For Healthier Bones & Joints…

If you think joint pain and brittle bones are an inevitable result of aging, think again. It's never too early to start thinking about your bone and joint health.

You Really Do Need Calcium for Your Bones

Calcium is a major component of bones and teeth. A deficiency can result in osteopenia or osteoporosis. Osteoporotic bone is more brittle than healthy bone, rendering those who have it at greater risk of fracture.

Postmenopausal women are particularly at risk of osteoporosis. Women aged 51 years and older are advised to take 1,200 milligrams calcium per day due to decreased calcium absorption and greater bone resorption (breakdown of bone). This amount can be obtained through diet or supplementation.

Since dairy products are the best food source of calcium, vegans or lactose-intolerant people are good candidates for supplementation. Some good plant sources of calcium, including spinach and collard greens, contain high amounts of oxalic acid, which reduces calcium absorption.

Calcium absorption is also reduced by consuming high amounts of sodium, caffeine, protein and alcohol.

Vitamin D enhances the absorption of calcium into our bones.  Those who have minimal sun exposure (especially office workers and elderly), and who are taking certain medications (e.g. oral steroids) might be low in Vitamin D. 

Choose the Right Form of Calcium

Calcium is available in different forms (aspartate, carbonate, citrate, gluconate, lactate). While calcium carbonate (otherwise known as chalk) is widely available, it’s not the most absorbable calcium in the market.

In a study of gastric bypass patients who received either calcium citrate or calcium carbonate, the citrate form demonstrated greater absorption.

A meta-analysis of 15 studies comparing the absorption of calcium citrate and calcium carbonate concluded that calcium citrate absorption was 20% to 27.2% higher than calcium carbonate, with the greatest difference occurring when the mineral was taken on an empty stomach.

Because absorption of calcium is optimal at a dose of 500 milligrams or less, it is best to take it in divided doses.

Your Joints Hurt Because You DON’T Exercise

We hear things like this all the time: “I can’t exercise because my joints hurt.” Unfortunately, these people have it completely backwards. Our joints hurt because we DON’T exercise. So, the question really should be this: what type of exercise is best for my joints?

Muscle toning exercises, believe it or not, are fantastic for joint health. Strong muscles around a joint actually add strength to the joint itself. One great way to strengthen muscles is with resistance exercise, specifically using resistance bands.

The best thing about resistance bands is that they can be done anywhere, even while sitting at your office desk. All resistance band exercises should be performed slowly and with lots of control throughout the entire range of motion of the joint. Begin with the band at the start of tension and as you flex the muscle group, the band’s tension and resistance increases.

*Adapted from articles from US Life Extension website