Menopause age

A recent epidemiological study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association concluded that long-term intakes of preformed vitamin A can be associated with increased risk of osteoporotic fracture and decreased bone mineral density in postmenopausal women.

Levels of only 5000 IU (1,500 mcg) are enough to increase risk. This is well below the upper limit set at 10,000 IU (3000 mcg) per day. Only high intakes of preformed vitamin A, not beta-carotene, are associated with any increased adverse effects on bone health.
Older men and women may want to limit their supplemental vitamin A intake or take only the beta-carotene form of vitamin A. Many fortified foods such as cereal contain significant levels of preformed vitamin A. The vitamin A in fortified foods should be added to the vitamin A in any supplements to find the total intake.
On the other hand, low levels of vitamin A can adversely affect bone mineral density.
In older people, an intake of preformed vitamin A close to the RDA is safest.

The best way to assure safe levels of vitamin A is to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables and, if supplements are needed, to use the beta-carotene form.

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New research at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta found that other than estrogen, another hormone-follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) may also be involved in decreasing bone mineral density during menopause.

Diminished bone density is common among menopausal women and raises their risk of osteoporosis, bone fractures and subsequent complications.

Traditionally, studies have focused on therapies that seek to maintain the level of estrogen in the body. This hormone seems to sustain bone health, but it drops to an extremely low level during and after menopause.

Dr. Joseph Cannon said that the level of FSH gradually increases in the five years leading up to menopause, when it reaches its peak and estradiol bottoms out.
Research has indicated that bone density begins to decrease over the same period of time.

In addition, data from animal studies indicated a link between FSH and bone density, which made the researchers to probe whether the increase of FSH has an effect on bone density in humans.

Bone mineral density is a balancing act between bone loss and bone growth involving two types of cells in the body- osteoclasts that break down bone, and osteoblasts that regenerate it.

During menopausal bone loss, the osteoclasts’ destructive activity outweighs the osteoblasts’ rebuilding activity, resulting in an overall weakening of the bone.

Cytokines, which are secreted by white blood cells such as monocytes, are thought to play a role in this imbalance. One cytokine in particular, interleukin-1 beta (IL-1), is known to activate osteoclasts.

“Our hypothesis was that [FSH] was decreasing bone mineral density by influencing the production or action of cytokines,” said Dr. Cannon.

To test their hypothesis, the researchers conducted a study of 36 women from 20 to 50 years old.
By measuring each woman’s level of FSH and then using a low-energy x-ray to analyse her bone density, the researchers saw that higher levels of FSH among the women were indeed associated with lower bone density.

With the results in hand, the researchers wanted to determine the effects of FSH on a cellular level.

They collected blood samples from the study participants and isolated the monocytes to investigate the effect of FSH on cells outside of the body.
They discovered that the monocytes that make IL-1 have receptors for FSH.

Receptors act like a lock for a key- when the key (FSH) enters the lock (receptor), the cell performs the activity coded by that key.
The researchers determined that FSH stimulates the production of IL-1 if the monocytes have a sufficient number of FSH receptors.

After further analysis, they confirmed that blood FSH levels corresponded to blood levels of IL-1, which indicated that both inside and outside the body, FSH stimulation of monocytes results in the production of IL-1.

On comparing the amount of IL-1 in the participants’ blood to their bone density, the researchers found that the higher the level of IL-1, the lower the bone density, when other factors that control IL-1 activity were taken into account.

The study will be presented at the American Physiological Society’s Experimental Biology 2010 conference in Anaheim. (ANI)

Osteoporosis, which means “porous bones”, is a medical condition in which bones lose density and become brittle. In more pronounced cases, bone fractures may occur in a person performing even mild activities such as sitting, standing, or even coughing. The condition has become associated with post-menopausal female, but may as well occur in men.

Bone Development

Up until the age of 30, bone density and strength increase. This is done by a continual process where old bone breaks down and is replaced by new bone. By about the age of 30, a person’s bone density is at its maximum. The process will continue after age 30; however, the loss of old bone will begin to be greater than the gain of new bone. The greater the bone density attained by age 30, the more bone one has to lose during the aging process without developing osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis treatment

In an publishe by Maryann Napoli of the Center for Medical Consumers in HealthFacts , Ms. Napoli lists some of the long term negative effects of using a class of treatments known as bisphosphonates. Included in this treatment classification are Fosomax, Actonel, Boniva, Aredia, and Didrone.

Citing a report published in the May/June Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma, she points to reports by patients taking Fosomax over long term periods who experienced aching in the thighbone for months, and eventual fractures of the femur.

Fosomax does recover bone density but represses the process by which small pieces of old bone dissolve and are replaced by new bone as mentioned in the on top of paragraph. Ott’s studies have shown that bone fractures are reduced and bones are strengthened during the first five years a patient uses Fosomax, but after five years of continuous use bone fractures occur at the same rate as for female who quit using the treatment.

Replacing treatment Therapy with organic Supplements, food, and Exercise

An article by Dr. Susan Brown, on the web site female to female cites the benefits of combining a healthy food with organic supplements and physical exercise to prevent or treat osteoporosis as adverse to the potential health risks of using bisphosphonates to recover bone density. Ms. Brown points out that after one year using bisphosphonates, female’s bones neither build nor break down, a big change from the normal bone repair process. The older bone may show up as high in density but because of its age, low in strength. This helps to make clear the reports of femur fractures, joint pain, and jaw bone decay evident in female on bone density treatments such as Fosomax.

