Support your Bones
Our bones are the foundation of our body. If our framework is weak, we will fall, figuratively and literally. Because we don’t see them, the health of our bones are often overlooked until we have a problem.
When you think about fitness, do you consider the condition of your bones?
Did you know that bones are actually living and growing tissue? Like any other living thing, if not given the proper nutrition your bones will suffer. Even with proper diet and exercise, age and disease can result in bone loss for men and women. During and after menopause many women will see a sharp decline in estrogen. This drop can result in significant loss of bone density. The National Osteoporosis Association describes some of the bone concerns for women and why:
Being female puts you at risk of developing osteoporosis and broken bones. Here are some facts:
- Of the estimated 10 million Americans with osteoporosis, about eight million or 80% are women.
- Approximately one in two women over age 50 will break a bone because of osteoporosis.
- A woman’s risk of breaking a hip is equal to her combined risk of breast, uterine and ovarian cancer.
There are multiple reasons why women are more likely to get osteoporosis than men, including:
- Women tend to have smaller, thinner bones than men.
- Estrogen, a hormone in women that protects bones, decreases sharply when women reach menopause, which can cause bone loss. This is why the chance of developing osteoporosis increases as women reach menopause.[1]
Men have to be concerned with bone health and loss as well. For men it can result from testosterone, calcium, or Vitamin D deficiency. Any of these issues can arise at various times in a man’s life.
Lifestyle and diet can also cause nutritional deficiencies that result in inadequate amounts of key vitamins and nutrients required for bone health. Lack of exercise due to inactivity or illness can weaken the bones, increasing the risk of fracture. Some medical conditions can trigger a breakdown in calcium or vitamin absorption to the bones, as can some of the medications used to treat these diseases.
The National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) indicates that the following medicines may cause bone loss:
- Aluminum-containing antacids
- Anti-seizure medicines (only some) such as Dilantin® or Phenobarbital
- Aromatase inhibitors such as Arimidex®, Aromasin® and Femara®
- Cancer chemotherapeutic drugs
- Cyclosporine A and FK506 (Tacrolimus)
- Gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) such as Lupron® and Zoladex®
- Heparin
- Lithium
- Medroxyprogesterone acetate for contraception (Depo-Provera®)
- Methotrexate
- Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) such as Nexium®, Prevacid® and Prilosec®
- Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as Lexapro®, Prozac® and Zoloft®
- Steroids (glucocorticoids) such as cortisone and prednisone
- Tamoxifen® (premenopausal use)
- Thiazolidinediones such as Actos® and Avandia®
- Thyroid hormones in excess
Note: This list may not include all medicines that may cause bone loss.[2]
Bone health can be addressed with your physician through exercise and nutritional supplementation. Simplesa’s new product called OsteoGuard combines nutrients known to supply bones with the minerals they need to help strengthen the bone itself and the tissues that surround and support the bone, as well as reduce the risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures. Additional vitamins are included to ensure that important minerals make it from the gastrointestinal tract to the bloodstream and into bone.
For more details on OsteoGuard go to: http://www.simplesanutrition.com/products/osteoguard-120-tablets.html
[1] http://nof.org/articles/235
[2] http://nof.org/articles/6
Simplesa OsteoGuard™ is taken twice a day, two tablets per serving, and ideally spaced twelve hours apart for maximum absorption. Each bottle of contains 120 tablets for a 30-day supply.