury or impact on quality of life of the individual. For more articles like this, visit www.BoneHealthVitamins.com

By: Craig Smith

Bone Health Vitamins has been following the research that is in this posted article.  I find it frankly confusing at best how moderate drinking may or may not impact bone health (and cardiovascular health as well!).   For women in particular, drinking can be a tricky health topic, with challenges to how it impacts breast cancer and other health concerns.   As always, the advice (that even my own doctor gave me when I quizzed him about this study) is that MODERATION is the key to good health when it comes to enjoying alcohol.

On a side note, my doctor did state that he agreed with one point of the study:  If you do enjoy a cocktail or two, stay away from hard alcohol mixed with soda, especially the dark colas.  Excessive soda consumption may lead to low bone density later in life. 

Moderate drinking may help build bone density

By Anne Harding, from Reuters Health.

People who enjoy a glass or two of wine or beer every day could be helping to keep their bones strong, new research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests.

However, drinking more — and choosing hard liquor instead of wine or beer — may actually weaken bones, Dr. Katherine Tucker of Tufts University in Boston and her colleagues found.

In an interview with Reuters Health, Tucker agreed that keeping track of the health benefits and risks of alcohol is tough these days. "It is very confusing for people because alcohol has such diverse effects on different things," she said; for example, while drinking may prevent heart disease, it increases breast cancer risk.

Nevertheless, the researcher added, the effect of alcohol on bone mineral density (BMD) that she and her colleagues saw was "larger than what we see for any single nutrient, even for calcium. It’s not ambiguous. It’s very clear."

In the current study, Tucker and her team investigated how different types of alcohol affected bone density in 1,182 men, 1,289 postmenopausal women, and 248 premenopausal women participating in the Framingham Offspring study. Study participants ranged in age from 29 to 86.

Men who had a glass or two of wine or beer daily had denser bones than non-drinkers, the researchers found, but those who downed two or more servings of hard liquor a day had significantly lower BMD than the men who drank up to two glasses of liquor daily.

The women who drank more than two glasses a day of alcohol or wine had greater BMD than the women who drank less. Nonetheless, this finding shouldn’t be seen as meaning that the more a woman drinks the better it is for her bones, Tucker noted; there were simply not that many women in the study who drank much more than this.

Beer is an excellent source of silicon, a mineral needed for bone health that has become increasingly rare in the modern diet, the researcher noted. Beer’s silicon content accounted for at least some of its bone-building effects in men, she added; there were too few women who drank beer to draw conclusions about how the mineral affected female bone density.

Beer and wine may be better for people than liquor, she suggested, because they contain potentially beneficial plant substances such as resveratrol, while hard liquor has had most natural substances distilled out of it.

It’s likely, Tucker said, that alcohol may help build bones by boosting estrogen levels — which is the mechanism that also may account for the increased breast cancer risk seen for women who drink even moderately.

"The main message here is that if you are drinking up to one or two glasses of wine or beer a day, you don’t need to stop for your bones’ sake, in fact it’s helpful," the researcher said. "It’s a personal decision."

Bone Health Vitamins presents the following article about glucosamine.  There are a wide variety of vitamins and supplements that can aid you in your quest for healthy bones.  Discuss any questions with your doctor, and begin to impact your bone health before it is too late. 

Man cannot live on bread alone, and bones can’t be healthy with calcium alone. They also need Glucosamine. The human body naturally produces Glucosamine, but as we grow older, our bodies stop producing enough Glucosamine, causing our bones and joints to wear out at a much faster rate. This affects your hips, knees, and hands, causing bone spurs, pain, deformity, and reduced movement and flexibility.

Glucosamine relieves osteo-related pain, rehabilitates cartilage, repairs joints, and produces synovial fluids. A great deal of research has gone into the benefits of Glucosamine, and when coupled with calcium, it goes a very long way towards keeping bones and teeth healthy, as well as helping to repair bones that have become unhealthy. Glucosamine is also vital in the formation and health of ligaments, tendons, nails, skin, eyes, bones, and heart valves.

Not just any Glucosamine will do, however. You need a high quality Glucosamine, and you need it in liquid form, as opposed to pill or capsule form. Scientists have found that only 10% to 20% of vitamins and minerals in the form of pills and capsules are absorbed by the body, while those same vitamins and liquids in liquid form are absorbed by up to 98%.

