Posts Tagged "osteoporosis"

Calcium conundrum: which supplement should I choose?

Posted by Liz on Sep 18, 2009 in bone health | 0 comments

Calcium supplements come in many forms including calcium citrate,  calcium carbonate and calcium gluconate.  Experts have long said that when it comes to selecting a calcium supplement, type is less important than the amount of calcium that is available for absorption by the body. This can be determined by looking at % of the recommended daily amount that is available in each dose. Currently, the National Osteoporosis Foundation recommends that women between the ages of 19 and 49 ingest 1,000 mg daily and over age 50, 1,200 mg daily.

Hence, I was intrigued when I ran across a newly published review in the September/October issue of Menopause that shows a significant advantage with a form of calcium I had not heard of before: ossein-hydroxyapatite complex (OHC), which is the mineral component of bones and teeth.

Conducting an extensive review of six clinical trials that compared OHC to calcium carbonate in 614 postmenopausal women, the researchers found that OHC was statistically superior to calcium carbonate in terms of preventing bone loss and increasing bone mineral density (BMD). Importantly, use of vitamin D did not affect the results nor did further statistical analyses.

OHC is available in microcrystalline form and often goes by the name MCHA or MCHC. This helps insure adequate absorption by the body. I’ve seen it available online and its price structure is similar to other standardized supplement formulations.

After menopause, women can experience as much as a 30% loss of bone, thereby increasing the risk for osteoporosis. I am heartened by this research and by the fact that we now have another tool in our kit to keep our bones strong and healthy. Prevention is key!

Sinking your teeth…into osteoporosis

Posted by Liz on Sep 7, 2009 in bone health | 1 comment

Time to beef up protection of your bones now….before osteoporosis leaves you with fewer teeth. Disturbing study findings from the March issue of the Journal of Clinical Periodontology suggest that osteoporosis won’t just leave you a few inches shorter and hunched over, but you may lose a few teeth while you’re at it.

Researchers examined 651 menopausal women between the ages of 45 and 70, measuring bone density in the hip, spine and the pelvis. Among the women examined, 140 had osteoporosis.

• Despite adjusting for factors that might increase osteoporosis risk, such as age and smoking, a significant association was found between osteoporosis and having fewer teeth.
• On average, women with osteoporosis had at one to three fewer teeth than those without.

Osteoporosis can affect the jaw, leading to bone loss and a decline in bone density needed to support teeth. Although the numbers of teeth lost are fairly low compared to healthy women, it’s important to keep in mind that studies show that tooth loss can have a significant impact on both quality of life and oral comfort.

I’ve written several posts about osteoporosis, bone loss and prevention so I’m not going to reinvent the wheel. But I do encourage you to peruse the archives and start taking steps to prevent, slow or halt bone loss before you lose a few bones, and a few teeth.

Just something to sink your teeth into….

Beer boosts bones

Posted by Liz on Aug 21, 2009 in bone health | 2 comments

Beer boosts bones. Say that three times fast.

Seriously, the weekend is fast approaching and it’s a beer sort of day; well sort of. A newly-published study is touting the news that bone density is better in beer drinkers than in non-beer drinkers. On the otherhand, drinking more than two alcohol drinks a day can be harmful to bone. Confused yet?

Researchers say that at appropriate doses, alcohol stimulates calcitonin, a hormone that inhibits the breakdown of bone cells and stimulate bone formation. As women age, they experience a deficit in calcitonin, which is one reason why osteoporosis is so prevalent after menopause. Key components in alcohol that promotes calcitonin and also inhibit postmenopausal bone loss are flavones, which are a type of flavanoid primarily found in certain cereals and herbs. Evidently, beer contains flavones.

In this particular study, which was published in the journal Nutrition, researchers measured bone density of the bones in their fingers, and evaluated weight, age and alcohol use in 1697 women. Women who participated in the study were on average, 48 years old; 710 were premenopausal, 176 were perimenopausal and 811 were postmenopausal. All participants were classified as moderate drinkers (1/2 cup to 10 ounces of alcohol per week), light drinkers (less than 1/2 cup alcohol per week) or non-drinkers, and were also classified according to whether they were beer or wine drinkers.

Study findings showed that women who were characterized as moderate beers drinkers had superior bone density compared to non-drinkers and wine drinkers, regardless of menopausal status and independent of age.

The researchers point out that it is likely that certain components of hops, namely the female flowers, have high estrogen-like properties. Moreover, they say that two isoflavones — daidzein and genistein — have been shown to have bone-protective properties and are present in beer. Beer is also a major dietary source of silicon, which studies show plays a major role in bone formation.

