“Youth is wasted on the young.” Ever heard that? Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka supposes that there’s
a bit of truth in that for all of us - and particularly
our Sitka spines - as we age. When we’re young, our
bodies need8 our attention more than we realize. Our youthful
bones and spines and bodies need proper nutrition so
that our older bones and spine and bodies are in good shape
when we want to live our lives less painfully and more
fully. Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka reveals what Sitka
chiropractic patients can do now to address bone mineral
density (BMD) issues, regardless of their current age.
BMD AND OSTEOPOROSIS: BUILD BMD WHILE YOUNG
Optimizing peak bone mass early in life may reduce
osteoporosis risk later in life. A new 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 leading
factors were body weight at adolescence and young adulthood which positively influenced
BMD. (1) Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka can’t stress enough just
how vital nutrition is for their future health.
BENEFITS OF IMPROVED NUTRITION BEYOND BETTER BONE MINERAL
DENSITY
Osteoporosis is a disease of older folks that results
from youthful (in)attention. Low serum levels of vitamin D in osteoporotic
women tend to have an heightened chance
of having any kind of cancer and breast cancer. (2) Calcium intake during
the teen years of life is vital to reduce 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 way below what it should be. Boosting
bone mass by only 5% cuts the risk of fracture
by 40%. (3) Achieving healthy bones is subject
to more than just calcium and vitamin D though.
Deficiencies of vitamins B, C, E, and K as well as retinol disrupt
bone’s health. (4) Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka presents
these statistics to inspire us all to increase
intake of nutrients to build bone mass early and support it
later to keep it healthy.
IMPROVE ABSORPTION OF NUTRIENTS
Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka knows that kids and their
families want to be sure that their nutritional efforts will be of value. TIP: Dietary fiber may raise the body’s
absorption of calcium but does it in different ways for older
men and women. Greater 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 improvements didn’t relate to bone loss in either men or women. Higher dietary fiber may decrease
bone loss in men. (5) Who would have thought that fiber would
have anything to do with bone mineral density? Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka bets
that many of our Sitka chiropractic patients would not
have!
FIBER’S DEFENSE OF MEN’S BMD
Luckily, there are some intensely
observant researchers and doctors around!
They found that fiber intake was a protective factor of
lumbar spine BMD in men aged 18 and 45 years of
age but not in females. In men over 65 years, nutrient
intake showed no effect on BMD. In women between 18 and 45,
fiber did not produce a significant effect
on BMDs, but daily fat intake did significantly. (6) A curious side note: A new study
discredits the idea that BMD may be a risk factor
for lumbar disc herniation in youth, but a new study debunked that
idea. (7) However, medical literature points out that the general
benefit of nutrition - and now fiber intake in men - on the well-being
of the body, its bones and its spine.
CONTACT Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka
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Schedule your next Sitka chiropractic
appointment with Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka where your spine, body and its bones are well understood
in their current age whether they were treated well in their youth or not!