This is a huge difference, and your overall health depends a great deal on this difference. It is a shame that so many people think that they are actually getting the vitamins and minerals that they need when they swallow their multi vitamin pill each morning. Furthermore, when seeking relief, it can take up to ten weeks to see any results when taking pills, as opposed to one or two weeks to receive relief when using a liquid formula.

Along with calcium and Glucosamine, the body also requires chondroitin sulfate. This is a glucosaminoglycan that is made up of repeating units of Glucosamine. It is used by cartilage and other joint structures, where it stimulates the production of even more chondroitin sulfate. The body also needs vitamin D3, which helps the body absorb and use calcium.

Look for a supplement which supplies the body with all that it needs for strong bones and teeth. It should contain magnesium, chondroitin, Glucosamine, vitamin D, calcium. and colloidal minerals for better absorption. Zinc, magnesium, copper, and manganese are also included, as these four minerals are vital for proper metabolism in the bone.

All of these ingredients combined serve to aid the entire structural system of the human body. Look for other trace minerals to improve your overall health, and make sure all of the ingredients are of the highest possible quality.

So, while taking a good multi vitamin is important, and taking a calcium supplement is also important, it is also vital that you make sure your calcium supplement includes Glucosamine if you really want to protect your bone structure. Don’t rely on calcium alone to still have you walking when you are in your eighties and nineties!

Author: Steven Godlewski

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steven_Godlewski

Bone Health Vitamins offers the following perspective on bone health.  Taking vitamins and supplements can definitely have an impact on your bone health.  If you have any questions about which are the best ways to maintain bone health, talk to your doctor. 

Every woman I know is concerned about osteoporosis. Frightening stories equate it with broken hips, bent spines, wheelchairs, and death – things we all want to avoid. What can we do? Should we take calcium supplements? Hormones? Fosamax? Can we rely on our green allies?

The Wise Woman tradition maintains that simple lifestyle choices – including, but not limited to, regular use of nourishing herbal infusions, medicinal herbal vinegars, yogurt, and seaweed – are sufficient to preserve bone and prevent breaks. And, further, that these lifestyle choices produce multiple health benefits, including reduction of heart disease and breast cancer, without the problems and risks associated with taking hormones. As for supplements, as we will see, they do more harm than good.

FORGET OSTEOPOROSIS

First, we must rid ourselves of the idea that osteoporosis is important. In the Wise Woman Tradition, we focus on the patient, not the problem. There are no diseases and no cures for diseases. When we focus on osteoporosis, we cannot see the whole woman. The more we focus on disease – even disease prevention – the less likely we are to know how to nourish health/wholeness/holiness.

In fact, focusing our attention narrowly on the prevention of osteoporosis actually increases the incidence of breast cancer. The postmenopausal women with the highest bone mass are the most likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer. Women who take estrogen replacement to prevent osteoporosis, even for as little as five years, increase their risk of breast cancer by twenty percent; if they take hormone replacement, the risk increases by forty percent.

These risks might be vindicated if we could show a correlation between bone density and bone breakage, but there isn’t one. When I found myself at dinner in 2000 with Susan Brown, director of the Osteoporosis Information Clearing House, I asked her to point me in the direction of any study that shows a clear relationship between osteoporosis and broken bones. She smiled. "There are none."

"In a recent study," she continued. "Researchers measured the bone density of people over 65 who had broken bones. Twenty-five percent had osteoporosis. Twenty-five percent had high bone density. And fifty percent had normal density." Notice that those with high bone density broke their hips as frequently as those with osteoporosis.

GET FLEXIBLE

If osteoporosis isn’t the problem, what is? In a word: inflexibility. Flexible bones bend; stiff bones break. This holds true even if the flexible bone is thin, even if the stiff bone is thick. Think of a piece of dead pine wood. Though it may be thick, it is brittle and breaks easily. Think of a green pine twig. Even a small one is nearly impossible to break. Flexible bones, whether thick or thin, bend rather than break.

