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June 17, 2004 |
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Bone Health The Bone Matrix Half of all American women are at high risk for developing low bone density and osteoporosis. And, unfortunately, traditional medicine’s obsession with calcium, vitamin D, hormone replacement therapy, and anti-resorptive drugs subjects many women to an overly simplified approach to treating and preventing osteoporosis. Most people assume that bone is a solid mineral structure throughout. The reality is that bone consists of two distinctly different materialsa flexible protein matrix and a variety of minerals (such as calcium and phosphorus) which are deposited into the matrix. The living, honeycombed matrix comprises about 30 percent of all bone. It consists mainly of collagen fibers, plus chondroitin sulfate and hyaluronic acid. The collagen imparts flexibility and the crystalline minerals impart rigidity and strength. That’s how your hip is strong enough to withstand up to 600 pounds of force, yet is also flexible enough to tolerate twisting and bending without breaking. Break Down and Remodel Every three to six months, your bones undergo a complete renovation. During the break down process, a team of bone cellsthe osteoclastssecrete an acid that dissolves old bone. This releases calcium and other alkaline minerals into the bloodstream. As your blood and tissues need more calcium to maintain their slightly alkaline state, they instruct the osteoclasts to break down more bone. Once the osteoclasts have broken down enough bone, the bone dies and the remodeling phase begins. At this point, a new team of cellsthe osteoblaststakes over. Osteoblasts are responsible for producing both the collagen fibers and proteoglycans within the bone matrix. Proteoglycans are abundant, large molecules that are made by the osteoblasts and then taken outside of these cells to become the gelatinous ground substance of the bone matrix. The ground substance consists of glycosaminoglycans composed of chondroitin sulfate that is attached to a protein core. The ground substance enables the bone matrix to be more resilient and flexible, thereby enabling the bone to withstand physical trauma and injury. Maintaining a Strong and Intact Bone Matrix Your diet must contain proper amounts of protein and a variety of micronutrients. Protein is needed for the intestinal absorption of calcium, and is a major building block for bone. Excessive protein, however, can lead to bone loss by increasing your body’s acid load, forcing it to pull valuable calcium and other alkalinizing minerals from your bones. Your body can only handle 40 to 60 grams of protein a day. However, the vast majority of people in the United States consume nearly twice that amount. If you’re at high risk, I recommend you consume more vegetable protein than animal protein. Soy Protein Does Double-Duty Soy, a wonderful source of vegetable protein, also inhibits the breakdown of bone by the osteoclasts. And since estrogen supports the deposition and thickness of collagen within your body, it is likely that the phytoestrogens contained within soy also support collagen within your body. Testing Your Bone Matrix An inexpensive and non-invasive home urine test that measures the stability of your bone matrix can be sent to a laboratory to assess if the collagen of your bone matrix is being broken down too rapidly. Higher than normal levels of deoxypyridinium (D-pyd) and pyridinium (Pyd), collagen crosslinks that are released in your urine as bone breaks down, can indicate if bone is being lost at a greater rate than your body can replace it.
Read More on Bone Health: Getting Started Keep it SIMPLE Bone Health tip Flaxseed Nutritional Therapies Supplements for Stronger Bones Complementary Therapies An Ancient Solution to a Modern Problem
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