Taking care of your bone strength can make a big difference in your overall health and wellbeing, particularly as you age. In 2005, approximately 10 million people in the U.S. suffered from osteoporosis, resulting in about 2 million bone fractures. Osteoporosis affects about 50% of women and 25% of men over 50. Most of these cases, however, could have been avoided with proper nutrition and supplementation. Ensuring that your bones receive all the necessary nutrients so that they maintain their strength is critical in the long run.

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Bone Strength Benefits:
*Maintains bone health
*Builds strong, flexible bones
*Supports calcium absorption
*Combat osteoporosis

Osteoporosis
Low bone mass and structural bone tissue deterioration are the defining characteristics of osteoporosis, making bones fragile and easy to fracture, particularly in hips, spine, and wrists. Bones are a complex living tissue and need to be nourished and supported just like any other parts of the body. Bones continues to grow and build until around age 30, at which point bones begin to break down at a faster rate than they are produced. Age related drops in estrogen, testosterone, and progesterone levels also cause bone loss, affecting all people, but especially women after menopause.

Maintaining Bone Strength
Calcium gives bones their density, but bones also need to be flexible in order to prevent fractures and weakness. The bone matrix is the flexible protein part of the bone. Calcium, phosphorous, and other minerals adhere to the bone matrix. Exercise strengthens the matrix, proper nutrition nourishes it, and hormones help build it. The protein osteocalcin binds calcium to the bone matrix, giving it strength.

Bone Nutrition: Vitamins & Minerals
Vitamin K is vital for binding calcium to the bone matrix, while vitamin D improves calcium absorption and vitamin C is used in collagen formation and protein stimulation. Vitamin E is an antioxidant that reduces the risk of bone fractures. Vitamin B12, B6, and folic acid, meanwhile, can lower homocysteine levels related to osteoporosis. Bones and bone matrices also require several different minerals to stay strong and healthy, such as magnesium for proper calcium absorption and phosphorous for calcium metabolism and bone formation.

Lifestyle
As with many areas of body health, maintaining bone strength is a function of regular physical activity and proper nutrition. A number of people, due to diet, lifestyle, or genetics, suffer from various types of vitamin and mineral deficiencies. It is important to get tested by a doctor for vitamin and mineral deficiencies, particularly as you age, so that you know what type of supplement is best for you and your body’s needs. Avoiding osteoporosis and other bone strength related health problems is largely a matter of good nutrition, where proper supplementation plays a big role.