Flexibility is synonymous with health in the Wise Woman Tradition. It is created by nourishing and tonifying. Bone flexibility is created by nourishing the bones and tonifying the muscles around them. Tonifying is as important as nourishing, but because we are herbalists, let’s focus on the benefits nourishing herbs offer to women who wish to have strong, flexible bones.

NOURISHING OUR BONES

Old age does not make weak bones. Poor nutrition makes weak bones.

What are bones made of? Like all tissues, they contain protein. They are rich in minerals, not just calcium, but also potassium, manganese, magnesium, silica, iron, zinc, selenium, boron, phosphorus, sulphur, chromium, and dozens of others. And in order to use those minerals, vitamin D must be present and the diet must contain high-quality fats.

Bones Need Protein

I have heard, and no doubt you have too, that animal protein leaches calcium from the bones. This is only half true. All protein, whether from meat, beans, soy, grains, or vegetables, uses calcium in digestion. Protein from soy is especially detrimental to bone health; soy is not only naturally deficient in calcium, it also directly interferes with calcium uptake in the bones. Traditional diets combine protein and calcium (eg, seaweed with tofu, tortillas made from corn ground on limestone with beans, and melted cheese on a hamburger). Protein-rich herbs such as stinging nettle, oatstraw, red clover, and comfrey leaf provide plenty of calcium too, as do yogurt, cheese, and milk (which also provide the healthy fats needed to utilize the minerals). Limiting protein limits bone health. Increasing mineral-rich proteins increases bone health.

Bones Need High-Quality Fats

Hormones are kinds of fats, and cholesterol is the precursor to many of them. Post-menopausal bone problems do not, to my mind, arise from a lack of estrogen, but from a lack of fat. If the diet is deficient in good-quality fats, hormones will be produced in inadequate amounts. And vitamin D, a hormone-like vitamin, will not be utilized well. Further, mineral absorption is dependent on fats. A low-fat diet, in my opinion, makes it quite difficult to have healthy bones.

Bones Need Minerals

Bones do need calcium, and they are the last to get it, so our diets need to be very rich in this mineral. But to focus on calcium to the exclusion of other minerals leads to broken bones, for calcium is brittle and inflexible. Think of a piece of chalk, calcium carbonate, and how easily it breaks. A six-and-a-half year study of 10,000 white women over the age of 65 found that "Use of calcium supplements was associated with increased risk of hip and vertebral fracture; use of Tums antacid tablets was associated with increased risk of fractures of the proximal humerus." The other minerals found in bone lend it 19c7 flexibility. When we get our calcium from herbs and foods (containing a multitude of minerals) we nourish healthy bones.

Extracting Minerals

From the Wise Woman perspective, the perfect way to maintain bone health, bone flexibility, and resistance to fracture is to use mineral-rich herbs and foods. Because minerals are bulky and do not compact, we must consume generous amounts to make a difference in our health. Just as eating a teaspoon of carrots is laughable, so is taking mineral-rich herbs in capsule or tincture form. Because minerals are rock-like, we need to break open cell walls to get at them. Raw, fresh foods do not deliver minerals to our bodies.

To extract minerals, we need heat, time, and generous quantities of plant material. I prefer to extract minerals into water or vinegar. To make a nourishing herbal infusion, I pour one quart/liter boiling water over one ounce/30 grams of dried herb in a canning jar, covering it tightly, and letting it brew overnight. In the morning, I strain out the mineral-rich liquid and drink it – over ice or heated, with honey or milk, mixed with black tea, seasoned with mint, spiked with rum, however you want it. You can drink the entire quart in one day, but do finish it within two.

My favorite nourishing herbal infusions are made from oatstraw (Avena sativa) or nettle (Urtica dioica) or red clover (Trifolium pratense) or comfrey leaves (Symphytum uplandica x). I sometimes add a little bit of aromatic herb such as peppermint (Mentha pipperata), lemon balm (Melissa off.), or bergamot (Monarda didyma) to change the flavor.

To extract minerals from fruits and vegetables, I cook them for long periods of time, or until there is color and texture change, evidence that the cell walls have been broken. Kale cooked for an hour delivers far more mineral to your bones than lightly steamed kale. Fresh juices contain virtually no minerals. Cooking maximizes the nutrients available to us, especially the minerals.

