Low vitamin D means more flu
/0 Comments/in Bone Nutrition /by Dr. Susan E. BrownDid you ever wonder why you end up suffering from the flu nearly every winter? You may not be getting enough vitamin D.
The darker winter months are when our sun-dependent vitamin D levels are at their lowest.
Among its many other actions, vitamin D stimulates and supports immune function. And in temperate latitudes, researchers find that pandemic influenzas generally show clear seasonality.
In other words: More cold dark days, more flu.
Growing research connects vitamin D and influenza
- Women given 800 IU of vitamin D daily were 3 times less likely to report cold and flu symptoms than those not given vitamin D. This study was a randomized controlled trial looking at bone loss in postmenopausal African American women.
- A study with intake of 2,000 IU of vitamin D daily for one year efficiently protected women against typical winter colds and influenza.
- A trial comparing vitamin D supplements with placebos in schoolchildren found that only 1,200 IU per day of vitamin D during winter and early spring reduced the incidence of seasonal influenza by a factor of two.
Protect yourself from winter flu related to low vitamin D
- Maintain a 50 to 60 ng/ml vitamin D level all year round to get the fullest possible benefits from vitamin D.
- Get your vitamin D tested now to prepare for the winter. To get your level to the optimal 50 to 60 ng/ml some may require the intake of 4,000 to 5,000 IU daily of vitamin D or even more. For others lesser doses are sufficient. Some people absorb vitamin D better than others, some seem to have a higher need and others have higher reserves from the summer. Test Your Vitamin D at Home!
- Determine how much extra D you need. As a rule of thumb, for every 1,000 IU increase in vitamin D your vitamin D blood level will increase by 10 ng/ml. So if you measure your level in December and it is 30 ng/ml, you would add 2,000 IU more vitamin D to your daily supplement program to get to a 50 ng/ml.
Here’s to a happy, healthy winter season!
Reference:
Cauley JA, Chlebowski RT, Wactawski-Wende J, et al. Calcium plus vitamin D supplementation and health outcomes 5 years after active intervention ended: the Women’s Health Initiative. J Women’s Health (Larchmt). 2013;22:915-929.
Only 6 prunes a day decrease bone breakdown
/0 Comments/in Bone Nutrition /by Dr. Susan E. BrownDried plums — or prunes — are among the highest antioxidant foods shown to help improve bone strength. However, in early studies, the level of prune intake originally found to bone-enhancing was fairly high at 100 grams, or 9-10 prunes a day.
While researchers were happy with this first prune-positive finding, they did hear more than a few complaints about the number of prunes the women had to consume. So they decided to investigate if half that prune intake would still provide potent benefits.
How many prunes to reverse bone loss?
At the recent International Symposium on Nutrition and Osteoporosis I had the opportunity to meet two researchers studying the prune-bone link, including Dr. Shirin Hooshmand from San Diego State University. Even though their clinical trial has been going only for six months, preliminary results are very positive. Watch below as Dr. Hooshmand discusses more details about the study.
How Dr. Brown gets her 6 prunes a day
I stew up 42 prunes for a week’s supply and eat 2-3 a meal. I love them as a “sweet” ending to my meal or mixed into my hot cereal. I also eat them warmed up a bit and even drink the juice.
To stew prunes:
- Put 42 dried prunes in pan and cover with water 1” above prunes, add a cut up lemon
- Bring water to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer
- Simmer for 20-30 minutes or until soft
- Cool prunes and put in refrigerator
New research shows how lack of nutrients affects bone
/0 Comments/in Bone Nutrition /by Dr. Susan E. Brown
There’s a wide range of nutrients that affect bone. And now I’m happy to say there’s a wide range of research as well that tells us how important these nutrients are for bone strength.
Here are some highlights from the findings from the 9th International Symposium on Nutritional Aspects of Osteoporosis which I attended:
- Multi-nutrient inadequacy and osteoporosis: A Brazilian study looking at individuals with and without osteoporosis found that those with osteoporosis had significantly lower intake of many nutrients including protein, calcium, potassium, vitamin K, magnesium, zinc and vitamin D. (Põlluste et al. 2015)
- Vitamin A and beta-carotene: Higher blood levels of both vitamin A and beta-carotene were associated with higher bone mineral density amongst Chinese adults. (Zhang et al. 2015)
- Magnesium in bone density: Among Brazilian women bone mineral density was found to be greater in women who with the highest magnesium intake, as compared to those with an official deemed “adequate’ intake. (Peters et al. 2015)
- Vitamin E and bone density: A large Chinese study found that higher vitamin E intake was positively associated with higher bone mineral density and a lowered risk of osteoporosis among older women. (Chen et al. 2015)
- Vitamins K, D and fracture risk: A very large Norwegian study found that participants with both low circulating vitamin K1 and vitamin D had a 50 percent increased risk of hip fracture as compared to those with higher levels of these nutrients. (Finnes et al. 2015)
For three decades, we’ve championed adequate intake of all key bone building nutrients. So you can imagine our delight to see medical researchers are studying how intake of key bone nutrients beyond just calcium and vitamin D benefit skeletal health.
