Vegetables Much Better Than Drugs at Building Bone Density

[Guest guest]

Vegetables Much Better Than Drugs at Building Bone Density

 

 

The evidence continues to pour in that eating plenty of fruits and

vegetables is good for your health. In this case, researchers found

that both young and old age groups had improvements in bone mineral

status when they ate a lot of fruits and vegetables.

 

Specifically, boys and girls aged 16-18 years and women aged 60-83

years had significant positive associations between spine bone

mineral content and fruit intake. In boys, the association was true

for neck bone mineral content as well.

 

Among women aged 60-83 years, a significant positive association was

also found between spine bone mineral content and fruit intake. The

results found that if fruit intake doubled, it would result in a 5

percent increment in spine bone mineral content.

 

Previous studies have also found associations between fruit and

vegetable intake and positive measures of bone health.

 

It is not yet known how fruits and vegetables may affect the bones,

though some suggest it may be the alkalizing effect of fruit and

vegetable consumption on acid-base balance. Other possible mechanisms

include the dietary effects of vitamin K, phytoestrogens and other

unidentified dietary components they contain.

 

 

 

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition June 2006, Vol. 83, No. 6,

1420-1428

 

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition June 2006, Vol. 83, No. 6,

1254-1255

 

 

 

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Dr. Mercola's Comment:

 

 

http://www.mercola.com/2006/jun/22/vegetables_much_better_than_drugs_a

t_building_bone_density.htm Traditional media sources have gone a

long way toward convincing most people that if they want to increase

their bone density they need to swallow their calcium pills along

with some vitamin D. If they already have osteoporosis, then of

course the next step would be one of the biphosphonate drugs like

Fosamax.

 

More nutritionally enlightened individuals will realize that there

are other micronutrients besides calcium that are useful for

improving density, like boron, silicone, manganese, copper, iodine,

magnesium, chromium, zinc and selenium.

 

But how many people would recognize that fresh vegetables have

nutrients that improve bone density?

 

One of the best reviews I ever read on this topic was in my favorite

clinical journal, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (AJCN, the

same journal that this study was published in). Four years ago they

had a nice review from the Framingham study on how vegetable intake

affected bone density.

 

This journal has a great policy of allowing anyone to review all

their articles over one year old for free, and you can view that

study on their site for free. This is a great deal as most of us pay

$100 a year to look at the current issues.

 

If you review the study you will find that higher intake of

vegetables in children and older women had a very beneficial effect

on bone density. The investigators weren't able to identify the

precise mechanism on why eating more vegetables worked, but they

determined very clearly that it did work.

 

Interestingly, the researchers in the current study reached similar

conclusions and were equally puzzled as to the specific reasons that

vegetables conferred these benefits.

 

If you read Monday's newsletter you might have reviewed the startling

finding about prenatal supplements causing increased weight gain in

the offspring of pregnant mice. This should provide a fair level of

skepticism toward believing there is some supplement formula that

will somehow magically restore your bones.

 

Should you take calcium supplements? That is a personal decision that

you will have to make. I can tell you that I don't take them. Makes

far more sense to me to consume wholesome dairy products that provide

natural, highly usable forms of calcium.

 

Of course, it makes sense, as these studies indicate, to have plenty

of fresh, minimally cooked vegetables, not only for your bones but

for just about every other chronic degenerative disease.

 

Other Natural Ways to Increase Your Bone Density

 

Of course you will want to exercise as that is just as important as

calcium at improving your bone density.

 

Most people also are not aware that omega-3 fats like krill oil are a

useful tool to build your bones. Last year I wrote an article on The

Fat Secret to Build Your Bone Density.

 

The reviewed study was also in the AJCN, so you can see the free full-

text article of how omega-3 fats increase your bones. The study,

interestingly, also showed that the omega-6:3 ratio was crucial. So

if you have too much omega-6 vegetable oils you will hurt your bone

density.

 

You may also want to be careful of wheat, as it has been shown to

decrease bone density in a number of people.

 

 

And finally, get plenty of healthy sun exposure as that is, without

question, the best way to increase your vitamin D levels.