Herbs Are Mineral Powerhouses

Eating a cup of cooked greens every day is difficult, even for the most motivated woman. But drinking nourishing herbal infusions, eating seaweeds, and using medicinal herbal vinegars is easy. They are tasty, fun to prepare and use, and add a big nutritional plus with virtually no calories attached. Nourishing herbs and garden weeds are typically far richer in minerals than ordinary foodstuffs. Not only are nourishing herbs exceptional sources of minerals, their minerals are better at preventing bone breaks than supplements.

The ability of herbs to counter osteoporosis may be more complex than their richness of minerals, however. The minerals in green plants seem to be utilized more readily by the body and to be ideal for keeping bones healthy. Dr. Campbell, professor of Nutritional Biochemistry at Cornell University, has done extensive research in rural China where the lowest known fracture rates for midlife and older women were found. He says, "The closer people get to a diet based on plant foods and leafy vegetables, the lower the rates of many diseases, including osteoporosis."

IN SUMMATION

My own experiences in helping women regain and maintain bone density and flexibility have led me to believe that life-style modifications work exceptionally well for motivated women who wish to avoid the risks and expense of long-term pill use. Nourishing herbal infusions, mineral-rich herbal vinegars, yogurt, and seaweed, combined with attention to tonification of the muscles, unfailingly increases bone density and creates flexible, healthy bones and women.

Green blessings to you all.

8 KEYS TO HEALTHY BONES

1.Good nutrition for your mother while pregnant with you.

2.Good nutrition for you during the formation of your bones.

3.Monthly menses throughout your fertile years, especially before 30.

4.Special attention to maintaining high levels of protein, fat, minerals, and vitamins from herbs and foods in your diet when menses cease during pregnancy, lactation, or after menopause.

5.Regular rhythmical movement, the faster the better, daily.

6.Consistent practice of yoga, tai chi, or any strengthening, opening, flexibility-building discipline.

7.Chop wood, carry water.

8.Eat yogurt.

Legal Disclaimer: This content is not intended to replace conventional medical treatment. Any suggestions made and all herbs listed are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, condition or symptom. Personal directions and use should be provided by a clinical herbalist or other qualified healthcare practitioner with a specific formula for you. All material contained herein is provided for general information purposes only and should not be considered medical advice or consultation. Contact a reputable healthcare practitioner if you are in need of medical care. Exercise self-empowerment by seeking a second opinion.

Susun Weed

PO Box 64

Woodstock, NY 12498

Fax: 1-845-246-8081

Author: Susun Weed

Vibrant, passionate, and involved, Susun Weed has garnered an international reputation for her groundbreaking lectures, teachings, and writings on health and nutrition. She challenges conventional medical approaches with humor, insight, and her vast encyclopedic knowledge of herbal medicine. Unabashedly pro-woman, her animated and enthusiastic lectures are engaging and often profoundly provocative.

Susun is one of America’s best-known authorities on herbal medicine and natural approaches to women’s health. Her four best-selling books are recommended by expert herbalists and well-known physicians and are used and cherished by millions of women around the world. Learn more at http://www.susunweed.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Susun_Weed

Bone Health Vitamins presents the following article about how to maintain bone health with vitamins and supplements.  If you have any questions about these vitamins or other ways to ensure good bone health, talk to your doctor. 

Bone health is a concern we all must face as we age. If you don’t like the idea of giving up a weekly tennis game due to stiff elbows, or cutting short time with grandchildren due to aching hips, it is time to evaluate your habits to ensure healthy bones for years to come. Expensive prescription medications may be advertised everywhere these days, but you can also boost bone health by eating the right foods and taking effective vitamin supplements.

Supplements that Strengthen Bones

The word, "osteoporosis," means porous bones. As we age, bones become brittle and prone to fractures. A shortage of calcium, phosphorous and other minerals causes bones to weaken.

Osteoporosis affects both men and women, although women are twice as likely to suffer from fractures due to the condition. The sharp drop in estrogen that comes with menopause creates the larger risk factor for women, but low testosterone in men can make them susceptible as well. Women also tend to have lower bone density than men to begin with.