References:
Chen, Y. M., W. Q. Shi, J. Liu, Y. Cao, Y. Y. Zhu, and K. Guan. 2015. Association of dietary and serum vitamin E with bone mineral density in middle-aged and elderly Chinese: A cross-sectional study. Presentation at 9th International Symposium on Nutritional Aspects of Osteoporosis. 17-20 June 2015, Montreal, Canada.
Finnes, T. E., C. M. Lofthus, A. J. Søgaard, G. S. Tell, E. M. Apalset, C. Gjesdal, G. Grimnes, B. Schei, R. Blomhoff, S. O. Samuelsen, K. Holvik, and H. E.
Meyer.2015. Increased risk of hip fracture in older Norwegians low in both circulating vitamin K1 and 25-hydroxyvitamin D: A NOREPOS study. Presentation at 9th International Symposium on Nutritional Aspects of Osteoporosis. 17-20 June 2015, Montreal, Canada.
Peters, B. S. E., M. B. R. Camargo, M. Lazaretti-Castro, N. A. G. de França, and L. A. Martini. 2015. Relationship between magnesium intake and bone mass density in Brazilian postmenopausal women. Presentation at 9th International Symposium on Nutritional Aspects of Osteoporosis. 17-20 June 2015, Montreal, Canada.
Põlluste, K., M. Kull, R. Müller, A. Aart, R. Kallikorm, and M. Lember. 2015. Nutritional deficiencies and bone mineral density in a cohort of patients referred to osteoporosis clinic. Presentation at 9th International Symposium on Nutritional Aspects of Osteoporosis. 17-20 June 2015, Montreal, Canada.
Zhang, C. X., G. D. Chen, Y. Cao, Y. Y. Zhu, and Y. M. Chen. 2015. Association of dietary consumption and serum levels of vitamin A and β-carotene with bone mineral density in Chinese adults. Presentation at 9th International Symposium on Nutritional Aspects of Osteoporosis. 17-20 June 2015, Montreal, Canada.
The benefits of protein for bone health
/0 Comments/in Bone Nutrition /by Dr. Susan E. Brown
When many women start following an alkaline diet, their first change is to cut out acid-forming proteins completely. Such a severe restriction of protein is definitely too much of a good thing.
That’s because research suggests that a higher protein intake can reduce aging bone loss and actually decrease fracture risk when combined with a higher intake of key bone nutrients like calcium. Let’s take a closer at look at the benefits of protein for bone health.
How much protein should you be getting?
1. Dietary protein is acid forming, but only if consumed in excess of what the body needs. And even excess protein intake can be compensated for by increasing your intake of alkalizing foods and supplemental alkalizing mineral compounds.
2. The RDA for protein is 0.8 grams of protein/day per kilo of weight (a kilo is 2.2 pounds). For a 140 lb woman this would be 51 grams of protein, the bulk of which is easily obtained from a 4 ounce serving of meat or fish, or a cup serving of beans, grains and vegetarian protein sources. The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) is the official standard for an adequate intake, although as you’ll see below, we probably should get more.
3. New research suggests a more bone-optimizing protein intake would be higher, at 1.2 to 1.3 grams per kilo. For example, a woman weighing 140 pounds would get more bone-benefit from 76 grams of protein then from the current RDA of 51 grams protein/day. Here one might consume complete vegetarian protein combinations (grains and beans or beans and seeds) along with perhaps some eggs, dairy or meat. Details on this research by Christian Wright of Purdue University are in the video below.
4. We’ve seen a higher protein intake does help build bone mass at the Center for Better Bones. The one caveat, however, is that for long-term success we need to provide our body with enough alkalizing mineral compounds from diet and alkalizing supplements to buffer any excess metabolic acids produced.
Bone is nearly one-half protein by volume and body-wide protein is constantly needed to repair and build all tissues. While higher protein can benefit bone, it’s always important to monitor your pH balance to make sure you’re buffering any excess metabolic acids produced by the increased protein intake.
How much protein do you need for your bones? Interview with Dr. Wright.
