“Youth is wasted on the young.” Ever heard that? Wilson Family Chiropractic supposes that there is
a bit of truth in that for all of us - and particularly
our Millville spines - as we age. When we’re young, our
bodies require our attention more than we realize. Our youthful
bones and spines and bodies need good nutrition so
that our older bones and spine and bodies are fit
when we want to live our lives less painfully and more
fully. Wilson Family Chiropractic shares what Millville
chiropractic patients can do now to deal with bone mineral
density (BMD) issues, no matter their current age.
BMD AND OSTEOPOROSIS: BUILD BMD WHILE YOUNG
Elevating peak bone mass early in life may decrease
osteoporosis risk later in life. A recent report wrote
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 affected 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 affected
BMD. (1) Wilson Family Chiropractic cannot 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 have a tendency to have an heightened chance
of having any kind of cancer and breast cancer. (2) Calcium intake during
the teen years of life is vital to decrease 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 intake
of calcium is way lower than what it should be. Enhancing
bone mass by only 5% reduces the risk of fracture
by 40%. (3) Attaining healthy bones depends on more than just calcium and vitamin D however.
Deficiencies of vitamins B, C, E, and K as well as retinol disrupt
bone’s health. (4) Wilson Family Chiropractic presents
these findings 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
Wilson Family Chiropractic understands that kids and their
families want to be sure that their nutritional efforts will be of value. TIP: Dietary fiber may raise 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 decrease
bone loss in men. (5) Who would have thought that fiber would
have anything to do with bone mineral density? Wilson Family Chiropractic thinks
that many of our Millville chiropractic patients would not
have!
FIBER’S DEFENSE OF MEN’S BMD
Luckily, some most observant doctors and
researchers did observe that fiber intake was a protective factor of
lumbar spine BMD in men 18-45 years of age but not in women. In men over 65 years, nutrient
intake indicated no effect on BMD. In women between 18 and 45,
fiber didn’t produce a significant effect
on BMDs, but daily fat intake significantly enhanced
BMD. (6) An interesting side note: A new study
refutes the thought that BMD may be a risk factor
for lumbar disc herniation in youth, but a new study discredited that
thought. (7) However, medical literature points out that the general
value of nutrition - and now fiber intake in men - on the well-being
of the body, its bones and its spine.
CONTACT Wilson Family Chiropractic
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Schedule your next Millville chiropractic
appointment with Wilson Family Chiropractic where your spine, body and its bones are well understood
in their current age whether they were treated well in their youth or not!