It’s easy to take your bones and skeletal system for granted. In our daily lives, we rush from one task to another, not even thinking about whether our bones will be strong enough to take us into the next day.
Yet, the “silent thief” sometimes has other ideas… Your bones may be weakening without your knowledge, and it’s not until you fall and break a bone that you discover it’s happening to you.
When you’re older, the consequences of weak bones can strip away your independence in the blink of an eye. For some, the consequences can even be deadly.
However, the biggest mistake you can make is thinking weak bones are an older person’s problem.
Weakening bones don’t discriminate by age. The process can actually begin when you’re in adolescence.
You need your bones to stay healthy and strong your entire life, for both pleasure and protection, as strong bones protect your heart, lungs and brain from injury. Your bones also house and protect your bone marrow, where white blood cells develop.
Your brain and cognition even benefit from strong bones… A study of 987 men and women showed that those with the lowest bone mass measurements were more than twice as likely to develop cognitive issues than those with stronger bones.
By giving your bones the care they need early in life, in essence, you’re helping to ensure “bone insurance” later in life.
If your bones don’t get what they need early on for optimal health, they can begin to weaken early in life.
The only way to know for sure if your bone health is at risk (and expose the “silent thief”) is to have your bone density tested regularly.
You’re never too young – or too old – to support your bone health. As you’ll soon see, there’s much you can do to help keep your bones strong or help strengthen them if you notice they’re not as strong as you’d like them to be.
Bone Health 101: Understanding How You Build and Lose Bone
It may come as a surprise to learn that bone is a living substance. Your bones contain blood vessels, nerves and cells, and act as a storehouse for important minerals that your body needs.
Osteogenesis is the process by which your body builds bones. Your bones contain two primary types of cells that drive this process:
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Osteoblasts – cells that build your bones by producing a protein called osteocalcin that strengthens your skeleton and directs bone formation and mineralization
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Osteoclasts – cells that break down old or damaged bone to make room for new bone
As long as your body is engaged in a greater amount of bone-forming activity (called absorption or formation), than bone breakdown (called resorption), you are maintaining healthy bones. To form and maintain healthy, dense bones, you need calcium.
4 Accomplices That Can Increase the Breakdown of Bone
Because so many people have weak bones and don’t know it, it’s easy to make mistakes now that can affect your bone health later.
These four common accomplices may be speeding up the breakdown of your bones without you even realizing it…
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Gluten Intolerance
Could the grains you’re eating be contributing to less-than-optimal bone health? If you have gluten intolerance, you may not be absorbing the nutrients you need for bone health. In a study, when gluten intolerant subjects followed a gluten-free diet for one year, their bone density improved.
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Tobacco
Studies show a direct relationship between tobacco use and decreased bone density. Plus, smoking has been shown to increase the risk of having a fracture and has a negative impact on bone healing after fracture.
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Alcoholic beverages
Regularly consuming more than two drinks a day for men and one drink a day for women can interfere with your body’s ability to absorb calcium and slow new bone formation.
Chronic, heavy drinking, particularly during adolescence and the young adult years can dramatically compromise bone quality and may increase the risk of bone health issues later.
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Soft drinks
A recent seven-year study looking at data from 17,383 adults, aged 20 to 75 years old, confirms that the consumption of soda or soft drinks is linked to an increased risk of fracture. Soft drinks contribute to a high intake of phosphorus, which can weaken your bones by promoting the loss of calcium.
Diet sodas may be even worse. Researchers found that human parathyroid hormone concentrations rose strongly following diet soda consumption, leading to a greater release of calcium from bone.
Exercise Is Key to Maintaining Strong Bones
By nature, healthy bones are dense, porous and soft. As you age, your bones can become less dense and more brittle – especially if you don’t get the right kinds of exercise.
Because bone is living tissue, it requires regular physical activity to renew and rebuild itself. Whenever you jump, run or lift a weight, the stress of your muscles on your bones signals to your body to add new cells to strengthen your bones.
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services report, “Physical Activity and Health: A Surgeon General’s Report,” healthy individuals should do:
Weight-bearing exercises – activities that force you to work against gravity – strengthen bone by stimulating the bone-building cells, osteoblasts.
A good exercise to include in your routine is a walking lunge. This helps build bone density in your hips, even without additional weights.
Lifting weights, doing yoga and using resistance bands all help build bone density and strength. Other weight-bearing activities include brisk walking, tennis, kickboxing, jogging, climbing stairs, hiking and dancing.
Weight-bearing exercise strengthens your bones and your muscles. The stronger your muscles, the better your balance and coordination, which is vitally important as you age.
