Dear Health Conscious Reader,
Do you think that popping a calcium supplement will make your bones stronger?
Despite what you hear on TV, calcium supplements have little to do with the strength of your bones.
That’s what I tell my patients … and it always surprises them.
One of the most well-conducted studies in science, the Harvard Nurses Study, showed there was absolutely no protection from factures with any dose of calcium intake. Instead, the reverse was true… nurses who ingested higher amounts of calcium had an increased risk of bone fracture!1
That’s a sad fact, because the U.S. has the highest intake of calcium in the world, yet we have more hip fractures than countries who consume lower amounts of calcium.2
Just take a look at these stats from the Agency for Healthcare and Research Quality… 3
- An estimated 10 million Americans suffer from the leading cause of weak, brittle bones.
- In 2006 – the most recent data available – approximately 250,000 fracture-related hospitalizations were linked to decreased bone mass.
- When it comes to compromised bone strength, the most frequent fractures occur in the hip, rib, vertebrae and pelvis.
To keep yourself from joining the ranks of those numbers, here are three things you can do immediately to build stronger bones:
Exercise: The best way to increase bone density and reduce fractures is body weight exercises (like calisthenics) and resistance training. Make a habit of doing these exercises two or three times a week.
When you exercise, your muscles pull on your bones. This pressure creates a challenge that your body responds to by increasing bone density. This will ensure that you stay mobile and independent.
Eat Fruits and Vegetables: A university study showed that vegetables improve your bone metabolism. Researchers found that rats that missed out on their veggies had much lower bone density.4 Another showed that fruits and vegetables increase your bone density. The same study found that dairy products did nothing.5
Blood Test: A simple blood test will tell you how your hormone levels affect your bone health. This is the best way to determine the health of your bones and your risk for fracture. Women may need to take natural progesterone. For both men and women, testosterone is the most powerful controller of your bone density.
Plus, there’s a mineral you can take to lower your risk of fractures, stop you from shrinking as you age, and increase your bone density. It’s been used as a natural remedy for over 100 years, and studies show:
- It cuts your chance of fracture by nearly 60 percent: In one study of elderly women, those who took this mineral slashed their risk of fracture by 59 percent in the first 12 months of treatment.
- It’s more effective for building healthy bones than calcium and vitamin D combined: In another study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, women who added this mineral lowered their risk of fracture by 49 percent in the first year. Better yet, they increased their bone density, too!
- It can help you stand taller and stay pain-free: Other studies show that this mineral slows the rate of height loss by a 20 percent. Plus, it also helps 20 percent more patients experience relief from back pain.
In her Journal of Natural Health, Dr. Nan Fuchs tells you exactly what this mineral is. She tells you where to find it. And she tells you exactly how much to take. Click here to find out.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD
- Freskanich D, et al., Milk, dietary calcium, and bone fractures in women: a 12-year prospective study American Journal of Public Health 1997 Jun; 87(6): 992-997
- Willett W. Calcium: too much of a good thing? Report from the Harvard School of Public Health Nutrition Roundtable.
- Agency for Healthcare and Research Quality
- Effect of vegetables on bone metabolism. Nature. September 23, 1999; 401(6751):343-4
- Dietary influences on bone mass and bone metabolism: further evidence of a positive link between fruit and vegetable consumption and bone health? American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 71, No. 1, 142-151, January 2000