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Osteoporosis - rebuilding bone density
I was only 36 when I was first diagnosed with osteoporosis and since then, my bone density has declined another five percent. I eat lots of dairy and am now on new drugs but am not happy with this as a long-term solution. Are there any alternatives?
A significant number of osteoporosis sufferers are chronically deficient in vitamin K - one of the lesser known vitamins which is actually a group of substances that we now know play a key role in building the proteins the body needs to make strong bones.
Research into this role is still in its infancy, but in a study of the diets of over 70,000 women aged between 38 to 63, the link was made between a low dietary intake of vitamin K and an increased risk of hip fracture. In fact, women who ate lettuce (iceberg or romaine) once a day had an impressive 45% lower risk of hip fracture than women who only ate lettuce once a week.
This is not to say eating lettuce will save you from the risk, but stepping up the amount of vitamin K-rich foods in your diet, including dark, leafy green vegetables, chicken, yoghurt, a good quality probiotic supplement along with 300mcg (micrograms) of vitamin K daily. Also take a good quality B complex to lower levels of homocysteine - a normal by-product of protein metabolism, high levels of which have also been implicated in osteoporosis.
Finally, you would also benefit from Planetary Formula’s Glucosamine-MSM herbal combination, made specifically to help the body build and maintain strong bones. It also includes the herb, Rehmannia which Chinese herbalists use to boost calcium absorption and re-build bone density.
*Planetary Formula’s Glucosamine-MSM costs £15.99 for 90 x 1000mg tablets. Mail order from the NutriCentre on 0800-587 2290. Do not use vitamin K supplements if you are taking warfarin, pregnant or breastfeeding.