Always consider your current physical condition and obtain your doctor’s consent before starting any new type of exercise program.
Where to Find the Calcium Your Body Needs
Healthy bones require plenty of bone-building nutrients, and the best source is from the foods you eat.
That said, our diets have changed over the years to ones that are heavy in meat and grains, which are naturally low in calcium. And when eaten in excess, these foods can have an acidic effect on your body.
Your body works hard to maintain a balanced pH – your well-being depends on it. When your body becomes too acidic, it releases minerals, including calcium from your bones and teeth.
Dark, green leafy vegetables help your body in two ways. First, they are rich in calcium. Second, they have an alkalizing effect on your body. These two reasons are a great reason to eat plenty of fresh leafy green vegetables on a regular basis.
In addition to leafy greens, be sure to eat enough protein from healthy sources. Protein deficiency interferes with calcium absorption in your intestines.
I recommend getting your calcium from healthy foods, such as leafy greens, broccoli sardines, canned salmon (with bones), almonds, sesame seeds and dairy products made from raw, hormone-free, unpasteurized cow’s or goat’s milk.
Some high calcium foods also contain naturally high amounts of vitamin K2 – a real bonus – such as fermented cheeses and butter from pastured cows.
As important natural food sources of calcium may be, I realize not everyone routinely eats leafy greens, sardines and dairy products made from raw milk.
For that reason, I recommend taking a calcium supplement, especially if you know you have weak bones or may be at risk…
Why It’s Never Too Early to Start Taking Calcium
Beginning as early as 16 years of age – or as late as your 30s – this is when you gain the maximum amount of bone mass and strength. Designed to last your lifetime, this is what’s known as peak bone mineral (PBM).
After you achieve PBM in your teens, 20s or 30s, you begin to lose bone at a rate of about 0.5% to 1.0% a year. This normal age-related bone mineral loss continues for the rest of your life.
For women, the situation can be even worse. Bone mineral loss accelerates during and after menopause for about five to seven years before returning to the slightly slower rate that men experience.
During those few, short years, post-menopausal women can lose as much as 35% of their bone density.
Because bone loss can begin in your 20s or 30s, some health experts advise starting early to ensure your bones are strong enough to last your lifetime. They consider it a window for helping to avoid bone health issues later in life.
Studies support this theory, too…
Looking at 43 studies involving more than 7,300 participants, a team of researchers found that calcium supplements in people under 35 significantly improved both the bone mineral density and bone mineral content of the femoral neck, total body and lumbar spine.*
This was most pronounced in those aged between 20 and 35 years, when the bone mass plateaus, rather than those younger than 20 years.
These findings led researchers to conclude that taking calcium supplements during this “peri-peak bone mass age” might have a better effect than trying to catch up later in life.
Is It Safe to Take Calcium Supplements?
Some medical experts have warned about taking calcium supplements, and that has led to much confusion.
A meta-analysis showed an increased hip fracture risk with calcium supplementation. And there are concerns that taking high doses of calcium might be detrimental to cardiovascular health, particularly for men.
So, what’s the truth about calcium supplements? Are they safe?
There’s no question that calcium is important for bone health – and even some other aspects of health.
A thorough review of the literature suggests that calcium – either from dietary sources or calcium supplements – plays a positive role in people of different ages and genders. When used correctly, and not taken in extremely large doses, the potential benefits outweigh the risks.
In fact, recent research shows supplemental calcium may have a positive effect on all these aspects of health:
Are Heavy Metals Hiding in Your Calcium Supplement?
Years ago, a study was done on over-the-counter calcium supplements after reports of lead contamination surfaced.
Of the 70 brands of calcium supplements they examined, they found that levels of lead varied almost 300-fold, with the highest levels being found in oyster shell, bone meal and chelated calcium supplements, all popular choices among health-conscious shoppers.
What’s more, supposedly ‘reputable’ brand names or products supplied by pharmaceutical companies provided no assurance from the high levels of lead.
The good news is, in recent years, lead contamination appears to have been reduced to levels that are no longer a concern.
However, lead contamination isn’t the only potential problem…
Aluminum has also been found in calcium carbonate supplements labeled “oyster shell” or “natural source.” And some imported calcium supplements have tested positive for lead, aluminum, cadmium and mercury.
As with any supplement, you must protect yourself. Always know where it came from, its source and who manufactured it.
That bargain bottle of calcium may not be the best deal in the end if it contains potentially hazardous heavy metals.
Organic Calcium – When You Want Just the Real Thing
You have many choices when it comes to calcium supplements. However, most of the calcium used in supplements comes from mined limestone or oyster shells.