Whether you are a man or a woman, low bone density puts you at risk for fractures that can impact mobility as you age. So what to do about it? You needn’t wait for a diagnosis to start building healthy bones. Taking the proper dosage of certain vitamins builds strong bones and could result in minimizing the effects of aging and changing hormone levels.

Most everyone has heard that getting enough calcium could boost bone health but it’s important that you get the right kind of calcium. The most effective forms of calcium are calcium carbonate and calcium citrate. Any supplement will specify on the label which types it contains, so read closely. Adults over 50 years of age need 1,200 mg of calcium each day, and most of us do not reach this goal through food alone. Calcium supplements should be a must for anyone.

Any regimen of calcium supplements must be accompanied by vitamin D. This vitamin is necessary to help the body absorb enough calcium to benefit bones. Other vitamins to include in your treatment plan are vitamin K, which is important for bone growth and magnesium, which interacts with calcium in the body. Other helpful substances found in some supplements are glucosamine, which helps build and repair cartilage; MSM, a form of sulfur, which promotes flexibility; and omega-3 fish oils, which reduce inflammation and soothe troubled joints.

Eat Smart for Healthy Bones

A healthy diet targeting bone health can make supplements even more effective. Fruits and vegetables contain a long list of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that interact and promote natural harmony in the body. Research shows that as we age "bone resorption", or the process by which bones break down and lose minerals, can actually increase. One cause of bone resorption is the decreased ability to excrete acid, which is a normal bi-product of dietary metabolism. The increased acid levels cause bones to release calcium, phosphates and alkaline salts, resulting in lower bone density.

A recent study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism found that increasing fruit and vegetable intake can help prevent this resorption. These nutritious foods supply bicarbonate, an alkaline substance, which counteracts excess acid from protein and grains. You should not eliminate beneficial whole grains and lean protein as long as they are balanced with plenty of fresh produce daily.

Regardless of your age, calcium-rich foods in your diet are an excellent way to build strong bones. Calcium is present in dairy products, as well as a variety of delicious foods. Almonds, spinach, broccoli, kale, oats and tofu all supply a high level of your daily calcium needs, and there are many more as well. Food labels list calcium content, so it’s easy to make smart choices. If you eat one calcium-rich food at each meal, you can satisfy most of your daily goal. Make up the difference through supplements.

Bone health is a universal concern for women and men, young and old. If you boost bone health starting early in life, you will lower your risk of fractures as you age. If you are already over 50, it is not too late to strengthen bones and prevent further resorption. With diet and supplements, it is easy to make changes the natural way.

Mark Bromson, M.D.

Author: Mark Bromson, M.D.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mark_Bromson,_M.D.

Bone Health Vitamins presents the following article about vitamins that can assist you wtih your bone health concerns.  Ask your doctor about these vitamins and other supplements that can assist you with your bone health. 

Our bones are constantly being broken down and renewed. Until we reach our late teens, more bone is being made than is broken down until we reach the stage known as ‘peak bone mass’. As we get older, our bones tend to become weaker and more brittle as we lose calcium.

Certain vitamins are vital for our bodies to ingest to prevent bone diseases like Osteoporosis. There is substantial evidence to suggest that Calcium and Vitamin D are vital nutrients for maintaining healthy bones. There is also research suggesting that Magnesium, Vitamin K, Vitamin C and Boron also contribute to their health.

Our bones are 35-40% calcium. It is suggested that we ingest a minimum of 800mg of calcium per day. Children under 18 years of age should take 1300mg per day to ensure maximum density at ‘peak’ and post-menopausal women should take 1200mg of calcium per day as they are at highest risk of developing Osteoporosis.

It has been shown that Vitamin D supports the absorption of calcium and it’s recommended that we take 5ug of the vitamin day either through our diet or by ensuring that we have 10minutes of direct sunlight per day (our bodies can produce vitamin D when our skin gets direct sunlight).

Magnesium is used for the renewal of bone tissue. It’s recommended that women take 270mg and men take 320mg of magnesium per day.

Vitamin K must be present for bone to support the cells that remodel bone tissue. We need 80ug of Vitamin K daily.

Vitamin C supports the function of Vitamin D. We should ingest 75mg of vitamin C per day.
Boron is said to also help reduce the rate of bone loss as it has been shown to inhibit the excretion of calcium and magnesium.

