As we age, we know that we need to strengthen our bones. But how important are all of those calcium supplements and vitamins that claim to assist in fighting osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis is a progressive bone disease that makes your bones weak, permeable and more suseptable to an increased risk of fracture. The word osteoporosis literally means “porous bone” and is characterized by a decrease in the mass of normal bone and a reduction of the bone mineral density which alters the amount and variety of proteins in the bone.
Are calcium supplements and vitamins important?
It’s important to feed your body the proper nutrition to support good bone health. Bone is living tissue, constantly being replaced by new bone. Bone mass is maintained at a progressive and then a constant level until our mid 30’s. This maintenance is accomplished thru a cycle of breaking down and building up of bone. Beginning around age 40, the rate at which bone breaks down can exceed that at which it is built, resulting in diminished bone mass. If your body does not get enough, or does not absorb enough minerals to form new bone, you may be at risk for Osteoporosis.
What nutrients do I need and how do I know which ones to take?
Calcium and vitamin D are usually the first two nutrients that come to mind. Your body also need other nutrients like vitamins A, C, K, magnesium, phosphorous, manganese, amino acids and enzymes for building bone. Foods rich in calcium (i.e. dark, leafy greens – broccoli, collards, kale, dandelion, mustard, turnip greens, etc.) should be part of your daily meals, however, even that isn’t enough anymore. That’s why it’s important to have supplements that are made from organic, whole foods.
Standard Process Whole Food Supplements provide your body with the important nutrients needed to support the health of your bones, no matter what stage of life you are in.
Calcium Lactate – This is a very absorbable form of calcium and magnesium. It is a source of ionizable calcium, magnesium muscle contraction, nerve impulse and blood coagulation. This calcium will often be assimilated when other calcium products will not; however, people with a more alkaline gastrointestinal tract simply cannot assimilate calcium well. Standard Process knows how to formulate products that the body can use. To ionize is to give an electrical charge to the item being ionized. The ionization of minerals makes them functional in our body’s tissues. If calcium is not ionized, it stays in the fluid. The ionization of minerals is achieved through our body’s enzyme system.
Cataplex D – The ultraviolet rays from the sun convert skin oil to vitamin D. Vitamin D picks up calcium from the gut and puts it into the blood.
Cataplex F – Vitamin F takes it from the blood and puts it in the tissue. Vitamin F is referred to as the polyunsaturated fatty acid.
Cataplex C – Vitamin C is crucial for optimal collagen (bone protein) formation. Together, calcium and collagen form a durable and flexible living tissue – bone. Cataplex C is comprised of whole food vitamin C sources, so you receive all the compounds of the natural vitamins, minerals and amino acids that are part of the whole food complex found in vitamin C, not just ascorbic acid.
Calcifood Wafers or Powder – This is calcium and phosphorus in the correct proportion, as provided by nature. It is made out of cold-processed raw bone meal. It is biologically active (enzymes) through careful cold processing and supports bones, teeth and related tissue.
These are some of the whole food supplements that Standard Process offers for optimum bone health. See a Wellness Consultant for more information.
by Jackie Godfrey
Image courtesy of Meawpong3405 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