So, what to make of this study? Should you run out and buy a six-pack? Forgo that glass of wine for a cold one? The researchers say that they are not recommending that peri- and postmenopausal women start drinking beer to decrease their risk of osteoporosis. Still, one or two beers can’t hurt, right?

Bad to the bone

Posted by Liz on May 8, 2009 in bone health | 0 comments

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7VsoxT_FUY]

Are hot flashes and other vasomotor symptoms an indication of adverse bone health? According to data coming out of the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation, they might possibly be. Notably, while studies have examined the association between vasomotor symptoms and bone mineral density (BMD) previously, they have not followed women as they undergo the menopausal transition and rather, focused on women after they completed menopause.

Here are some of the study’s highlights:

• 2,213 women, ages 42 to 52, were included in the five year study. all had a uterus, were not using hormones, and had not yet entered menopause (i.e. still had their periods)
• Menopause stage and degree of vasomotor symptoms were assessed each year by questionnaire
• Bone mineral density was measured at the study’s start and each year. Dimensions were taken at the spine, hip, and pelvis

Study findings, which were published this past March in Menopause, showed that bone mineral density was lower in women with vasomotor symptoms compered to those without. What’s more, these effects varied depending in the stage of menopause. For example, women in pre- and early perimenopause with vasomotor symptoms had lower bone density measures in their pelvic areas, while women in postmenopause with vasomotor symptoms had lower BMD in their spine and hips. Overall, bone mineral density was consistently lower in women who experienced frequent vasomotor symptoms versus those who did not. In these cases, lower bone density was more evident in the lumbar spine in early peri- and postmenopause, and in the pelvis among early pre-menopausal women.

Whew! What does it all mean?

According to researchers, the findings suggest that vasomotor symptoms in menopause are linked to bone density deficits, which vary depending on the severity of symptoms and menopausal stage. This may help women and their practitioners devise more targeted strategies to protect bone health at appropriate times, and potentially encourage regular screening to prevent osteoporosis, fractures and related problems. The National Osteoporosis Foundation’s Bone Tool Kit includes information on calcium, vitamin D and exercise. Yoga Journal also has some great advice regarding safe and helpful postures.

Hot flashes and night sweats may be bad for the bones. But there are many positive steps we can take to protect them. Afterall, we only have one set. There’s no time like the present to take better care!

Onions and bones…nothing to cry about

Posted by Liz on Apr 17, 2009 in bone health | 0 comments

I love onions. Red onions, scallions, yellow onions, spring onions, shallots; you name it. Sauteed, raw, caramelized, fried, baked. Yum! So, imagine my pleasure when I stumbled across an interesting study in the July issue of Menopause that shows a link between onion consumption and increased bone density. Yowza!

Okay, so your breath might be a bit ripe but your bones will love you for it!

Although calcium, vitamin D supplements and exercise are effective prevention tools against osteoporosis, they have not been shown to add much in the way of slowing bone loss. To address this hole in therapy, researchers have been looking towards phytochemicals, i.e. natural compounds in plants, to examine if they might increase the activity of bone building cells (osteoblasts) and decrease the activity of cells the breakdown bones (osteoclasts).

Spurred by studies in rats, researchers analyzed the bone density (repeated five times) and onion consumption (from 2 or more times daily to 1 to 6 times a year to never) in 507 perimenopausal and postmenopausal non-Hispanic white women, age 50 and older, participating in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Study. Women were divided  into four groups based on their onion consumption:

• Less once/month
• 2 times a month to 2 times a week
• 3 to 6 times a week
• Once a day or more

Because certain variables are considered risk factors for osteoporosis and could influence study findings, the researchers also measured age, smoking status, calcium intake, use of vitamin D supplements, thyroid hormone levels, intensity of exercise regimens (i.e. none, moderate, vigorous), use of estrogen, and body mass index.

The findings? The more onions the women ate, the greater the increase in their bone density. In fact, women who consumed onions at least once daily had an overall bone density of their spine that was 5% greater than women who consumed onions once a month or less.

What the study didn’t tell us was the quantity (e.g. one cup) and type of onions consumed.

Studies comparing the bone density of smokers and non-smokers at different ages have shown that a bone density difference of 4% can confer a 41% greater risk of hip fracture. So while a 5% difference seems marginal at best, the potential reduction in the risk of fractures is great.

The researchers caution that certain compounds in onions, such as quercetin, have been associated with cancer causing properties. However, they note that animal studies have found no evidence of such problems. Although further study is needed to determine if women who ate onions also consume foods other than onions that might contribute to their reduced risk for osteoporosis, they believe that onions hold great promise as an addition to other measures that prevent osteoporosis.

Me? I’m all for erring on the side of onions. Tears and all!