“Youth is wasted on the young.” Have you heard that
saying? Cross Chiropractic Center supposes that there’s
a bit of truth in that for all of us - and particularly
our Sandy Springs spines - as we age. When we’re young, our
bodies require our attention more than we gave. Our youthful
bones and spines and bodies require proper nutrition so
that our older bones and spine and bodies are healthy
when we desire living our lives less painfully and more
fully. Cross Chiropractic Center reveals what Sandy Springs
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 recent 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 influenced 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) Cross Chiropractic Center can’t 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 folks 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 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 intake
of calcium is far below what it should be. Boosting
bone mass by just 5% cuts the risk of fracture
by 40%. (3) Achieving healthy bones is subject
to more than just calcium and vitamin D however.
Deficiencies of vitamins B, C, E, and K as well as retinol disrupt
bone’s health. (4) Cross Chiropractic Center shares
these stats 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
Cross Chiropractic Center understands 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 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 improvements did not associate
with 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? Cross Chiropractic Center bets
that many of our Sandy Springs chiropractic patients wouldn’t
have!
FIBER’S DEFENSE OF MEN’S BMD
Fortunately, some very observant doctors and
researchers did notice 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 did not produce a significant effect
on BMDs, but daily fat intake did significantly. (6) An interesting 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
thought. (7) However, medical literature points out that the general
benefit of nutrition - and now fiber intake in men - on the health
of the body, its bones and its spine.
CONTACT Cross Chiropractic Center
Listen to this PODCAST
with Dr. Nike Taylor on The Back
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 Sandy Springs chiropractic
appointment with Cross 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!