On product labels, if the source isn’t specified, the ingredients are most likely a form of inexpensive calcium from rock.
It’s not easy to absorb calcium, especially the calcium found in rocks. Estimates for the absorption of some forms of calcium range as low as 20%.
My preference is to get calcium from whole food sources. And that’s what you get with our Organic Calcium.
Here’s what makes our Organic Calcium formula unique:
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Supplies whole-food organic calcium from 100% natural and sustainable eggshells that naturally contain additional essential trace minerals for bone building support*
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Derived only from eggshells from organic eggs, laid by chickens fed an organic diet without bioengineered grains like GMO corn and not exposed to dangerous non-organic pesticides and herbicides
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Contains naturally occurring transport proteins for maximum absorption and bioavailability, making it nearly 20% more absorbable than other forms of calcium carbonate*
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Supplies the optimal dosage of 1,200 mg calcium for many adults in 400 mg capsules so you can easily spread out your dosage during the day.
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Verified through multiple human clinical trials showing the effectiveness of eggshell calcium in supporting bone mineral density*
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Is made through an eco-friendly manufacturing process in an FDA regulated GMP facility
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Contains no genetically engineered (GMO) ingredients or magnesium stearate
Remember, where your calcium comes from is vitally important for purity and your body’s usability.
I prefer eggshells because they are a 100% natural and sustainable whole food source. Compared to other natural calcium sources, the lead levels in eggshell calcium are much lower.
Plus, ultra-refined eggshell calcium, like what’s in our Organic Calcium formula, promotes digestive comfort, unlike some other calcium formulas.*
The Complete Bone Health Package: Vitamin D3, K2 and Magnesium
In addition to the right kinds of physical activity and avoiding the major silent accomplices, healthy bones require the right balance of four major nutrients: Calcium, Vitamin D, Vitamin K2 and Magnesium.*
In fact, a lack of calcium may not be the only factor involved with bone health issues today.
The other three bone health nutrients – vitamins K2 and D, and magnesium – are equally important for supporting bone health.
The right balance of bone-building nutrients is what really matters, as each nutrient affects all the others.
For example, if you don’t get enough vitamin K2, calcium can end up in the wrong places in your body instead of your bones and teeth. Vitamin K2 helps cement the calcium you absorb into the bone matrix.
Vitamin D helps maintain your skeletal calcium balance by promoting calcium absorption in your intestines. And for proper calcium absorption, magnesium plays a key role in activating vitamin D.
Age affects all the factors involved with bone health. Some increasingly work against your body’s ability to utilize nutrients and protect important organ functions.
As you age…
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Your skin produces less vitamin D in response to sunlight.
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The pH in your jejunum, or the middle portion of your small intestine, starts to drop, hindering absorption of calcium.
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Your ability to activate vitamin K2-activated proteins that regulate calcium decreases.
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Your absorption of magnesium decreases with age.
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The increased use of certain medications can result in magnesium deficiency.
So, when taking calcium, I always recommend including Vitamins D3 and K2, as well as Magnesium Threonate in your daily regimen.
Our Vitamins D3 and K2 provides both vitamins in advanced forms for maximum absorption and superior bioavailability, far exceeding what you’ll find in many other bone health formulas. Plus, this unique formula includes MenaQ7®, a patented advanced form of vitamin K2 that’s been shown to maintain or increase bone density and strength.*
Magnesium Threonate is essential for strong, healthy bones as it helps build a strong bone matrix, contributing to increased bone density. A mineral that many people may be deficient in, magnesium is needed by your bones, muscles, nerves and brain. Delivering 2,000 mg of patented Magtein® Magnesium L-Threonate, Magnesium L-Threonate offers superior absorption, compared to other forms of magnesium.*
Take Control of Your Bone Health Now with a Calcium You Can Trust
You want to live a long, active life and enjoy the activities you love into old age. And by doing so, you maintain your independence and freedom.
To enjoy life to its fullest – throughout your life – you need strong, dense bones. And that’s not just for your pleasure. Strong bones also help protect against falls and serious injury.
By giving your bones the care they need early in life, in essence, you’re helping to ensure “bone insurance” later in life.
Here’s the bottom line…
Without the right kind of regular testing, you don’t know if the “silent thief” is busy at work inside your body. Tragically, the only way many people discover their bone mineral density isn’t what they want it to be is when a bone breaks.
It’s never too late to get started doing all you can to protect and strengthen your bones. Organic Calcium can help you get on the right track, no matter your age.
Take control of your bone health today, and order Organic Calcium.