Support Your Bones, Now And For The Future

Osteoporosis is something that many of us know about; but what many of us don’t know are the shocking statistics that result from osteoporosis. While those statistics are grim, the good news is that you don’t have to be a part of it. Prevention is easier than you think.

It is easy for us to take our wellbeing for granted, especially if we have no immediate or obvious concerns that stop us in our tracks. But the age old adage ‘prevention is better than the cure’ rings true for many facets of our health. One of these is the health of our skeleton, which we could simply not function without. It is vital that we appreciate the importance of taking care of our bones so that they can serve us well for many years to come.

Osteoporosis is something that most of us have heard of, but what many of us don’t know are the shocking statistics that result from osteoporosis. 

Many of us don’t know that osteoporosis accounts for more days spent in the hospital than diabetes, heart attack, or breast cancer in women. I don’t know about you, but those are some concerning statistics, given that over 40 million people in the United States either already have osteoporosis, or are at high risk of suffering from it due to low bone mass.

While post-menopausal women are at the greatest risk of osteoporosis, it is still crucial that both men and women of all ages recognise the importance of bone health. We need to break the misconception that taking care of our bones is only for the “oldies”, because it’s actually important for all of us. The best approach is to start taking preventative measures now to ensure optimal skeletal health, not only for today but in the years to come as well.

Bone health in those younger than 50 or 60 has not always been a focus by doctors and in relation to this statistics show that the number of hip fractures in the United States could be tripled by 2020. While those statistics may sound worrying, the good news is that you don’t have to be a part of it. Prevention is the key and may be easier than you think. Read on for some of the best ways to reduce your risk of osteoporosis.

1. Increase Calcium

Maintaining a healthy diet rich in fresh, whole foods that includes sufficient calcium is an important factor. The most easily absorbed forms are found in dairy products like milk, cheese and yogurt. For those who are lactose intolerant or choose not to eat dairy, other good choices to up your calcium intake are collard greens, broccoli, kale, figs, sardines and almonds.

2. Stay Active

Vitamin D is essential for helping the bones to absorb and retain calcium, and the best source comes from the sun, giving you a great reason to get outside and be active. Getting some sunshine in the early and late hours of the day avoids damaging UV rays but still helps to increase your Vitamin D levels Exercise also helps your bones grow stronger because the muscles pull against the skeleton as you move. . The best kinds of exercise for building and maintaining bone density are weight-bearing and resistance exercises such as lifting weights, hiking or tennis. Muscle-strengthening exercises such as yoga, jogging, stair climbing and dancing are also excellent options.

3. Avoid Losing Calcium

Increasing calcium in your diet is a great step for supporting healthy bones. But helping your body to retain it also needs to be considered.

Popular carbonated soft drinks contain phosphoric acid which may weaken the intestinal lining and affect the absorption of calcium. Drinking seven or more colas a week is also associated with a reduction of bone mineral density and an increased risk of fractures.3.2. High sodium intake can contribute to calcium excretion through the kidneys. The American Heart Association suggests taking in less than 1,500 mg of sodium daily.

Avoid going overboard on sugar as excess sugar inhibits calcium absorption and depletes phosphorus, which is important in facilitating the absorption of calcium.

While caffeine may help with keeping you awake through your morning meeting, it leaches calcium from bones with some researchers suggesting that roughly 6 mg of calcium is lost for every 100 mg of caffeine ingested.

4. Supplement Wisely

Obtaining as many nutrients as we can from our diet is the best place to start, but we can all do with a little helping hand. Supplements are a good option, but choosing one containing a natural, bio-available form of calcium that is actually able to be absorbed by the bones is an important consideration.. Xtend-Life’s Bone-Support contains calcium sourced from marine and plant sources, which are preferable over lesser quality synthetic forms found in other brands. We have also combined it with essential co-factors such as Vitamin K2, Vitamin D3 and Magnesium to enhance the efficacy and absorption of the calcium. Cheaper forms of calcium are not well-recognized by the body, so not as easily absorbed into the bones. They can end up circulating in the blood stream and calcifying in the arteries, which may lead to increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

Optimal bone strength also relies on optimally functioning muscles and joints, so we cannot forget to focus on this too, especially as we age. A fantastic option for supporting flexible, lubricated joints and protecting cartilage is our Green Lipped Mussel Powder. Stiff muscles and painful joints are no fun, so providing some added support is the way to go. This also makes it more likely for us to engage in exercise, which as I have mentioned is important for bone health.

