“Youth is wasted on the young.” Have you heard that
saying? OrthoIllinois Chiropractic supposes that there is
a little truth in that for all of us - and especially
our McHenry spines - as we age. When we’re young, our
bodies require our attention more than we gave. Our young
bones and spines and bodies need good nutrition so
that our older bones and spine and bodies are fit
when we desire living our lives less painfully and more
fully. OrthoIllinois Chiropractic reveals what McHenry
chiropractic patients can do now to deal with bone mineral
density (BMD) issues, regardless of their current age.
BMD AND OSTEOPOROSIS: BUILD BMD WHILE YOUNG
Elevating peak bone mass early in life may decrease
osteoporosis risk later in life. A recent report stated
that Vitamin D and calcium in females positively affected bone mineral density
into young adulthood. Intakes of phosphorous and the calcium:phosphorous ratio
at adolescence for females negatively affected BMD in young
adulthood. Calcium intake in adolescent males strongly negatively affected
BMD in the lumbar spine at young adulthood. Other influential
factors were body weight at adolescence and young adulthood which positively affected
BMD. (1) OrthoIllinois Chiropractic cannot emphasize enough just
how important nutrition is for their future well-being.
BENEFITS OF IMPROVED NUTRITION BEYOND BETTER BONE MINERAL
DENSITY
Osteoporosis is a disease of older people that stems
from youthful (in)attention. Low serum levels of vitamin D in osteoporotic
women tend to have an heightened chance
of having any type of cancer and breast cancer. (2) Calcium intake during
the teen years of life is important to decrease the
risk of osteoporosis later in life. Teen girls absorb calcium more
effectively: 326mg in teenage girls versus just 73mg in older women of 1332 mg taken a day.
Even more problematic is that teen girls’ daily consumption
of calcium is far lower than what it should be. Increasing
bone mass by only 5% cuts the risk of fracture
by 40%. (3) Achieving healthy bones depends on more than just calcium and vitamin D though.
Deficiencies of vitamins B, C, E, and K as well as retinol compromise
the health of bone. (4) OrthoIllinois Chiropractic shares
these statistics to inspire us all to boost
intake of nutrients to build bone mass initially and support it
later to keep it healthy.
IMPROVE ABSORPTION OF NUTRIENTS
OrthoIllinois Chiropractic understands that kids and their
families want to be sure that their nutritional efforts will pay
off. TIP: Dietary fiber may boost the body’s
absorption of calcium but does it differently for older
men and women. Higher intake of dietary fiber and fruit fiber was
protective against bone loss in men but not women. Fiber from vegetables was
protective against spine bone loss in women but not men. Cereal fiber or nut
and legume fiber increases did not associate
with bone loss in either men or women. Higher dietary fiber may reduce
bone loss in men. (5) Who would have thought that fiber would
have anything to do with bone mineral density? OrthoIllinois Chiropractic supposes
that many of our McHenry chiropractic patients wouldn’t
have!
FIBER’S DEFENSE OF MEN’S BMD
Fortunately, some very perceptive doctors and
researchers did observe that fiber intake was a protective factor of
lumbar spine BMD in men 18-45 years of old but not in women. In men over 65 years, nutrient
intake indicated no effect on BMD. In women between 18 and 45,
fiber didn’t show a significant effect
on BMDs, but daily fat intake did significantly. (6) An interesting side note: A new study
refutes the idea that BMD may be a risk factor
for lumbar disc herniation in youth, but a new study discredited that
idea. (7) However, there is
evidence in the medical literature that emphasizes the overall
value of nutrition - and now fiber intake in men - on the well-being
of the body, its bones and its spine.
CONTACT OrthoIllinois Chiropractic
Listen to this PODCAST
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Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as she helps a patients with
chronic low back pain with The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.
Schedule your next McHenry chiropractic
appointment with OrthoIllinois Chiropractic where your spine, body and its bones are well known
in their current age whether they were treated well in their youth or not!