Skeletal Advice from a Chiropractic Office

Skeletal advice from a chiropractic office in La Jolla, CA.

Bone health and overall system health may be more closely related than previously thought, reports are showing us. Many Americans are overweight, unhealthy, and unhappy. But perhaps new research shows that by improving our skeletal health, we can produce healthier lifestyles in general.

There are different aspects of our skeletal health that we may, or may not be aware of. Various supplements are known to support bone health, such as Calcium, Magnesium, and Vitamin D3, but lesser known nutrients are also needed such as Potassium and Vitamin K, which can optimize total system health.

Previously, the human skeleton was recognized to conduct 3 basic functions. First, its role in providing structural support for muscles and guarding internal organs. The next was its purpose as a reservoir for significant mineral ions, especially calcium and magnesium, which are fundamental to nerve and muscle cell performance and electrical transmission. (1-3) Lastly, the marrow space of many bones harbors all of the body’s blood-producing tissues and a chief part of the cellular immune system. (1)

Only five years ago, however, scientists revealed a fourth, unexpected job. (4) Bone-forming cells called osteoblasts were set up to produce a hormone-like signaling protein called Osteocalcin. (5) It was added that Osteocalcin stimulates pancreatic insulin secretion and increases insulin sensitivity in tissues all the way through the body. (4,6,7-9)

Osteocalcin is also attributed with reduced fat tissue deposition, (6) while higher Osteocalcin levels are associated with lower levels of leptin, the “hunger hormone”. Leptin is released when we want our bodies to stop eating; it induces the feeling of being “full”. Leptin plays a vital role in energy consumption and expenditure, including appetite and metabolism. (10)

So as we can see, more Osteocalcin, less Leptin, resulting from better skeletal health, ending with better weight management and lower fat concentrations in our bodies.

High leptin levels in addition put forth an adverse effect above Osteocalcin function: (18) the additional leptin your body’s fatty tissue produces, the fewer Osteocalcin your bone cells discharge, and the poorer your insulin struggle becomes.(11) And in a last unexpected finding, leptin achieves that effect by suppressing your osteoblasts’ activity, decreasing your ability to build new bone, and threatening your bone health.(12)

Scientists at the foremost edge of osteology are discovering that in accumulation to immune strength, blood cell production, and nervous system function, a strong skeletal system is also vital to insulin sensitivity, energy metabolism, and weight management. (4,6,11,13)

The widespread bone ailment osteoporosis accounts for 2.6 million doctors’ office visits and 180,000 placements in nursing homes across the nation every year. According to the Surgeon General, by 2020 this potentially life-changing situation will upset almost half of all Americans over 50. (14)

So, in prevention, how is someone supposed to help their skeletal well-being? Let’s look at some of the nutrients and minerals that can help bone health.

Calcium

Calcium accounts for 1-2% of adult human body mass, with more than 99% of total body calcium in the teeth and bones. (15) The residual 1% is used in our electrically active tissues such as nerve and muscle, where it plays a crucial signaling role.

Dicalcium malate and calcium bis-glycinate are the best 2 types of calcium for the human system, as well as being effective at improving bone mineral density, important in bone health. (16) General daily doses are around 1,000 mg to 1,200 mg daily for an adult, but always consult a doctor first.

Vitamin D3

We now distinguish that vitamin D functions as a hormone, with receptors to be found in at least 35 different tissue types. (17,18) That means the body’s overall requirement for vitamin D is much greater than we originally realized. (19,20)

Many experts in the field recommend supplementing with doses of 2,000-10,000 IU per day in order to achieve optimal total-body vitamin D status for optimal skeletal, cardiovascular, neurological, immunological, and metabolic health. (21-24) Again, please ask a doctor before using any recommendation.

Magnesium

Magnesium is an constituent that is concerned in more than 300 necessary metabolic reactions. Magnesium is also fundamental to human nerve and muscle cell role. Fully one-half to two-thirds of the entire body content of magnesium is stored in bone—one more example of the skeleton’s considerable role as reservoir for important minerals. (25,26)

There are other trace minerals, nutrients, and complexes that help our skeletal systems and health. The review of forskolin extract show that trace minerals, although scarce, play a major role in our bodies. Included amongst these are Boron, Potassium, and Vitamin K2. If the following is not informative enough, please email me or leave a comment and I can get you more information on any subject.

Boron is a trace mineral that is essential to healthy bones since it supports the functions of calcium, magnesium, and vitamin D. (27-30)

Potassium is one of the predominant ions in the human body, and it is essential to maintaining health at the cellular level.

Vitamin K2 is required for production of a small family of proteins that include the bone matrix proteins and the essential bone-produced hormone called Osteocalcin. (18,31)

[This article was written by Jeremy, and I do know this is not more than a summary. This article is meant for helpful purposes and is not meant as medical advice. Please email me at dk.thinktank.purposeinc (at) gmail.com with questions or comments and I will respond to each. Have a great day.]

