The Importance of Healthy Bones
Bone health is crucially instrumental to overall health and longevity. People need to understand this fact, according to Dr. Nicholas Perricone, MD, in an article a www.lifeextension.com. Dr. Perricone points out the presence of so many toxins and contaminants in the environment and the food chain today that make it difficult for the bones and the gastrointestinal tract to be in tip top condition.
Keeping the bones and gastrointestinal tract healthy, writes
Dr. Perricone, is the first step to maintaining a healthy immune system, which is the vital protection from the epidemics and pandemics that seem to be lurking around every corner. “Red and white blood cell production alone makes maintaining optimal bone health an important requirement for optimal overall health, especially as we age,” Dr. Perricone emphasizes. “It is no coincidence that with aging, diminishing bone health is also accompanied by reduced energy, increased fatigue, an increase in digestive problems, and an increase in maladies associated with a weakening immune system.”
“Bones are made of living, breathing cells growing tissue,” states the website www.htstherapy. com, explaining that “throughout life a person will continue to lose bone and make new bone. After age 30, your bone loss actually speeds up. As you continue to age, you can end up losing more bone than you’re forming.”
When a person loses too much bone or makes too little bone or both, osteoporosis occurs. Many people have osteoporosis and don’t even know it. Osteoporosis occurs gradually over time without symptoms; hence, it is called the “silent disease.” Millions of people suffer from the disease.
Other bone disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, irritable and inflammatory bowel disorders, and a host of other chronic inflammatory and degenerative problems make it necessary that an aging person’s diet is rich in highquality probiotics and foods that are not pro-inflammatory, writes Dr. Perricone. Pro-inflammatory foods will compound those mentioned problems.
Bone cells and immune stem cells have a common origin and a functional relationship, which is the basis for the growing field of osteoimmunology. It has been found that chronic immune system overexertion leads to bone loss and can also promote muscle wasting and increased fat storage, Dr. Perricone shares. Muscle wasting or loss of muscle mass in older people is called sarcopenia.
Dr. Perricone had long suspected of a strong link between inflammation and sarcopenia and used it as a model to measure and compare the loss of muscle mass seen in those who diet. He was not surprised to discover that patients who suffered from sarcopenia had higher circulating levels of inflammatory markers than those who experienced less loss of muscle mass. In simple terms, the subjects with the greatest loss of muscle mass were in an inflammatory state.
Keeping the bones healthy is not exclusively an old-age challenge – it is important at all ages, young and old. And there’s a lot that can be done to protect one’s bones. The www.htstherapy.com website cites three examples:
Exercise. High and low-impact weight bearing exercises can help build and maintain bone density. Such exercises will create more tension on the muscles, which will in turn put more pressure on the bones. It can then lead to more “new bone” production (or strengthening the bones).
Examples of high-impact exercises: tennis, dancing, hiking, jumping rope, jogging, etc., while low-impact exercises include walking, stair-step machines, cycling, etc.
Proper Nutrition. Avoiding smoking and excess drinking, along with a diet rich in calcium, vitamin D, and lot of fruits and vegetables can help keep bones strong.
Bone Mineral Density Test. It measures the mineral content in one’s bones. The heel of the foot is often the part tested because it is similar to that of the hip (a common bone to break due to osteoporosis). Based on the results of the test, the person and his doctor can determine if intervention is necessary and if any lifestyle changes or treatment measures should be taken.
Therapy can also help improve overall bone health. While it is no cure for osteoporosis, there are steps that one can take to slow or stop the progress of the disease. A physical therapist can design an exercise program to build bone health that is focused on improving posture, stability and balance. Physical therapy is also helpful before and after a fracture.