Search results for calcium

No bones about it: the best things in life are sea

Posted by Liz on May 28, 2010 in bone health, diet | 3 comments

Did you know that eating fish that live in the sea might help boost bone health and density? Although most of the attention on the link between osteoporosis and diet has focused on calcium, milk and soy, a few studies suggest that other nutrients, such as polyunsaturated fatty acids and omega-3s, may also play a role.

According to novel research published in the journal Osteoporosis International,  a greater intake of sea fish, but not shellfish or freshwater fish, is linked to as much as almost a 7% increase in bone-mineral density and an almost 10% increase in bone mass in general and in the hip areas in particular. On average, the women studied, all of whom were menopausal, were eating about .8 ounces of sea fish a day — about 16% of their total daily protein intake, and about 2 ounces daily of sea fish and shellfish combined. Factors like body weight, smoking, and alcohol did not appear to influence the association between fish from the sea and bone benefits. (Note – the study did not specifically address the exact types of fish that they women were eating other than to say, it wasn’t freshwater or shellfish.)

Interestingly, prior studies have found similar links between higher bone mineral density and a high consumption of seafood among menopausal women. Researchers say that a higher intake of fish versus animal protein or low quality foods may account, at least in part, for the higher bone mass.And while they are unable to offer any reasonable explanation for why sea fish, especially the oily types like salmon or mackerel or tuna benefit bone health while freshwater fish does not, they say that it might be due to the high level of vitamin D , which has long been associated with favorable bone mass. Omega-3 fatty acids are also thought to play important roles.

The take-away on this is to eat more fish from the sea. Clearly, environmental concerns, like overfishing and high level of mercury, may influence your seafood selection, however, Seafood Watch offers some great resources how to make safe and careful choices.  What I love about this information is that it not only serves to encourage healthier eating, which can help keep those pounds away (My friend Danielle Omar wrote a great guest post about sea veggies and weight about a month ago), but also provides another strategy for keeping bones healthy as we age. Yup, the best things in life are sea.

Wednesday Bubble: the soy controversy

Posted by Liz on Apr 7, 2010 in bone health, emotions, hot flash | 0 comments

Do they or don’t they?

Soy isoflavones have been touted as beneficial in everything from improving body composition and lowering breast and colorectal cancer, to addressing menopausal hot flashes and moods. You can read about some of these findings on Flashfree. This week, Reuters Health reported that eating foods rich in soy protein (i.e. 25 grams of soy protein and 60 mg isoflavones) daily did not provide favorable responses from blood fats, implying that soy has little benefit in terms of lowering cholesterol levels and in turn, promoting heart health.

Are you confused yet?

Increasingly, women are turning to soy and other compounds as alternatives to estrogen and hormone replacement therapy, which mounting evidence shows can be associated with a broad range of risks including  increased breast, lung and ovarian cancer to heart disease. And yet, findings from clinical trials examining soy are often contradictory, making it difficult to come to any firm conclusion about its benefits.

What’s the problem? Well, researchers say that part of the problem is poorly designed studies, small number of study participants, wide range of ages and years from menopause, studies that don’t examine the pros and cons of an agent or strategy for a long enough period of time (i.e. longer than a year). In other cases (as I’ve argued previously), the study design does not account for certain factors that are critical to a therapeutic strategy, for example, the opportunity to clearly focus an intervention so that individual factors are accounted for (this was borne out by findings from a trial that examined and provided evidence for the role of acupuncture in easing hot flashes).

There’s good news though! Researchers finally appear to be getting their act together on the soy fron. They’ve announced that they are conducting a well-designed, large trial of soy phytoestrogens. Called  SPARE (Soy Phytoestrogens as Replacement Estrogen), this new study will be looking at the effects of 200 mg soy versus sugar tablet daily — namely on bone health and symptoms —  in 248 menopausal women over a two- year period. They will also be taking daily calcium carbonate plus vitamin D (in ranges of 500 mg to 1000 mg calcium and 200 to 400 IU vitamin D, depending on previous intake).

The study is specifically geared towards looking at spine bone density, but will also be looking at hip density, thyroid levels, menopausal symptoms, mood changes, depression, and quality of life, as well as any changes in blood fats. Study participants are between the ages of 45 and 60 and are within five years from menopause. What’s more, the researchers have also included a large percentage of hispanic women, which allows them to focus on how soy affects this minority group (Notably, the large multiethnic population of women in this study includes Asians, Blacks and Caucasians.)

The researchers say that they hope that the results of SPARE will provide a range of information that is especially relevant to Boomers reaching menopause. They also note that the dose of soy isoflavones being studied is much larger than what’s been studied in previously and are roughly twice that typically consumed in the Asian diet.

I realize that this post is pretty scientific. But what makes it most relevant is that it appears that researchers are finally starting to design studies that might actually show benefit of some of the alternative strategies we have available to us on the market. For those of you who insist on calling these alternatives “snake oil,” all I can say is ‘stay tuned.’

This bubble might finally be shattered; perhaps all that is needed is a better understanding of what it needs to test these substances appropriately.

Osteoporosis: what’s the 411?

Posted by Liz on Feb 19, 2010 in bone health, osteoporosis | 0 comments

Osteoporosis and low bone mineral density are well-known issues for menopausal women. As women enter the early stages of menopause, their bones lose their ability to retain their mass and manufacture new bone tissue, resulting in bone loss and increasing the risk for osteoporosis and its deleterious effects. What’s more, experts estimate that by the time a woman reaches the age of 50, she has a 40% risk of suffering a fracture due to osteoporosis for the rest of her lifetime. Besides the discomfort, hip fractures in women lead to a loss of mobility, a need for long-term care and even death. No bones about it; osteoporosis is no laughing matter.