The mantra ‘prevention is better than the cure’ can be applied to many areas of our health and is especially relevant in regards to our bones. Taking action now by adopting some of this advice will place you in good stead to maintain strong, healthy bones for many years to come. It is never too early to start in laying the foundation for s strong, resilient skeleton. The earlier the better, but it is never too late either, and any changes you can incorporate into your lifestyle are always worth the effort.

In good health.

5 Responses

Its a very nice website and gives people so much ideas about the health topics. My research on best essay writing service tells me so much information about Osteoporosis. Its a great article that aware people about how to avoid Osteoporosis with complete care.

Nicholas Plunkett May 03 2016

Hi, I have been wanting to tell you this for a very long time. About 8 years ago I was told that I had a very fragile right hip which might have to be replaced eventually. At that time I was already taking your vitamins and I got on your website straight away and found Bone Support. I have been taking it ever since and have absolutely no problem with my hips at all and I shall continue to take it. I am so very pleased with all your supplements, I shall continue to take them until my last day. Thank you so very much!

Michele Getkate November 02 2017

The caution I have with the advice you give is that there is no mention of the function of magnesium in the balance of Ca : Mg – and that cation’s plce in the formation of bone and the complimentary balancing of body pH. There is also work that indicates that excess Ca in the blood serum causes deposition on blood-vessel walls (K2 and D3 of course, mediate on this and K2 keeps the cations from excessive deposition). The long term studies of Pauling and his colleagues – now well supported by the Weil Foundation – show an ideal balance in the body of 65% Ca, 15% Mg, 5% K and 1% Na.

Like many nutrients, the modern impulse is that more is better – the examples of vit. C (Pauling again), running counter to other long term studies that we have sufficient stores that can be maintained by the vit.C in one orange a day. I suspect that calcium is similarly over-consumed and a much less sedentary life-style e.e., walking for 45 minutes two or three times a week – might be both more natural and more beneficial.

Could you also check on the level of sodium you state- 1.5gm is a quarter teaspoon and sodium is also a necessary metal for health. Could it be that it is removing "excess" calcium?

Murray July 18 2015

Hi Murray,

Thank you for your feedback.

You are right and that is why our Bone-Support contains 523mg of calcium per serving instead of 1000mg+ of calcium that is present in many other calcium supplements.

We are careful with the ingredient amounts in our supplements to ensure that customers get safe yet effective amounts of any vitamin or mineral.

High amounts of calcium are not necessary with our supplement as we use natural forms and have combined it with magnesium, K2 and D3 to ensure the calcium gets to the bones where it is needed instead of depositing on blood vessel walls.

Many vitamins and minerals are definitely over-consumed, with customers thinking more is better; but we have always advised customers to look at the form the ingredient is in, as well as the other vitamins/minerals it is combined with. We believe in a large number of quality ingredients working synergistically together instead of high levels of singular ingredients. We also remind customers that our products are meant to supplement a healthy diet and lifestyle (such as those mentioned in the tip#2).

1,500mg is the amount of sodium recommended by the American Heart Association (http://bit.ly/1plL89t). However, the guidelines do vary between different associations, with the Dietary Guidlines for Americans (2010) recommending less than 2,300mg per day.

The body does need small amounts of sodium to perform biological tasks such as supporting nerve signals and muscle health. However, we fail to remember that sodium naturally occurs in fresh fruit and vegetables. For instance, beans are good sources of sodium with 100g of mung beans providing about 820mg of sodium. Therefore some of us may be consuming adequate amounts of sodium from food sources (especially if the individual is at risk of cardiovascular disease).

I personally think that so long as we treat our bodies well, with organic, fresh food, regular exercise and quality supplementation, that our bodies will take care of us – giving us many more years and better quality of life!

In good health,

Madelynn

Xtend-Life Expert July 20 2015

Hi Michele, That’s so wonderful to hear! We really appreciate you sharing your story with us. We can only imagine how uncomfortable it would have been for you and it’s great to hear that youre back in great health. Keep doing what you’re doing, Michele and please feel free to contact us again if you have any questions. In good health, Korina

Customer Relations November 02 2017

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