A Plan of Attack: Preventing and Treating Osteoporosis Holistically

Dr. Brown outlines a holistic plan to prevent or treat osteoporosis. Included in this plan is the recommendation of the Surgeon General in his 2004 report providing the order in which preventative preparations should be taken:

1. Nutrition, physical activity, and fall prevention are the first lines of defense.
2. Underlying causes must then be assessed and treated.
3. Pharmaceuticals should be used only as a last resort.

Dr. Brown’s recommendations are more specific:

• Eat fresh fruits and vegetables while avoiding processed foods.
• Take bone-building supplements in advisable dosages, specifically vitamin D and vitamin K.
• Stay away from acid-forming foods. Bones neutralize acid build up, but in the long run this continuous process weakens bone material.
• Exercise, and then exercise some more. This may include whatever from strenuous aerobic activities to walking around the block (not a treadmill). The more strength training involved in the exercise the more bone buildup.
• People must reduce the emotional stressors in their lives. Reading, meditation, massage etc. are just a few methods to deal with stress.

Osteoporosis is a debilitating condition frequently found among post-menopausal female where bones lose both density and strength. Bisphosphonates such as Fosomax have been shown to stop the bone regeneration process and cause potential side effects including fractures, joint pain, and jawbone decay. Medical professionals appear to concur in the opinion that the risks of using bisphosphonates far outweigh the short term benefits and tend to cause more harm than good when taken over a period of four to five years.

Studies done by the Surgeon General in 2004 have shown that the best methods for preventing or treating osteoporosis include nutritional guidelines and a regimen of physical activity. Adding to these recommendations are medical professionals who agree that a regular intake of supplements, specifically vitamins D and K, as well have a constructive effect in treating or preventing osteoporosis.

Bones – the rigid framework that supports our body, muscle and tissues, are actually living tissues in a constant state of break down and build up. Bones are also porous, that consist of a flexible porous framework of a protein substance known as collagen, plus a lot of calcium phosphate that serves as a mineral filler.

As bones are in a constant state of rebuilding, when it become porous they would lose its strength in supporting our body structures. And hence the danger here is facing bones fracture incident.

A young person with strong resilient bones, who experiences a simple broken or fractured bone will heal fairly quickly. However, an older person who experiences a Hip fracture ( which is a common occurrence among seniors with osteoporosis ), could find that he has crossed the threshold into disability and worse.

More often than not, many people have the wrong idea thinking that osteoporosis is a woman’s disease. While it could be true that women can be at higher risk of bone loss during ( and after ) menopause, men also are commonly afflicted.

While genetics could plays a role in the development of osteoporosis, there’s a lot that you can actually do now to improve your chances of having a strong, flexible bones when moving into old age. More commonly, these are :-

1. Boost your calcium and vitamin D intake.

Calcium is a mineral used in a wide variety in our body functions. If you’re not getting sufficient calcium from your diet, your body will begin to break down the calcium in your bones to use it elsewhere.

Vitamin D helps your body both absorb calcium and deposit it into the bones. Many medical studies have demonstrated that adequate amounts of both calcium mineral and vitamin D will improve bone mineral density. Adequate vitamin D in daily dietary intake is essential to preserve bone strength.

Our skin actually makes vitamin D when exposed to ultraviolet rays of the sun. Unfortunately, many of us do not get sufficient vitamin D from either sunlight or dietary sources, so it may be essential to consider adding a supplement to your diet.

Some of the best sources of calcium are low-fat and non fat dairy products like yogurt, sardines, broccoli, fortified soymilk and soy foods, cereals and much more.

2. Resistance exercise to preserve bone strength.

Resistance training and weight-bearing exercise like walking would certainly helps to stimulate new bone formation. It also helps preserves lean body mass , which also helps to keep your weight scale in-check. Exercise in general and soft type, example “Tai Chi” , could helps to enhances flexibility.

3. Don’t forget your Vitamin K

Vitamin K, is being recognized as an essential player in the promotion of bone strength. There has been research showing that when a person who took vitamin K supplements, along with vitamin D, zinc, calcium, and magnesium, had significantly less bone loss after three years compared with others who took either a placebo or the same supplements minus the vitamin K.

Currently, common recommended dose for vitamin K is 9o mcg (micrograms) a day for women, and 120 mcg a day for men. Vitamin K is particularly abundant in spinach, other sources include cabbage too.

4. Potassium – Bone Booster.

Research has shown that people who get a good supply of potassium experience less bone loss than others who do not. As potassium is readily available in many fruits and vegetables, we should have no problem to reach daily healthy intake of potassium of 8,000 mg . For knowledge, a single potato has 940 mg of potassium, and a banana contains 490 mg !

5. Watch Your Caffeine Consumption.

It is well known that excessive amounts of caffeine can affect bone strength, as it increases the amount of calcium excreted in the urine. Limit your daily coffee consumption ! Don’t forget that soda contain caffeine as well as phosphates, which tend to pull calcium from the bones.

While many people love coffee, and some consider it a must for daily intake, you should consider adding some non fat milk, or low-fat milk, or calcium-fortified soymilk to your coffee. This could helps to counteract adverse effects of the caffeine.