Vitamin C reduces fracture risk
/0 Comments/in Bone Nutrition /by Dr. Susan E. BrownHigh amounts of vitamin C led to a nearly 44% reduction in risk of fracture, according to new research on the effects of vitamin C on bone health. The study suggests that women and men with higher levels of vitamin C intake experience significantly less aging bone loss than those with lower vitamin C intakes along with the significant reduction in fracture incidence. The 25% with the highest vitamin C intake had nearly a 44% reduction in risk of fracture.
What surprises me about this research is the “high” level of vitamin C intake was only 200 to 300 mg/day (and that is from diet and supplements together). At The Center for Better Bones we find that for complete health and detoxification, many people require much higher dose of this key vitamin — up to 1,000-3,000 mg a day. This makes sense because vitamin C plays several important roles within every cell — including dozens of important functions related to cell repair and division, energy production, toxin neutralization.
What surprises me about this research is the “high” level of vitamin C intake was only 200 to 300 mg/day (and that is from diet and supplements together). At The Center for Better Bones we find that for complete health and detoxification, many people require much higher dose of this key vitamin — up to 1,000-3,000 mg a day. This makes sense because vitamin C plays several important roles within every cell — including dozens of important functions related to cell repair and division, energy production, toxin neutralization.
I’m always uplifted when physicians take into account the nutrient factors that benefit bone. I encourage you to take a few minutes and watch my recent conversation with Dr. Sahni, from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, about her research on vitamin C and broadening the scope of research about the many roles of nutrients. I congratulate Dr. Sahni on her study!
Learn more with my interview with Dr. Sahni
Reference:
Author; S. Sahni. Vitamin C and Bone Health, Presentation at 9th International Symposium on Nutritional Aspects of Osteoporosis, Montreal Canada, June 17-20, 2015.
Is a hidden food allergy harming your bones?
/0 Comments/in Bone Nutrition /by Dr. Susan E. BrownDo you suffer from food allergies? Knowing the answer is simple enough if you notice that you become congested or have headaches every time you eat dairy products. The solution is simple too — avoiding the foods that cause immediate reactions to find symptom relief.
But did you know that 80% of all food reactions are delayed — making it difficult to know when you’re allergic or sensitive to what you eat? Hours — or even days — after enjoying a particular food, you might experience a reaction, which can be associated with a wide range of symptoms, including:
• Fatigue
• Arthritis and joint pain
• Asthma
• Sinus issues
• Irritable bowel
• Autoimmune disease and poor nutrient absorption to fibromyalgia and systemic inflammation
These powerful, yet hidden, reactions turn our white blood cells into virtual Pac-Men looking for something to attack and spreading inflammatory chemicals throughout the body.
Inflammation and its effects on bone
Hidden allergies not only contribute to an array of health problems and increase systemic inflammation, but they also waste the immune system and end up producing serious “repair deficit.” Within bone the combo of tear-down inflammation from an over-active immune system and the ensuing long-term bone repair deficit contributes to skeletal fragility and sets the stage for needless fracture.
5 ways food allergies can damage bone
• Cause inflammation capable of tearing down bone
• Increase bone-damaging cortisol and metabolic acidity
• Weaken immune-system-directed bone repair
• Reduce digestion and assimilation of nutrients
• Signal a nervous system that is jittery and worried
A self-help test for delayed allergies/hypersensitivities can be done by eliminating any and all foods you are suspicious of for four days, watching to see if symptoms change, and then reintroducing these foods. Often this simple elimination/challenge test yields symptom improvement. You can find out more about delayed allergy testing with the ELISA/ACT Test here.
Big news on benefits of vitamin K2 as MK-7
/0 Comments/in Bone Nutrition /by Dr. Susan E. BrownI like to keep my eye on vitamin K2 as MK-7 (menaquinone-7). I haven’t quite figured out why it doesn’t get as much attention as calcium, magnesium or vitamin D.
Especially when you realize the power of vitamin K2 as MK-7 for building bone strength, helping to prevent osteoporosis, protecting the heart and even reducing overall mortality.
Here are the latest reasons why you should get optimal amounts of vitamin K2 as MK-7:
- Vitamin K as MK-7 improves cardiovascular health in healthy postmenopausal women. Noted vitamin K expert Dr. Cees Vermeer recently led a study that showed long-term use of vitamin K2 in the form of MK-7 has a positive impact on heart health. Vitamin K helped reduce the amount stiffening of the artery walls related to aging, as well as improved vascular elasticity. The study monitored 244 healthy post-menopausal women for three years.
