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How to protect your bone mass as you age
9th May 2008
I'm off to see an old friend in Bath today.
And I have a fiendish, cunning plan...
You see, I'm always wary of the fact that one bloke in
Bristol (namely, me) can only ever provide you with one
point of view.
A blokish point of view at that.
While that's all well and good.... imagine if you could get
a woman's perspective on alternative health matters...
personal insight into the problems that affect women
today... like osteoporosis, HRT, menopause, pregnancy,
hirsuitism, and increasing rates of heart disease..
And imagine if someone could offer you natural tips on
how to stay as beautiful looking as you are right now....
and expose the truth about those junkfilled skin creams
that just aren't worth the money.
I'll admit, it's not an area I know well....
Soap, water. That's largely it for me.
So my fiendish plan is to convince my friend in Bath that
she could be the perfect person to write a book or
newsletter specifically for women. She's really into
alternative health herself, and she's a great writer.
I'll let you know how I get on.
In the meantime, I want to cover an issue that both men
AND women should think about. But especially women
concerned about osteoporosis...
How to keep your bones strong and healthy
as you age
I've culled some fantastic information from a brilliant
book called Eat and Heal.
It's one of my undisputed favourites, and rarely off my
desk. If you haven't got a copy, it's really worth getting
your hands on one.
In plain English, Dr Andrei Dracea shows you how
ordinary foods can help prevent disease, recover quickly
from illness, and even treat everyday ailments....
angina... cholesterol.... weight gain... hot flushes...
anxiety... it's all in there.
In each case, you'll discover exactly what foods to eat.
And what NEVER to eat.
You can order a copy here
In a section on osteoporosis, here's what Dr Dracea
says about calcium and ageing. (This is produced with
kind permission from the publisher!)
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Calcium and Aging
By Dr Andrei Dracea
From Eat and Heal - How to Make Your Body
INVULNERABLE to Disease
www.eatandheal.co.uk
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- Absorption of calcium by the intestines diminishes
with age, although elderly persons need just as
much, if not more than younger adults.
- Daily calcium intake among the elderly is generally
insufficient - about 600 to 700 milligrams. This is not
enough to maintain normal bone structure. Result?
The body starts using up calcium stored in bones,
and bone mass diminishes. As both men and
women grow older they need between 900 and
1000 milligrams of calcium per day to maintain bone
mass stability. Woman after menopause need
between 1200 and 1500 milligrams.
- Taking calcium supplements can reduce loss of
bone mass by about 50%. The incidence of
displaced vertebrae and hip fractures is also greatly
reduced.
- Calcium acts primarily by slowing down the
secretion of parathyroid hormones that stimulate
bone re-absorption. As one report submitted to the
International Colloqium on Nutrition for the Elderly
stated: 'Recommending an increase in milk and
dairy product intake has proven highly effective for
the prevention of osteoporosis in elderly subjects
(Professor Meunier).
- It is easy for most persons to absorb the minimum
daily requirement, simply by eating a few dairy
products, which are the main nutritional source.
- Each of the following contains about 300 milligrams
of calcium:
*One glass of milk
*2 servings of yogurt
*1 ounce (30 grams) of cheddar cheese
*10 cubes of soft Swiss cheese
*3 to 3.5 ounces (80 to 100 grams) of camembert
cheese
*10 ounces (300 grams) of cream cheese
As you can see, obtaining 1200 milligrams of
calcium during the course of the day is not difficult (a pint
of milk, two servings of yogurt, 2 ounces or 60 grams of
cheddar cheese, for example).
Fruits and vegetables also contain calcium, but in
much smaller amounts: to obtain 10 ounces (300 grams)
of calcium you'd need to eat a 2.2 pounds (1 kilogram) of
oranges, or 2 pounds (850 grams) of cabbage. In
addition, the calcium contained in fruits and vegetables
is a harder to absorb than the calcium in dairy products.
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Exceptions are walnuts, hazelnuts and almonds,
which contain relatively large amounts of calcium.
Other foods, like whole grains contain only very
small amounts.
- Silica is another element that is indispensable for
persons suffering from osteoporosis. It is even more
effective when used as a preventative measure,
since it facilitates calcium bonding. Silica is
contained in plants with hard stems and leaves
(horsetail), fruit, grain husks, as well as onions,
garlic and shallots.
- Some medicines prevent the absorption of minerals,
and especially calcium. If you are taking medication,
ask your doctor about this possible side effect, and
take mineral supplements if necessary.
- Some substances (Phenobarbital and certain
laxatives, notably phenolphthalein and
cholesteramine) destroy Vitamin D. If you are taking
one of these medicines, ask your doctor about
increasing your Vitamin D intake as well.
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There's a whole load more on osteoporosis, calcium and
recommended foods in Eat and Heal. That and details of
how to get all the essential vitamins and minerals you
need to stay healthy.
As you can see, it's neatly explained a no-nonsense
manner. Just how we like it at The Good Life Letter!
To order your own copy, click here:
www.eatandheal.co.uk
I'll be back at the weekend with an exciting pain relief
breakthrough from the shores of New Zealand...
Yours, as ever,
Ray Collins
The Good Life Letter |
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