Whilst these nutrients are said to help promote healthy bones, you should never substitute qualified medical advice with information found in this article. The author does not give or purport to give any medical or healthcare advice and is not qualified to do so.

Author: Kristy Lee

Kristy Lee is webmaster of Australia’s vitamin information website – HealthyComparisons.com.au. For more information visit http://www.healthycomparisons.com.au and navigate to http://www.healthycomparisons.com.au/bone_health.aspx to learn about and compare Australian vitamins for healthy bones. HealthyComparisons.com.au 2008 *You are welcome to publish this article as long as no changes are made and URLs stay in tact.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kristy_Lee

Bone Health Vitamins presents the following article about bone health and how aging men and their doctors may not be paying it enough attention.  Bone Health is definitely a hot topic amongst women, and most women I know take a day in and day out approach to their bone health due to the high level of awareness and focus by our physicians, fellow female friends and family members-even the TV commercials for bone health medications only show women!

This article would suggest that we should make sure we are focused on bone health, regardless of our gender. 

This article is from The Canadian Press. 

Aging Men may be under-prescribed bone-saving drugs, osteoporosis study finds

TORONTO — A new study suggests aging men and their doctors may not be paying enough attention to bone health.

The report from the Canadian Institutes for Health Information says older men in Canada are substantially less likely to be taking bisphosphonate drugs than are women.

Bisphosphonates are drugs used to counter the effects of osteoporosis and to prevent fractures.

While one in five senior women were using these medications in 2006-2007, only one out of every 30 senior men had been given a prescription for one of the drugs.

It is true that osteoporosis affects women more often than men; in fact, women are twice as likely to develop the bone-weakening disease.

But the report found the gap in prescribing rates between men and women is much bigger than the difference in disease incidence.

"This raises questions about whether men are being under-diagnosed and under-treated for the disorder, which could have serious consequences for seniors and their families," says Dr. Diane Theriault, medical director at the Dartmouth osteoporosis multidisciplinary education program in Nova Scotia.

It is estimated that osteoporosis affects up to one in every four women and one in every eight men over the age of 50 in Canada.

The report looked at six years’ worth of drug claims from over a million seniors from six provinces: Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta.

From 2001 to 2007, the proportion of seniors using one of the three drugs studied rose in each of the provinces. Overall, use by seniors rose to 12.9 per cent by the end of the period from 8.9 per cent at the start.

The drugs studied were etidronate, alendronate and risedronate. Canadian guidelines state the first should be used to decrease vertebral fractures, while the latter two are recommended to decrease vertebral, hip and other fractures.

Use of the drugs was highest among women and seniors over age 75.

Bone Health Viamins presents the following article that outlines how a new study may prove that a drug used for bone loss may even help to impact how breast cancers spread or recur.  This article was from The New York Times, Research section.

Bone Drugs May Help Fight Breast Cancer

by Gina Kolata 

A drug of a class commonly used to combat bone loss may reduce by a third the chance that some breast cancers will spread or recur, a large study has found.

While it may sound odd to treat cancer with a drug that acts on bone, evidence is accumulating that such drugs may do more than just prevent the loss of bone. Other studies are testing the drugs in patients with prostate or lung cancer.

The new study, published in Thursday’s New England Journal of Medicine, involved 1,803 premenopausal women with tumors that were fueled by estrogen. As part of their treatment, all received drugs that shut down their ovaries, preventing them from making estrogen, along with drugs that stymie cancer cells from using estrogen to grow.

Half also got the bone drug zoledronic acid, or Zometa, as an intravenous infusion twice a year for three years. Those who took the drug had a 36 percent reduction in cancer recurrences and metastases, compared with women who did not get it. After nearly four years, 54 women who received zoledronic acid and 83 who did not had a recurrence of their cancer or had a new cancer in the opposite breast or a metastasis to their bones.

Some cancer researchers said they wanted to see the results from two other large studies of bone drugs and breast cancer before advocating that all women with breast cancer get such drugs. The studies, which include both premenopausal and postmenopausal women, are nearing completion, and their results should be available within the next few years. But the new study has buoyed researchers’ hopes.

“This is really a landmark study,” said Dr. James N. Ingle, head of the breast cancer research program at the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center. “It’s a reason for real enthusiasm.”