- As dietary intake of vitamin K goes up, mortality risk goes down. In a recent diet analysis of 7,216 participants, dietary intake of vitamin K was inversely associated with mortality risk. Those who increased their vitamin K1 and K2 dietary intakes over the nearly five year follow-up period had a 43% and 45% reduced risk of overall mortality compared to those whose intakes were unchanged or reduced. Those with increased vitamin K2 intakes during follow-up had a 59% lower risk of death from cancer.
- K2 plays a role in preventing fractures in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. An analysis of the results of 19 different studies focused on postmenopausal women with osteoporosis showed that vitamin K2 plays a role in improvement of the vertebral bone mineral density and the prevention of fractures.
So you see why it’s important not to overlook vitamin K2 as MK-7 in your diet!
How much vitamin K2 as MK-7 should you get every day?
Would you believe that there is no actual recommended daily allowance (RDA) for vitamin K2? For most people, I recommend a therapeutic dose of 90-200 mcg of vitamin K as MK-7 on a daily basis. Important note: The only exception is for those on the blood thinner Coumadin because supplementing with vitamin K will reduce the effectiveness of Coumadin.
Unfortunately, the average U.S. intake is only 9-12 mcg, if any at all! For more information on vitamin K2 as MK-7, read my in-depth article about the many benefits of vitamin K.
References:
Huang ZB, Wan SL, Lu YJ, Ning L, Liu C, Fan SW. Does vitamin K2 play a role in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis for postmenopausal women: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Osteoporos Int. 2014 Dec 17. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25516361 (accessed 04-29-2015)
Knapen MH, Braam LA, Drummen NE, Bekers O, Hoeks AP, Vermeer C. Menaquinone-7 supplementation improves arterial stiffness in healthy postmenopausal women: double-blind randomised clinical trial. Thromb Haemost. 2015, Feb. 19 (Epub ahead of print) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25694037 (accessed 4-29-2015)
Martí Juanola-Falgarona et al. Dietary Intake of Vitamin K Is Inversely Associated with Mortality Risk. J Nutr
2014;144(5):743-750. http://jn.nutrition.org/content/early/2014/03/19/jn.113.187740 (accessed 04-29-2015)
The nutrition detective: Part 2
/0 Comments/in Bone Nutrition /by Dr. Susan E. BrownWhen I’m not tracking down the latest on bone research, I’m often focusing on my work as a certified nutritionist and the clues our body gives us to tell us something isn’t right.
From excessive earwax to twitches of the eyelids, here are some common symptoms that can be resolved with the right nutrition:
Clue: Excessive earwax
A little earwax is normal, but a significant buildup likely means a lack of essential fatty acids, especially omega-3 fats in the forms of DHA and EPA. In the Better Bones Program we recommend anywhere from 600 to 3000 mg of the omega-3 fats a day. Another sign of essential fatty acid deficiency is pimply skin on the back of your upper arms.
Clue: Bleeding gums when you floss
You should be able to floss and brush healthy gums without any bleeding. When bleeding occurs, it’s a sign that the collagen needs more support and that you may need to be getting more vitamin C. This great antioxidant immune booster is essential for collagen production. (Since I also like history, you may be interested to know that scurvy, which killed so many sailors and pirates of the 1700s, is a serious collagen disorder caused by severe vitamin C deficiency.) For a home test of your vitamin C level, see our VitaCheck-C test strips.
Clue: Twitches of the eyelids
If you have facial or eyelid twitches that just don’t go away, it’s likely your body is asking for more magnesium. Magnesium relaxes the muscles and when you’re low in this nutrient there can be all sorts of spasms and twitches. What’s more, back muscle spasms are often relieved with supplemental magnesium.
Clue: Muscle cramps in your toes legs even arches of feet
I find that these cramps respond to of a few hundred milligrams of calcium supplementation taken at bedtime. If the calcium doesn’t do the trick, add a few hundred milligrams of magnesium and potassium citrate.
Clue: A stool that sinks in the toilet bowl
This might sound strange to you, but a sinking stool really indicates something very important — a lack of dietary fiber. The current recommendation for fiber is between 25 and 38 grams a day, but the average person consumes less than half that amount.
If you’re curious about more clues to your health, see my complete Nutrition Detective Questionnaire by visiting my Consultations page, go to Intake Forms in the left-hand navigation and click on the Nutrition Detective Questionnaire link. You may be surprised at the mysteries you solve!
Essential nutrients for building better bones
/0 Comments/in Bone Nutrition /by Dr. Susan E. BrownWe’ve all seen those ads in magazines where celebrities (often athletes) with painted-on milk moustaches promote milk’s value for bone health — a terrific marketing tactic, but sadly lacking when explaining how proper nutrition and proper bone health go hand in hand. What those ads don’t say — and what many people just don’t realize — is that healthy bones are an impossible dream without a balanced intake of vitamins, minerals, proteins, fatty acids, and other important nutrients. Obtaining that intake requires a great deal more than just milk! Particularly since, despite America’s wealth as a nation, most of us do not consume food that contains adequate amounts of many essential nutrients.
