Approximtely 1.6 million people suffered from hip fractures each year worldwide. By year 2050, it is estimated to hit 4.5 million to 6.3 million. A shocking statistic, how can so many people break their hip bone in a year? Up to 20% of patients die in the first year following hip fractures according to a study back in late 1993, but up to 20% of patients who survived after the year end up in nursing homes. Meanwhile, up to 10% of patients suffered reoccurance hip fracture within the 3 years period. Research has shown that bone fractures mostly occured within one year period, especially those who is diagnosed with osteopenia or osteoporosis.
The good news, sort of, CDC, WHO and The National Osteoporosis Foundation have all recognized the main focus of osteoporosis treatment is to reduce the risk of bone fractures, and not only increasing bone density of an individual. WHO has launched an online tool FRAX, which is an assessment tool to measure fracture risk (link below).
FRAX tool:
http://www.iofbonehealth.org/frax
In today's post, I will further discuss about diet, nutrition and Vitamin K. Why nutrition and diet is so important in the role of building strong healthy bones. Do you think by drinking milk or taking calcium supplementation will enable strong bones and prevent fractures? As naive as it sound, this is far from the the truth. If milk and calcium supplements can prevent bone fractures, there would be virtually zero incidence globally. The focus on bone density is barely half of the whole story here.
I've personally met many people, who drink couple glasses of milk daily, combined with poor diet. I've also bumped into folks who take calcium supplement daily, and eat a high crap diet. Most of these people I met, are sedentary and exercise to them is not a priority. "As long as I eat anything i want, and as long as I take my calcium supplement or drink milk and be a couch potato, I will have strong healthy bones". I can literally hear that ridiculous thought in your mind, and I would not be surprise if you suffered from bone fractures in few years from now. As absurb as these people may think, and as blunt as I may sound, the risk of bone fractures is expectedly high for these folks. The question is, "When will it happen and which bone?"
There is another common question which some folks asked me before, "If my bones are big and heavy, does it mean that my bone density if high and I have strong healthy bones?". The answer is NO. The same thing apply for an individual who is heavy or overweight, the muscle mass and health status not necessary mean good or even optimal. I know it is not exactly the same, but you get what I meant.
Back to nutrition. I want to discuss a couple of nutrients which are vital to building strong healthy bones. In particular, Vitamin K, a powerful nutrient which is not fully commercialized yet. Perhaps one or two years from now, the supplement industry will commercialized it and make a fortune out of this nutrient. There are primarily two main forms of Vitamin K, they are K1 and K2. This fat soluble vitamin, arguably, the most powerful nutrient in bone health, especially rebuilding factor of the connective tissues. Vitamin K1 can be converted to K2 in the small intestines by bacteria. Vitamin K1 is primarily used by the liver to maintain a healthy blood clotting system. As for Vitamin K2, it is vital for brain health and other organs, it protect against oxidative stress. One of the key functions of Vitamin K2, is to stimulate the production of connective tissues in the bone. Bear in mind, taking certain antibiotics can wipe out gut flora (good bacteria) to more then 70%.
There are primarily different forms of Vitamin K2. We have MK4 and MK7. If you heard of Natto, this fermented food contain high amount of Vitamin K2, in the form of MK7. If you love consuming Natto, your body is getting loads of Vitamin K2. However, only MK4 is shown in studies to have the ability to reduce risk of bone fractures. Clinical trials have shown that as little as 45mg of MK4 daily, it has the ability to reduce the fracture risk to a whopping 87%. Imagine if you combined this protocol with proper exercise and diet.
This nutrient, triumphed Vitamin D and calcium, in terms of effectiveness and ability to prevent bone fractures. But, Vitamin D is very important for bone health too, as this hormone help to absorb calcium. Vitamin D and calcium, both nutrients have been well known for the importance of bone health for quite some time now. But bear in mind, with Vitamin D allowing calcium to come in to the body and bones, but with deficiency in Vitamin K2, you could be facing the risk of clogging of the arteries, due to excess of calcium deposits. Vitamin K2, play a role in directing calcium to bones, instead of solely to the arteries. That is why coronary artery disease (a form of heart disease), relates to calcification of blood vessels, and taking solely calcium supplements increase an individual risk of heart disease. Imagine taking a supplement thinking that it will prevent osteoporosis, but at the same time increasing risk of heart disease. How does that sound to you? You are better off not taking calcium and Vitamin D supplements at all, if you are deficient in Vitamin K2. Things will get worst and you are setting yourself up for heart disease.
Now, let's talk about exercise. Another factor which will complete the puzzle of building strong healthy bones. Which form of exercise is most effective in building strong bones and improve bone density? The answer is weight-bearing exercise. Yes, ladies, pick up the weights and start lifting. Most women still have the perception of lighting weights make them look bulky and 'froggy'. That's just silly. The ladies do not realize that the production of testosterone in females are so much lower then men, thus, it would be virtually impossible to achieve such physical stature. Unless, you train hours daily, 6-7 days a week, within bodybuilding parameters, and overdose yourself with synthetic growth hormones and testosterone supplements. The only way to build lean muscle mass and look 'toned', is incorporating weight training regularly, and not walking or jogging on that treadmill.
If you have read about Wolff's Law, the study showed that by stressing the muscles and bones with weights, it force the body to produce greater stimulus, thus, better growth of the muscles and bones. In this case, the bones will be more dense. There are other form of exercises which could improve bone density such as plyometrics and strength training, both are equivalent ideal, but ensure you check with your doctors before enrol in such training programs.
In conclusion, where do I start and what should I do to build strong healthy bones? Well, the question everyone should be asking, "What is my risk of bone fracture?". Instead of focusing solely on bone density based on DEXA scan result, you need to look at the entire picture. Get rid the idea of drinking milk or taking calcium supplement, and avoiding ingesting foods and toxins or doing things which leech vital minerals and nutrients from the body. Ensure your diet rich in vegetables as magnesium and Vitamin K is vital. Dietary cholesterol and exposure to sun getting adequate Vitamin D is equally as important. Start lifting weights consistently, we were never meant to be sedentary. Lastly, ensure your hormones are regulating properly, chronic stress levels will affect your bones directly, and women will suffer more likely then men, as shown in studies.
Journals:
http://www.thebonejournal.com/article/S8756-3282(00)00396-3/abstract
http://www.nbihealth.com/t-mk7-hip-fractures.aspx
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15309455
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20808041
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17906277
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18374202
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15018483
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16469998
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15447922
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16190315
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16801507
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7607844
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7674066
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19818443
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1652961
http://www.jci.org/articles/view/28084
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12239242
http://joe.endocrinology-journals.org/content/201/2/241.full
http://www.iofbonehealth.org/facts-statistics
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12137611
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11850308
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7967758
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7895417
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10750566
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15664003
Hip Fractures (journals):
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8166806
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16467975
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2254671/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3004072/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8472408
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