“Youth is wasted on the young.” Ever heard that? Layden Chiropractic supposes that there is
a little truth in that for all of us - and particularly
our Plainville spines - as we age. When we’re 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 in good shape
when we desire living our lives less painfully and more
fully. Layden Chiropractic shares what Plainville
chiropractic patients can do now to address 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 drop
osteoporosis risk later in life. A new report wrote
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 affected
BMD. (1) Layden Chiropractic can’t stress 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 folks that stems
from youthful (in)attention. Low serum levels of vitamin D in osteoporotic
women have a tendency to have an increased chance
of having any type of cancer and breast cancer. (2) Calcium intake during
the teen years of life is vital 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 a day.
Even more problematic is that teen girls’ daily consumption
of calcium is way lower than what it should be. Increasing
bone mass by just 5% reduces 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
the health of bone. (4) Layden Chiropractic presents
these findings 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
Layden Chiropractic knows 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. 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 increases didn’t 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? Layden Chiropractic thinks
that many of our Plainville chiropractic patients would not
have!
FIBER’S DEFENSE OF MEN’S BMD
Luckily, some very alert doctors and
researchers did observe that fiber intake was a protective factor of
lumbar spine BMD in men aged 18 and 45 years of
age but not in women. In men over 65 years, nutrient
intake showed no effect on BMD. In women between 18 and 45,
fiber didn’t produce a significant effect
on BMDs, but daily fat intake significantly increased
BMD. (6) An interesting side note: A new study
discredits the thought that BMD may be a risk factor
for lumbar disc herniation in youth, but a new study discredited that
idea. (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 Layden Chiropractic
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 Plainville chiropractic
appointment with Layden 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!