Well and Good
Bones need more than calcium
By Tina Juan
Inquirer
First Posted 04:06:00 02/20/2007
Filed Under: Lifestyle & Leisure
Calcium is like the lead singer of a band who gets more publicity than she deserves. An over-hyped diva, she only sounds fantastic because of her back-up singers and other band members.
When it comes to bone health and osteoporosis, scientists now know that calcium does not work alone. It needs the help of a supporting cast of nutrients to be effectively absorbed and utilized.
These other nutrients have their own unique contributions to keeping bones healthy.
The recommended dosages of calcium are 1,000-1,200 mg for women below 50 and 1,500 mg for women above 50. Best sources are milk, cheese, yogurt, small fish, dark green vegetables, and mineral water.
If you can’t get enough calcium from your food, then you need a supplement. To know if your calcium tablet will be properly absorbed, place it in a small amount of warm water for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
If it doesn’t dissolve by then, it’s not a good brand.
Whether from food or supplements, calcium is best used by the body in doses of 500 mg or less so take your daily requirement in two or three separate doses.
Sunshine vitamin
Vitamin D has been called the “sunshine vitamin” because your body can make its own supply by using the power of the sun. It has also been called “miracle vitamin” because emerging research indicates it can lower the risk of 16 types of cancer by two to 70 percent.
The National Osteoporosis Foundation (US) says without an adequate intake of vitamin D, half the calcium you take is flushed away in your toilet.
Fifteen minutes of sun exposure of your hands and face is enough for your daily dose.
The problem is many people don’t want to go out in the sun because of fear of premature skin aging and skin cancer. Also, the older you get, the more inefficient your body is at making vitamin D.
How much do you need? Some scientists maintain that the current recommended dosage of 400 IU (international unit) is enough (200 IU for children, 600 IU if you are above 60). But others suggest 800-1,000 IU daily for adults is more accurate based on growing evidence from many studies.
Food sources include fortified milk and cereals (read the labels carefully), salmon, mackerel, and egg yolks.
The most effective form of vitamin D in supplements is cholicalciferal or vitamin D3, the same type your skin makes.
B for bones
What’s bad for your heart may also be bad for your bones. High levels of homocysteine are associated with an increased risk of heart disease and hip fractures.
Dutch scientists believe blood protein may hamper bone construction. The best line of defense, researchers say, is an adequate intake of folic acid (400 mcg), B6 (2 mg), and B12 (6 mcg) that can be found in many foods and multi-vitamin supplements.
A Tufts University study found that women with low levels of vitamin B12 (less than 6 mcg) had less dense spines, while men had less dense hipbones.
Researchers say people above 50 absorb the vitamin better in concentrated form from a multivitamin rather than food sources.
Folic acid or folate can be found in dark green vegetables, grains, liver, and beans. B6 is found in beans, nuts, legumes, eggs, meat, fish, and whole grains, while B12 is only found naturally in animal products like meat, fish, poultry, eggs, and milk.
Vitamin K
Vitamin K is best known for its clotting effect. But it is also important in keeping the “scaffolding” in the inner structure of your bones strong.
The current recommended dose is 90-150 mcg. Scientists stress it is best to get vitamin K from food sources only. It is easily found in dark green leafy vegetables.
Since it is a fat-soluble vitamin, sautéing pechay or kangkong in a little oil or eating dark salad greens with a vinegar-and-oil dressing ensures proper absorption of this important vitamin.
Boron
This little known mineral helps reduce the loss of calcium and magnesium through the urine. It is found in vegetables (cabbage has the highest amounts), nuts, grains, apples, pears, and dried fruits.
Magnesium
Magnesium, like calcium, helps to provide density to your bones. One study found it played a greater role than calcium in preventing hip fractures in elderly women.
The recommended dose is 400 mg. Among the richest sources are pumpkin seeds (one ounce has 151 mg). Magnesium can also be found in bran, nuts, beans, brown rice, dark green vegetables, and soy products.
Unfortunately, overcooking can destroy a significant amount of magnesium in beans and vegetables.
Potassium
Potassium is the partner of vitamin K in strengthening bone scaffolding. It also prevents calcium loss. You can get the suggested dosage of 4,700 mg from orange juice, raisins, prunes, bananas, cantaloupes, avocado, fish, and milk.
Extras
Isoflavones in soy products may be one reason why Chinese and Japanese women have less osteoporosis than their Caucasian counterparts.
Just one cup of pineapple contains 73 percent of your daily requirement for manganese, a bone builder in young people and a bone strengthener in older people.
Fluoride, flavonoids, and phytoestrogens in green tea help to preserve bone density. One study indicates it is not the amount of tea but how long you have been drinking it that matters.
Sources:
National Osteoporosis Foundation; The World’s Healthiest Foods
Prevention Magazine
Next week: The Bone Robbers
Visit www.tinajuanfitness.info.
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