“She was every inch the skeletal goddess that had been promised by the bones of her feet.” 
― Jefferson Smith, Strange Places

In a world full of processed foods, tempting sodas, chronic stress and other factors that make optimum bone health something most of us have to make a conscious effort to achieve, information about increasing our bone health support can be of the upmost importance.

Here are a couple of articles that will increase your knowledge about bone health.  Enjoy doing something for YOU today by taking a moment to note their information highlights.

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Vitamin E for Better Bones

New study: women with good vitamin E levels less likely to have osteoporosis

Doctors measured vitamin E levels, diet, and bone mineral density in 232 postmenopausal women with or without osteoporosis. Because vitamin E depends on other lipids in the blood to be effectively absorbed, researchers looked at the ratio of vitamin E to circulating lipids.

Compared to women with healthy bone mineral density, women with osteoporosis had 17 percent less vitamin E compared to other circulating lipids. Doctors also found that, compared to women with the lowest levels, women with the highest circulating levels of vitamin E had healthy bone mineral density and were 32 percent less likely to develop osteoporosis.

Discussing their findings, doctors said that earlier lab studies found vitamin E helped maintain normal bone growth and formation, and that these results suggest that vitamin E may increase bone mineral density in postmenopausal women.

Reference: Journal of Bone and Mineral Metabolism; 2013, Vol. 31, No. 4, 455-60

Betsy’s Note: Remember that vitamin E thins blood.  Also, since vitamin E is fat-soluble, begin on lower strengths and work up to desired dose.  Consult your healthcare provider.

Article copyright November 2013 by Natural Insights for Well Being. All rights reserved.  Used with permission.

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Healthy Kids

Nutrients boost bone in children and adolescent girls

Magnesium key to bone health in kids

Magnesium is a main factor in bone health, and there is little research on magnesium and how it relates to bone mineral density in children.

Doctors in this study measured the diets, bone density, and calcium and magnesium intake and excretion in 63 children, aged 4 to 8, who were not taking any vitamins or minerals. In order to get accurate measurements, the children stayed overnight twice in the hospital, and got oral and intravenous calcium and magnesium to equal their typical diets.

While calcium did not appear to be linked to bone mineral density, the amount of magnesium the children consumed and absorbed were key predictors of bone mineral density, researchers said.

Reference: Journal of Bone and Mineral Research; June, 2013, Published Online

Vitamin D strengthens bones in girls

Doctors in this study measured bone health in 167 adolescent girls and 171 boys who took a weekly placebo, 14,000 IU of vitamin D, or 1,400 IU of vitamin D per week.

After one year, while there was no significant effect in boys, girls who took the placebo had a 4.2 percent increase in

bone mass of the hip, a 6.8 percent increase in the high-dose group, and a 7.9 percent increase in bone mass for the low-dose vitamin D group.

One critical measure of the balance between bone thickness and width, called the buckling ratio, at the narrow part of the neck of the femur bone, strengthened by 1.9 percent for placebo, by 2.4 percent in the high-dose group, and by 6.1 percent in the low-dose vitamin D group.

Reference: The Bone Journal; 2013, Vol. 56, No. 2, 296-303

Betsy’s Note: Magnesium and Vitamin D thin blood.  Do NOT take high dose vitamin D unless you are under the supervision of a medical professional.  Remember, you can get too much of even a good thing, like vitamin D.  Consult your healthcare provider, especially before supplementing for children.

Article copyright January 2014 by Natural Insights for Well Being.  All rights reserved.  Used with permission.

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Remember, that one of the best exercises for bone health is the very simple weight-bearing act of walking!  Your diet, exercise, and lifestyle choices can make a big difference for your bones.

In health,
Ramona