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Episode 71: Enhancing Bone Health - Key Supplements and Dietary Changes for Combatting Osteoporosis
Stronger Bones Lifestyle Podcast: Take Control of Your Bone Health
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[0:56] Functional labs
[1:53] Purpose of supplements
[2:09] Farming practices and the issues with the food we eat
[3:22] The first “supplement” you should focus on
[4:05] Supporting digestion with supplementation
[5:23] Digestive habits
[6:51] Probiotics
[9:20] Prebiotics
[9:59] Leaky gut
[11:32] Vitamin and minerals and the four Musketeers of bone health
11:43] Calcium
[13:17] Magnesium
[13:39] Vitamin D
[14:14] Vitamin K
[15:18] Mineral support
[15:49] Fish oil and managing inflammation
[18:16] One supplement to avoid
[20:05] What really matters
[20:37] Others supplements – collagen
[23;11] In summary
The Role of Functional Labs in Identifying Root Causes of Bone Loss
Welcome back to the Stronger Bones Lifestyle Podcast! In Episode 71, host Debi Robinson dives deep into the crucial topic of bone health supplements. Debi shares her wealth of knowledge on how to support bone health naturally and why it’s critical to “test, don’t guess” when it comes to supplementation.
In this solo episode, Debi explains the importance of running functional labs to uncover hidden root causes of bone loss and building effective protocols for osteoporosis. She also discusses the critical role of nutrition and provides actionable advice on optimizing your diet.
Join Debi as she highlights the importance of specific supplements that support digestion, probiotics, vitamins, and minerals essential for bone health and delves into digestive enzymes and the Four Musketeers of bone health.
"Test don’t guess, otherwise its like a whackamole of I think I have this and I think I have this!" [1:15]
"The best way to get nutrients for your bones is to eat them in foods." [3:54]
"It's not about eating food for your bones its about digesting absorbing and assimilating that food to be delivered to your bones." [6:37]
"Hydrated bones will be bendable and not breakable." [15:44]
Listen to more episodes on Bone Health and Osteoporosis
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Oxalates, also known as oxalic acid, are naturally occurring compounds found in many plants, vegetables, and fruits. They are part of a plant’s defense mechanism against predators and can be found in high concentrations in foods like spinach, rhubarb, beets, nuts, chocolate, tea, and certain beans.
Regarding bone health, oxalates can bind to minerals such as calcium in the gut, forming calcium oxalate. This compound is not easily absorbed by the body, meaning the calcium that could have been utilized for bone strengthening is instead excreted. This process can potentially lead to lower calcium availability for bone health, which can be particularly concerning for individuals at risk of osteoporosis or other bone-related issues.
However, for most women, dietary oxalates do not pose a significant threat to bone health, especially if their diet is balanced with enough calcium and they do not have a history of kidney stones.
Your gut is crucial for stronger bones for several reasons:
- Nutrient Absorption: The gut is where most nutrient absorption occurs. For bones to be healthy and strong, they need a variety of nutrients, particularly calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and vitamin D. A healthy gut efficiently absorbs these essential nutrients from your diet and facilitates their transportation to the bones.
- Gut Microbiome and Bone Health: Research has shown that the gut microbiome (the community of bacteria living in your intestines) can influence bone density. Certain gut bacteria help in producing short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) like butyrate, which have been shown to promote bone health. SCFAs can enhance the absorption of minerals necessary for bone strength and play a role in reducing inflammation, which can negatively affect bone health.
- Hormone Regulation: The gut helps regulate hormones that are involved in bone metabolism, including insulin, thyroid hormones, and sex hormones like estrogen. For example, estrogen is vital for bone density, and gut health can influence estrogen levels through the enterohepatic circulation, where estrogens are processed in the liver and intestines.
- Reducing Inflammation: Chronic inflammation, which can stem from poor gut health, is linked to many conditions that compromise bone strength, such as osteoporosis. A healthy gut helps to reduce systemic inflammation, protecting bones from inflammatory damage.
- Immune System Modulation: The majority of the immune system is located in the gut. An imbalance in the immune system can lead to autoimmune conditions, some of which affect the bones. Maintaining gut health helps to ensure the immune system works correctly, protecting against autoimmune reactions that could impact bone health.
In essence, maintaining a healthy gut contributes significantly to stronger bones by ensuring the effective absorption of vital nutrients, regulating hormones, reducing inflammation, and supporting a healthy immune system. Therefore, a diet rich in bone-healthy nutrients, prebiotics, and probiotics, along with lifestyle factors that promote gut health, is key to maintaining strong bones.