But for now, he said, “I think it is the general consensus that we are not ready to make this a standard treatment.”

Others are more persuaded.

Dr. Marc E. Lippman, a breast cancer expert who is chairman of the department of medicine at the University of Miami, said many women taking hormonal therapy for breast cancer already take drugs to protect their bones. The hormonal therapy deprives the body of the bone-building effects of estrogen. So, he said, why not give these women zoledronic acid, the bone drug used in the study?

“This is something of a mitzvah,” Dr. Lippman said. “The very therapy you might want to do to counteract the toxicity” of the hormonal therapy “has an additional advantage.”

“I think you have to give it,” he said.

The idea of using a drug like zoledronic acid arose from research into why some cancers, like breast cancers, have a predilection to spread to bone.

One reason, Dr. Ingle said, is that cancer cells interact with a type of bone cell, osteoclasts, whose role is to break down bone. Breast cancer cells that migrate to the bones stimulate osteoclasts. Osteoclasts then produce substances that stimulate the cancer cells.

“You get this vicious cycle,” he said.

Drugs used to treat osteoporosis, the bone-thinning disease that often occurs in the elderly, home in on osteoclasts and stop them from releasing substances that cause bone loss. As the osteoclasts stop working, they die.

So the idea arose: Perhaps osteoporosis drugs might prevent cancer cells from growing in bones.

Other studies of the osteoporosis drugs, known as bisphosphonates, indicated that they might also have other anticancer effects. In the laboratory, at least, they stopped cancer cells from growing new blood supplies. And bisphosphonates made cancer cells self-destruct in laboratory studies.

In addition, said Dr. Eric P. Winer, a breast cancer specialist at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, still other studies indicated that bisphosphonates affected how well cancer cells stuck to surrounding tissue and whether they were able to invade other tissue and proliferate.

And, said Dr. Michael Gnant of the Medical University of Vienna, the lead author of the new study, recent research indicates that particularly in the early stages of many cancers, there is a population of tumor cells that migrate to the bones and hide in bone marrow. Bisphosphonates, he said, might squelch those cells, affecting the ability of the disease to recur.

“This is a general mechanism for all cancers,” Dr. Gnant said. “Not just cancers that metastasize to bone.”

The idea for the cancer studies began when researchers, like Dr. Trevor J. Powles, a professor of breast oncology at Parkside Oncology in London, started asking whether bisphosphonates could treat cancer that had already spread to bone. They could, it turned out, and zoledronic acid and other bisphosphonates were subsequently approved for that use and shown to prevent further spread of cancer in bones. In fact, Zometa is approved only for bone complications of cancer, like fractures — it is not licensed as an osteoporosis drug.

Those discoveries led Dr. Powles and his colleagues and, independently, two other groups of researchers, to ask whether the drugs, in the high doses used to treat cancer, might prevent breast cancer from spreading in the first place.

The results, published a few years ago, were mixed. Dr. Powles’s study found that when women took a bisphosphonate their cancer was less likely to spread to their bones and they lived longer. Another study also found that the cancer was less likely to spread. But the third study found no effect.

Dr. Gnant, in the meantime, had begun a much larger study with intravenous zoledronic acid at a much lower dose, given twice a year for three years. The concern with the drug is a rare and very serious side effect, osteonecrosis of the jaw. But in this study at least, it did not occur.

And the surprising result of his study, if it holds up, indicates that zoledronic acid could add a benefit to existing breast cancer therapy that is nearly the same magnitude as the benefit conferred by chemotherapy or hormonal therapy alone.

But Dr. Gnant urges caution.

“While everyone is very excited, we still need to be conservative about what we recommend to patients,” he said. “In clinical science we do clinical trials. I am still hesitating to say, ‘Well, this is good for everyone.’ In the history of science we sometimes extrapolated and turned out to be absolutely wrong.”

“The right way to proceed,” Dr. Gnant said, “is to wait for data to come in from other studies.”

Calcium Supplements – How They Help Our Bones

Bone Health Vitamins presents the following resources on how calcium supplements can positively impact your bone health.

