Last month my 74-year-old mother while walking, tripped on a
small tuft of grass, fell - and broke her rib! Her recovery
has been painful, debilitating and at times depressing. It
also affected my elderly father who relies heavily on her
day to day.
Surprisingly, this instance of fracture was not due to
osteoporosis. However my mom's experience caused me stop and
think deeply. As a 40-something woman, am I doing everything
possible to keep my skeletal system in tip-top condition?
Once we get past the inevitable scrapes of childhood, during
our middle years we don't give too much thought to our
bones. We understand that bones make up our structural
frame, but we tend to think of our bones like the frame of a
house. Supporting and rigid, and that's it.
The truth of it is that bone is an active, living tissue.
Bone is constantly changing, undergoing synthesis and
remodeling itself. Like all other bodily tissue, bone is
totally dependent on many different micronutrients and
enzymes for optimum bone function and health.
Unfortunately the typical western diet is now so heavily
weighted with white flours, refined sugars and fats it is
deplete of many of the micronutrients required for healthy
bones.
There are other aspects of concern with the typical western
diet. Do you regularly drink carbonated beverages? Did you
know that carbonated drinks increase the body's intake of
phosphorus - which, in turn, decreases our absorption of
calcium. Decreased absorption of calcium can lead to an
unhealthy, nutrient-starved skeletal system. And in time
this can lead to osteoporosis.
Whilst calcium is necessary, it is not the only critical
micronutrient for healthy bones. Make sure your diet has an
adequate supply of magnesium, zinc, silicon, boron, folic
acid, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, Manganese, vitamin K, vitamin
D and magnesium. These trace elements are important and many
of us are not getting them from our regular food consumption
patterns. For instance, the Journal of Nutritional Medicine
reports between 80 to 85 per cent of Americans consume a
magnesium-deficient diet!
The good news is that if many of us with diet deficiencies
which may have impacted our bone health, can improve our
situation with a few lifestyle adjustments. Medical evidence
supports an improvement in bone density where people make
lifestyle changes to incorporate weight bearing exercise, a
diet more rich in fresh fruit and vegetables, complemented
with high quality nutritional supplements.
Why wait until you bones start breaking before you think
about ensuring a healthy skeletal system? Have a look at
good quality nutritional supplementation .
(c) Copyright Kim Beardsmore
About The Author
Kim Beardsmore, B.Sc, (Biochemistry) is a successful
wellness consultant and assists people lose weight and keep
it off! To see what you can do to take control of your
weight, visit her website at
http://leanmachine.org/?refid=osteo-16274.
