Many of my friends are women of a certain age, but there is one topic that seems to dominate the conversation about health. it’s a bone This makes sense given that 20% of American women over the age of 50 have osteoporosis, and more than half have detectable bone loss (osteopenia). For men, the respective figures are lower, at 4% and hers by a third. Worldwide, one in three women over the age of 50 and one in five older men will develop an osteoporotic fracture (hip, wrist, vertebra or two). Another reason we make endless jokes about bones is the pandemonium over the best way to strengthen your bones and whether diet and supplements really make a difference.
Dietary research is always messy, and research results on nutrition and bone health are highly inconsistent. But it’s slowly becoming clearer. When making resolutions about what to eat next year, it’s helpful to look at new data on vitamin D and recent research on coffee and other foods.
Bone is a dynamic tissue, constantly being replenished with new cells. Calcium is an important nutrient for building bones, and vitamin D helps the intestines absorb calcium from the foods we eat, so doctors recommend taking D supplements to combat age-related bone loss. Today, more than one-third of American adults over the age of 60 take this vitamin.
But what surprised many was the publication of a large study last summer. New England Journal of Medicine Five years of vitamin D supplementation did not reduce fracture rates in healthy adults over the age of 50. This result builds on previous findings led by the same team that D supplements do not improve bone density (and for that matter, reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease). An editorial accompanying the fracture study proclaimed that it was time for medical professionals to stop pushing those pills and ordering so many blood tests for vitamin D levels.
“Diet and incidental sun exposure likely provide enough vitamin D for healthy adults,” said Meryl Leboff, an endocrinologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston who led the study. increase. However, LeBoff focuses on “healthy” adults. The study did not focus on people who already had osteoporosis or who were being treated for it. Such people would be wise to keep taking extra vitamin D and calcium, she advises.
What helps maintain strong bones in all of us? The simple answer is foods high in calcium such as dairy, sardines and tofu. We recommend far more calcium than you take: 1,300 mg daily for children ages 9 to 18 and 1,000 mg daily for ages 19 to 50 to build bone density over a lifetime. , 1,200 mg for women over 50 and men over 50. 70. According to federal research, only 61% of her and half of Americans’ children reach these goals, and admittedly, this takes some effort. For example, to get 1,200 mg of calcium, he needs to eat at least 3 cups of plain yogurt and nearly 9 cups of cottage cheese daily. “It’s best to get it from food because there are many other nutrients that are absorbed more continuously than tablets,” says LeBoff.
For those of us who like to start our day with coffee, moderate consumption may help our bones. 1-2 cups of coffee seem to have a beneficial effect. In a study led by his Ching-Lung Cheung at the University of Hong Kong, his three digestive byproducts of coffee were associated with increased bone density in the lumbar spine or upper femur. “Coffee intake, if not excessive, should be safe for bones,” he says.
Alcohol is best in moderation. Excessive drinking can interfere with the body’s production of vitamin D and interfere with hormones that promote bone health. Carbonated water, on the other hand, has been misused. Carbonated water doesn’t weaken bones, but there’s evidence that cola and soda pop can.
Another important component of skeletal health is calories burned, not calories taken in. Weight-bearing exercise stimulates bone formation throughout life. And no need to lift dumbbells. Just supporting your own weight while walking, running, or jumping will do the trick. So add exercise to your New Year’s resolution menu while watering down better nutrition choices.
