“Youth is wasted on the young.” Ever heard that? Minster Chiropractic Center supposes that there is
a little truth in that for all of us - and particularly
our Minster spines - as we age. When we are young, our
bodies need8 our attention more than we gave. Our youthful
bones and spines and bodies need good nutrition so
that our older bones and spine and bodies are fit
when we want to live our lives less painfully and more
fully. Minster Chiropractic Center shares what Minster
chiropractic patients can do now to deal with bone mineral
density (BMD) issues, no matter their current age.
BMD AND OSTEOPOROSIS: BUILD BMD WHILE YOUNG
Optimizing peak bone mass early in life may decrease
osteoporosis risk later in life. A new study 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 influenced
BMD in the lumbar spine at young adulthood. Other influential
factors were body weight at adolescence and young adulthood which positively influenced
BMD. (1) Minster Chiropractic Center cannot emphasize enough just
how important nutrition is for their future health.
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 have a tendency 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 better: 326mg in teenage girls versus just 73mg in older women of 1332 mg taken daily.
Even more concerning is that teen girls’ daily consumption
of calcium is way below what it should be. Increasing
bone mass by only 5% cuts the risk of fracture
by 40%. (3) Getting 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) Minster Chiropractic Center shares
these stats to encourage us all to boost
intake of nutrients to build bone mass early and support it
later to keep it healthy.
IMPROVE ABSORPTION OF NUTRIENTS
Minster Chiropractic Center understands that kids and their
families want to be sure that their nutritional efforts will pay
off. TIP: Dietary fiber may raise the body’s
absorption of calcium but does it in different ways 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 relate to bone loss in either men or women. Higher dietary fiber may reduce
bone loss in men. (5) Who would have imagined that fiber would
have anything to do with bone mineral density? Minster Chiropractic Center bets
that many of our Minster chiropractic patients would not
have!
FIBER’S DEFENSE OF MEN’S BMD
Luckily, there are some keenly
perceptive 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 indicated no effect on BMD. In women between 18 and 45,
fiber did not produce a significant change to BMD, but daily fat intake significantly increased
BMD. (6) A curious side note: A new study
refutes the thought that BMD may be a risk factor
for lumbar disc herniation in youth, but a recent study debunked that
thought. (7) However, medical literature points out that the general
value of nutrition - and now fiber intake in men - on the well-being
of the body, its bones and its spine.
CONTACT Minster Chiropractic Center
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Schedule your next Minster chiropractic
appointment with Minster Chiropractic Center where your spine, body and its bones are well known
in their current age whether they were treated well in their youth or not!