“Youth is wasted on the young.” Have you heard that
saying? Manahawkin Chiropractic Center supposes that there’s
a little truth in that for all of us - and especially
our Manahawkin spines - as we age. When we are young, our
bodies require our attention more than we gave. Our youthful
bones and spines and bodies require good nutrition so
that our older bones and spine and bodies are fit
when we desire living our lives less painfully and more
fully. Manahawkin Chiropractic Center shares what Manahawkin
chiropractic patients can do now to deal with 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 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 influenced
BMD in the lumbar spine at young adulthood. Other leading
factors were body weight at adolescence and young adulthood which positively influenced
BMD. (1) Manahawkin Chiropractic Center can’t emphasize 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 people that results
from youthful (in)attention. Low serum levels of vitamin D in osteoporotic
women tend 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 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 concerning is that teen girls’ daily consumption
of calcium is way lower than what it should be. Boosting
bone mass by only 5% cuts the risk of fracture
by 40%. (3) Getting healthy bones hinges on more than just calcium and vitamin D however.
Deficiencies of vitamins B, C, E, and K as well as retinol disrupt
the health of bone. (4) Manahawkin Chiropractic Center shares
these statistics to encourage us all to boost
intake of nutrients to build bone mass initially and support it
later to keep it healthy.
IMPROVE ABSORPTION OF NUTRIENTS
Manahawkin Chiropractic Center 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 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 increases didn’t associate
with bone loss in either men or women. Higher dietary fiber may reduce
bone loss in men. (5) Who would have thought that fiber would
have anything to do with bone mineral density? Manahawkin Chiropractic Center thinks
that many of our Manahawkin chiropractic patients wouldn’t
have!
FIBER’S DEFENSE OF MEN’S BMD
Luckily, some very perceptive 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 show a significant effect
on BMDs, but daily fat intake did significantly. (6) A curious side note: It had been thought that bone
mineral density could be a risk factor for lumbar disc herniation in
young persons, but a recent study debunked that
idea. (7) However, there is
evidence in the medical literature that emphasizes the overall
value of nutrition - and now fiber intake in men - on the well-being
of the body, its bones and its spine.
CONTACT Manahawkin Chiropractic Center
Listen to this PODCAST
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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 Manahawkin chiropractic
appointment with Manahawkin 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!