1 in 2 women (yes, that’s 50%) of women over the age of 50 will fracture a bone due to osteoporosis. Isn’t that a terrible statistic?
As a functional medicine health coach who also happens to be a woman over 50, this information truly resonates with me.
There is a huge incidence of women who will suffer from avoidable symptoms with diet and lifestyle modifications.
Osteoporosis happens when bones lose minerals more quickly than the body can replace them. Bones become less dense, lose strength, and therefore break more easily.
So what can you do about it?
There are a few things which include diet, supplementation, lifestyle changes, medication (from your doctor), and modified strength training exercises. Today and in my next blog, we will focus mainly on supplementation.
Calcium
The average US person should consume 1000 mg of calcium per day. This increases to 1200 mg for women over 50. You should get at least 700 mg of calcium from foods such as:
Dairy products (healthy diets don’t require dairy foods)
Seafood (sardine, anchovy),
Green veggies (collard greens, kale, spinach, broccoli,) and
Other foods (seeds, okra, soybeans, almonds, oranges).
If you have osteopenia and don’t get enough calcium in your diet, you can support it with a high quality supplement like Bone Up by Jarrow formulas, Garden of Life’s Grow Bone, or Metagenics Bone Builder (they also make it with magnesium). However, these supplements must be rotated because no one supplement is perfect.**
**Also, the type of calcium is important. Don’t take calcium carbonate or ascorbate forms because they are poorly absorbed. The best forms are citrate, multi-chelate, MCHC (microcrystalline hydroxyapatite), or AlgaeCal.
Your vitamins and minerals work together, so check the levels of your D, K, zinc (in next week's blog) and magnesium.
Magnesium
Did you know that vitamins and minerals are not just a solo? They are a symphony in your body. Calcium and magnesium work together for both absorption and excretion. Magnesium also helps transport calcium in your body. You can get magnesium from:
Leafy greens
Pumpkin seeds
Chia seeds
Dark organic chocolate
Bananas
Almonds or cashews
Avocado
Magnesium supplements that I can recommend include Magnesium Glycinate by Pure Encapsulations and Tri Mag 300 by DaVinci Labs, both of which can be found on my fullscript account (at 20%) off here.
If you are deficient in magnesium, then you can also be deficient in Vitamin D because magnesium helps vitamin D convert to its final form in the body.
Before adding any supplements on your own, however, it’s important to look at your health history, individual diet, nutrient levels and lifestyle to understand what’s best for you.
And if you do take supplements, you should check your nutrient levels regularly to see if the supplements you are taking are keeping your body in balance. These levels can change with the seasons, especially those of us who live in New England in the winter. (I'm talking about you, Vitamin D).
This is why booking a Discovery Session with a functional medicine health coach like me can be instrumental in helping you achieve your health goals!
I also offer a supplement review to discuss your current protocol.
Why wait? Make 2023 your best year yet.
In good health,
Holli Bassin
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