In today’s more health conscious world, all kinds of vitamin and mineral supplements are available. There are many people who use these products in an attempt to improve the quality of their health. One of the most popular types of supplement is calcium. Consumers have long been given information on the importance of calcium supplements for good bone health.

While everyone regardless of age or gender needs calcium for healthy bones, the biggest group of people who can benefit from a calcium supplement is postmenopausal women. These ladies are at a higher risk for osteoporosis. It has long been known that as we age, bone density lessens and our ability to produce more healthy bone cells diminishes. Many people in this group and others are taking the preemptive strike against bone loss by ensuring that they get the recommended amount of calcium each day.

Besides postmenopausal women, older people in general are finding that taking a calcium supplement is an excellent way to help reduce the risk of severe bone loss or fracture. Both men and women naturally lose some of the strength in their bones and the result is more brittle and fragile bone mass. Turning to the aid of a calcium supplement helps to hold off this often common problem. The hip is prone to breaking as the body ages. Another part of the skeleton frequently at risk for fracture is the shoulders. One minor fall could result in weeks or months of recuperation, even hospitalization.

When the natural production of estrogen and other female hormones declines during menopause bone density is quickly affected. Bone loss of 2%-3% each year during menopause is not uncommon. In addition to menopause being a risk factor for osteoporosis, women who are small boned, Asian or Caucasian, and have a family history of Osteoporosis are generally at higher risk. Taking preventative measures is one way women can avoid osteoporosis and take care of their bone health.

Of course younger people are not at as high a risk as those who are in or approaching their golden years, but it isn’t impossible for even younger groups to experience below average bone mass from inadequate calcium consumption or insufficient weight bearing exercise. Pregnancy and other hormonal changes take their toll on the quality of the bones as well. Everyone should be on the look out for their skeletal structures continued good health and strength.

Calcium rich foods and supplements help maintain blood calcium levels therefore reducing the need for calcium releases from the skeleton. Calcium intake helps keep bones strong and reduce the risk of hip fracture and other unnecessary bone breaks. In the case of osteoporosis, height is often lost as a result of the spine bending due to soft bone tissue. A calcium supplement or calcium rich foods, plus exercise, can help you slow the loss of height or other preventable effects to ensure a more satisfying, safer future.

When you are considering taking a calcium supplement, it’s important to be aware of the recommended intake for specific age groups and genders. Here is in the U.S., the recommended intake for young adults, 19 to 50, is 1000mg a day. After that age, the amount of calcium intake you should aim for is 1200mg. Vitamin D is often a part of bone health as well. Younger adults should generally take 5mg daily with the older adults advised to get 10mg.

If you are in doubt as to the importance of calcium supplements, take a look at how much money is spent annually in osteoporosis related insurance claims or medical costs. In Europe the number tops out at $37.6 billion with the U.S. reporting $17.5 billion. A good portion of that money probably was spent on osteoporosis related fractures. Of course those figures don’t add in the pain and recovery time needed to heal from such an injury or impact on quality of life of the individual.

By: Craig Smith

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Diet And Workout Maintain Bone Health

Bone Health Vitamins presents the following information on the connection between working out and bone health.  It is well known that light weight training is important to long term bone health.

Regular workout protects the bones from the effects of a calorie-restricted diet, according to a recent study. Since working out prevents bone loss during voluntary weight loss, calorie deprivation should be combined with exercising in order to achieve a balance between losing weight and preserving the bone, according to Dl. Villareal.

Over a one-year time period, nineteen people followed a calorie-restricted diet, another nineteen ate as usual but engaged in regular workout, and ten people from the control group only followed a healthy lifestyle. The results showed a weight loss of about eighteen pounds and a bone density loss of more than two percent among the dieters.

The exercisers had a weight loss of almost fifteen pounds and no significant changes concerning bone mineral density. For the healthy lifestyle group there were no changes about the weight loss or the bone mineral density.

However, the calorie-restriction diet has benefic effects, according to Dr. Villareal. Calorie restriction should not be considered a negative, as it helps reduce the risk of disease and contributes to losing weight.

It is also possible that calorie restrictions may result in anti-aging benefits, which could not be achieved solely by exercising. To maintain healthy bones, workout should be made part of a weight loss program in order to compensate for the adverse effects on bone, of calorie restrictions.

By: Andrea Pelin

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

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