Bone Density - Tips from Our Naturopath
Did you know that, over the approximate 5 years of menopause, bone is lost at a faster rate than normal? In Osteoporosis, bones become more brittle and prone to fractures. In Australia, osteoporosis affects approximately half of all women over the age of 60 and other risk factors include a family history of bone-density problems, smoking and certain illnesses and medications.
Latest guidelines and recommendations, such as that of The Australian Bone Density Testing Centre, groups that should be considered for bone density assessment include:
Menopausal women or women who have undergone a medically induced menopause i.e. via a hysterectomy.
Have a family history of osteopenia/osteoporosis.
Those who have frequent or easy to break bones with minor falls/trauma.
Those who consume little dairy or calcium or who follow restrictive diets such as vegans.
Suffer/ed from an eating disorder such as bulimia or anorexia.
Smokers
People who consume a lot of alcohol
Long-term use of corticosteroid medication
Women over 40 and men over 50 years of age.
Our Naturopath can help guide you on this pathway and help to set you up for success towards long-term optimal musculoskeletal outcomes.
Some of her top tips for bone density are:
Understanding your unique requirements - everyone is different, and requirements change in certain life-stages such as pregnancy, breastfeeding and menopause as well as in certain health conditions/disease states.
Enjoying food sources of calcium, including canned fish such as salmon and sardines with edible bones, broccoli, greens, tahini, blackstrap molasses, dairy, and fortified soy.
Calcium absorption improves with a good quality or ‘bio-available’ calcium such as a calcium citrate.
Herbal bitters, key nutrients and digestive enzymes can improve symptoms of poor digestion such as bloating and belching. Optimizing dietary absorption of minerals is key and deficiencies are frequently noted in clients on reflux medication as well as with digestive/intestinal disorders.
Weight bearing activity or any activity while upright can improve muscle and bone strength. This includes walking, jogging, stair-climbing, dancing, weight-training, and playing a sport.
Knowing other key nutrients for bone density (i.e., boron appears to be bone protective and prunes are a rich source). Magnesium assists calcium absorption and enhances calcium retention in the body. Both Vitamin D and Vitamin K are recommended for bone health and are known to reduce the risk of fractures.
Vitamin D is available from sunshine. For those of us who work/live primarily indoors a vitamin D3 test may be required with guided supplementation. Some foods contain variable amounts of vitamin D3, and these include our oil fish such as tuna, salmon, herring and mackerel as well as liver (i.e. patte) and egg yolks.
Check out this awesome link to access the “SUNSHINE MAP” by Healthy Bones Australia https://healthybonesaustralia.org.au/your-bone-health/vitamin-d-bone-health/ which details key tips on sun exposure based on where you live.