Risk factors that contribute to a loss of bone mineral density are varied and include age, genetics, low calcium/vitamin D intake, body weight and menopause status. However, osteoporosis is a mixed bag and there are several underlying conditions that can also contribute to its severity:

• Medications (e.g. heparin, anticonvulsants, progesterone, chemotherapy agents)
• Parathyroid hormone (which regulates  how calcium is used in the body – released in urine, absorbed in diet and stored in bones)
• Calcium imbalance due to excessive calcium excretion, aka “hypercalciuria,” Vitamin D deficiencies

Before I move into the land of boredom, there is a reason why I’m sharing some of the facts about osteoporosis, which BTW are readily available on the National Osteoporosis Foundation website (if you’ve not perused the site, I strongly encourage you to do so!): there is an indication that your practitioner might not be looking for these important secondary causes! Moreover, sometimes they are not even readily apparent.

Writing in the journal Menopause, researchers studying 204 menopausal women say that they’ve discovered that among the various factors that influence a woman’s risk for low bone density, several impact severity:

• Low vitamin D levels (82% of women in this study had below optimal levels)
• Elevated parathyroid hormone levels (35% of women in the study) — (leads to too much calcium in the blood and a loss of calcium from bones)
• Unusually high calcium excretion (20% of women in the study)
• High bone turnover rates (41% of women in the study) — (high bone turnover refers to an increase in  the breakdown, or resorption of bone without a compensation for the repair of bone, leading to compromised strength, thinning, brittleness and fractures)

There are a number of dietary and lifestyle strategies to prevent osteoporosis, including incorporating Vitamin D and calcium supplementation, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids into the diet, and increasing physical activity. More recent findings suggest that beer, onions and even flaxseed may be effective (although more research is needed). Meanwhile, if you’ve recently learnt that your bone mineral density is low (or that you’ve actually developed osteoporosis) you need to speak to your practitioner about some of these other markers. Knowledge is power and the more you know, the greater the likelihood that you can start incorporating treatment now to prevent further bone deterioration.

That’s the 411. No bones about it!

Move over, red clover

Posted by Liz on Dec 11, 2009 in depression, herbal medicine | 1 comment

There’s interesting news on the red clover front.

Although red clover may have questionable value when it comes to hot flashes (the verdict is still out with regards to whether or not it is effective) researchers are now saying that this isoflavone may be useful for reducing depression and anxiety in menopausal women.

In a study published in the online edition of Maturitas journal, over 200 menopausal women received 2-80 mg red clover capsules or sugar tablet for 90 days, took a break, and then were assigned the opposite medication for another 90 days. The researchers measured anxiety and depression at the study’s start, at 90 days and at the study’s completion.

Taking red clover reduced total anxiety and depression by as much as 77%, compared to declines following placebo (which overall, declined about 21%). This decline could likely be attributed to what is known as the placebo effect, in which some an improvement is perceived to be real.

About red clover

Red clover is a perennial whose flowers have long been dried and used therapeutically in complementary medicine. It’s a known source of calcium, chromium, magnesium, niacin, phosphorus, potassium, thiamine, and vitamin C. Researchers have studied its utility in heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis and of course menopause. Herbalists also use red clover topically for eczema, psoriasis and other rashes. Although most people tolerate red clover very well, it has been associated with headache, nausea and rash. Animals who graze on large amounts of red clover have also become infertile. It can also interfere with certain drugs that are metabolized by the liver and can enhance the effects of estrogens, birth control and blood thinners.

Should you take red clover for anxiety and depression? The verdict is early but it is looking promising. As always, peak to a licensed, knowledgeable practitioner before using red clover with any regularity for any condition.

Dem bones were made for dancing!

Posted by Liz on Nov 20, 2009 in bone health, exercise | 0 comments

Get on your dancing shoes!

I was inspired to read that professional dancer Erin Boag from Strictly Come Dancing (the UK’s version of Dancing with the Stars), has teamed up with the International Osteoporosis Foundation to inspire all those armchair dancers to get off their butts and work their bones a bit.  In fact, many bone experts agree that dancing may be an excellent (and non-boring) way to strengthen bones and muscle,  prevent or at least slow osteoporosis.

Mind you, this program is being funded by DAIICHI SANKYO, a pharma company that manufactures drugs that treat osteoporosis. Nevertheless, it’s an important first step towards taking a cheesy premise that attracts millions of television viewers and repackaging some of its basic elements to help people who don’t normally like to exercise to change their habits. Currently available only in Europe and through doctors’ practices, the ‘Improvement through Movement’ DVD offers some easy waltz, rumba and quick step moves.

Osteoporosis is a tremendous problem as we age. In the US, it affects approximately 10 million people, 8 million of whom are women. Worldwide, more than 200 million women suffer from osteoporosis.

I’ve long been a proponent of more natural approaches to solving what ails. And bone health is one of those things that can be easily preserved through weight-bearing physical activity and a healthy diet that incorporates vitamin D and calcium-rich foods and isoflavones. You can read more about bone health in these posts.

In the meantime, this program sounds like a terrific idea that could be easily reproduced in this country as well. What say you ‘Dancing with the Stars?‘ Can we take a page from our European friends on behalf of our US bones?