Hard to believe? In a 1981 USDA survey that studied the three-day food intake of 21,500 people, not a single person surveyed consumed 100% of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of all 10 essential nutrients studied. Substantial numbers of people consumed less than 70% of the RDA for several nutrients — and that was before fast food restaurants became ubiquitous!
The average American diet is not only nutritionally inadequate, it is also imbalanced. On any given day, 50% of us eat no fruit, and 25% of us eat no vegetables. At the same time, Americans consume approximately 20% of their calories from refined sugars and sweeteners, 30% from refined grains, and often, 40% as fat. Additionally, many people consume 10% of calories from alcohol. What this all boils down to is frightening. Our bodies are depending on a small percentage of our caloric intake to provide us with all the essential nutrients we need to build and maintain strong and healthy bones. Our country’s standard diet of fast food, fatty food, and food that is very acidifying is literally robbing our bones of the nutrients they need to remain strong and healthy.
This constant imbalance of nutrient deficiency and excess can present significant problems for maintaining bone health. The chemistry of the human body operates best in an alkaline state, with a pH of about 7.4. The body’s pH level is so critical, it has many checks and balances to make sure it stays in line. If a diet is too high in acid-forming foods, the body reacts by drawing alkalinizing mineral compounds from bones to buffer this acidity and alkalize the body. While our bones do not suffer from an occasional withdrawal of their alkalizing mineral reserves, excessive and prolonged acidity can drain bone of alkali mineral reserves and lead to bone thinning.
Eating for better bones
When it comes to bone health, there’s a single goal: to maximize the intake of nutrient-dense, bone-building whole foods and minimize the intake of substances that make the body more acid. Sound simple? Maybe, but in today’s fast-paced society, following this “simple” recipe is difficult at best, and it was likely much easier for our ancestors than it is for us. Living off the land and sea provided our ancestors with a variety of nutrient-rich, whole foods that could be harvested directly and dried, steamed, or preserved in other ways for use in winter. Even more recent generations of our ancestors — our grandparents — could not have located, much less purchased and consumed, much of the unwholesome foods that line today’s supermarket shelves. Of the 25,000 products typically available in an American supermarket, only a fraction of them are actually nutritious, whole foods. Many of the offerings are not only highly processed, but also largely synthetic. So for us, the challenge is to dodge all the clever marketing strategies designed to attract us to packages and find the good foods hidden among the junk.
If bone health is your goal, here’s a simple way to start: change what you put on your plate at mealtimes. First, eat meals composed largely of fresh fruits and vegetables, organically grown whenever possible, that have undergone very little processing before they come to your plate. It’s okay if you include some processed foods, but try to make your diet mostly fresh, whole foods. Second, make sure you are choosing foods that promote your body’s acid/alkaline balance — which is easy if you follow the first suggestion, as most of the alkalizing foods you can obtain are fresh fruits and vegetables! Third, when you shop in a grocery store, stick to the outer aisles — the produce section and the areas where fresh meats and fish are sold. The highly processed foods you want to avoid are in the center aisles, so skip those. And finally, take a high-quality multivitamin that provides all of the nutrients you need as “insurance,” especially if you find yourself unable to always eat healthy foods.
You can find many more suggestions for improving your bone health using nutrition and diet in the articles listed below:
Our most popular resources on nutrition & bone health
- The calcium myth
Nutrition for healthy bones requires much more than just calcium. BetterBones.com explains the importance of 20 key nutrients for bone health. - 20 essential bone-building nutrients — an overview
For many years, calcium was viewed as the all-important nutrient for bone health. Every day we are learning more about the many other minerals, vitamins, and macronutrients that are crucial for healthy bones. Join us as we pick our top 20 bone-building nutrients, touch on how they work in the body, and review how much you really need to keep your bones strong across a lifetime. - Ten steps to better digestion
Key steps on strengthening digestion for stronger bones. Ten steps to better nutrition and bone health from Better Bones.
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This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice or to take the place of such advice or treatment from a personal physician. All readers/viewers of this content are advised to consult their doctors or qualified health professionals regarding specific health questions. Neither Dr. Susan Brown PhD nor the publisher of this content takes responsibility for possible health consequences of any person or persons reading or following the information in this educational content. All viewers of this content, especially those taking prescription or over-the-counter medications, should consult their physicians before beginning any nutrition, supplement or lifestyle program.