Osteoporosis
How can we improve our skeletal health?
This is in response to a question recently asked. Bones are made of mineral – calcium hydroxyapatite crystals – and matrix proteins – which are deposited by cells called osteoblasts. Other cells called osteoclasts dig out and remove bone. This process of building and excavating are critically important as this is what changes are skeleton from childhood into adulthood.
The building process slows down as we age (beyond 30 years). The real decline starts after 50 years. However the building processes still exist – its just that they are slow.
So if we slow down the excavating processes (of osteoclasts) we will restore a better balance and improve bone health in slowly in the coming years. This is the idea behind the use of medications called bisphosphonates and an antibody called denusomab (stops osteoclast activity).
Also if we strengthen the mineral content with calcium the bone health overall will improve. Vitamin D regulates calcium. (It is a hormone which regulates many other functions including immune health).
So taking adequate amounts of Calcium and Vitamin D will improve bone health. Calcium should be taken in a dose of 1200mg daily (i.e. 1 tablet of any calcium supplement with 600mg usually TWICE a day). Take those supplements that have at least some Vitamin D in them (usually 400 IU).
Vitamin D level can be checked and should not be below 20ng/ml. 30ng/ml used to be the previous cut off and is a safer limit. If it is below 20ng/ml you need more aggressive replacement. Contact your physician.