Image: shellhawk at Flickr

References:

1. Grabowski P. Physiology of bone. Endocr Dev. 2009;16:32-48.
2. Simon LS. Osteoporosis. Clin Geriatr Med. 2005 Aug;21(3):603-29, viii.
3. London G, Coyne D, Hruska K, Malluche HH, Martin KJ. The new kidney disease: improving global outcomes (KDIGO) guidelines – expert clinical focus on bone and vascular calcification. Clin Nephrol. 2010 Dec;74(6):423-32.
4. Clemens TL, Karsenty G. The osteoblast: An insulin target cell controlling glucose homeostasis. J Bone Miner Res. 2011 Apr;26(4):677-80.
5. Hinoi E. Control of bone remodeling by nervous system. Regulation of glucose metabolism by skeleton. Tangent point with nervous system. Clin Calcium. 2010 Dec;20(12):1814-9
6. Kim YS, Paik IY, Rhie YJ, Suh SH. Integrative physiology: defined novel metabolic roles of osteocalcin. J Korean Med Sci. 2010 Jul;25(7):985-91.
7. Wolf G. Energy regulation by the skeleton. Nutr Rev. 2008 Apr;66(4):229-33.
8. Ferron M, Wei J, Yoshizawa T, et al. Insulin signaling in osteoblasts integrates bone remodeling and energy metabolism. Cell. 2010 Jul 23;142(2):296-308.
9. Ferron M, McKee MD, Levine RL, Ducy P, Karsenty G. Intermittent injections of osteocalcin improve glucose metabolism and prevent type 2 diabetes in mice. Bone. 2011 Apr 29.
10. Enriori PJ, Evans AE, Sinnayah P, Cowley MA. Leptin resistance and obesity. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2006 Aug;14 Suppl 5:254S-258S.
11. Confavreux CB. Bone: from a reservoir of minerals to a regulator of energy metabolism. Kidney Int Suppl. 2011 Apr (121):S14.
12. Ducy P. The role of osteocalcin in the endocrine cross-talk between bone remodelling and energy metabolism. Diabetologia. 2011Jun;54(6):1291-7.
13. Available at: http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1254517-overview. Accessed May 13, 2011.
14. US Department of Health and Human Services. Office of the Surgeon General. “Bone Health and Osteoporosis: A Report of the Surgeon General.” October 14, 2004.
15. Cashman KD. Calcium intake, calcium bioavailability and bone health. Br J Nutr. 2002 May;87 Suppl 2:S169-77
16. Patrick L. Comparative absorption of calcium sources and calcium citrate malate for the prevention of osteoporosis. Altern Med Rev. 1999 Apr;4(2):74-85.
17. Bacchetta J, Ranchin B, Dubourg L, Cochat P. Vitamin D revisited: a cornerstone of health? Arch Pediatr. 2010 Dec;17(12):1687-95.
18. Kidd PM. Vitamins D and K as pleiotropic nutrients: clinical importance to the skeletal and cardiovascular systems and preliminary evidence for synergy. Altern Med Rev. 2010 Sep;15(3):199-222.
19. Norman AW, Bouillon R. Vitamin D nutritional policy needs a vision for the future. Exp Biol Med (Maywood). 2010 Sep;235(9):1034-45.
20. Verhave G, Siegert CE. Role of vitamin D in cardiovascular disease. Neth J Med. 2010 Mar;68(3):113-8.
21. Holick MF. Vitamin D: evolutionary, physiological and health perspectives. Curr Drug Targets. 2011 Jan;12(1):4-18.
22. Vieth R. Vitamin D supplementation, 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations, and safety. Am J Clin Nutr. 1999 May;69(5):842-56.
23. Vieth R. Vitamin D toxicity, policy, and science. J Bone Miner Res. 2007 Dec;22 Suppl 2:V64-8.
24. Garland CF, French CB, Baggerly LL, Heaney RP. Vitamin D supplement doses and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D in the range associated with cancer prevention. Anticancer Res. 2011 Feb;31(2):607-11.
25. Martini LA. Magnesium supplementation and bone turnover. Nutr Rev. 1999 Jul;57(7):227-9.
26. Matsuzaki H. Prevention of osteoporosis by foods and dietary supplements. Magnesium and bone metabolism. Clin Calcium. 2006 Oct;16(10):1655-60.
27. Schaafsma A, de Vries PJ, Saris WH. Delay of natural bone loss by higher intakes of specific minerals and vitamins. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2001 May;41(4):225-49.
28. Miggiano GA, Gagliardi L. Diet, nutrition and bone health. Clin Ter. 2005 Jan-Apr;156(1-2):47-56.
29. Nielsen FH, Hunt CD, Mullen LM, Hunt JR. Effect of dietary boron on mineral, estrogen,and testosterone metabolism in postmenopausal women. FASEB J. 1987 Nov;1(5):394-7.
30. Hegsted M, Keenan MJ, Siver F, Wozniak P. Effect of boron on vitamin D deficient rats. Biol Trace Elem Res. 1991 Mar;28(3):243-55.
31. Takemura H. Prevention of osteoporosis by foods and dietary supplements. “Kinnotsubu honegenki”: a fermented soybean (natto) with reinforced vitamin K2 (menaquinone-7). Clin Calcium. 2006 Oct;16(10):1715-22.