By Bonnie Jenkins

You know, it just drives me crazy that doctors are so limited in their viewpoint of the nutrients needed to protect a woman’s bones. Calcium and vitamin D are often the only ones they recommend to their patients with osteopenia and osteoporosis. But, a new study has found that both calcium and vitamin D could be exponentially more effective by adding antioxidant-rich nutrients found in fruits and veggies.  

The tissue culture study, which was performed by researchers at the University of Toronto, found that, when compared to calcium supplements alone, using a highly concentrated nutritional supplement providing polyphenols from fruits and vegetables proved three to four times more effective at stimulating osteoblasts.

Before I get too far ahead of myself, let me just say a quick word about how the bone-building process occurs. Osteoblasts are cells that build and repair bones. This is helped along by vitamins D and K, which bind proteins to calcium and deposits it into the bone matrix. Osteoclasts, on the other hand, tear bones down as part of the body’s natural regeneration. When this process of building up and tearing down behaves as it should, your bone mass and density remain healthy and strong. But if you are post-menopausal or suffer from osteopenia or osteoporosis, this process is out of balance and you can experience bone loss.

In the study, researchers extracted minerals, water soluble vitamins, calcium and antioxidants from the colorful compounds in fruits and vegetables called polyphenols and compared their impact on osteoblasts to that of calcium alone. It turned out that the polyphenol extract stimulated osteoblast activity by 20 times while calcium alone only boosted bone growth sixfold.

While this study shows that calcium can indeed boost bone mineral density, it’s simply not enough to preserve healthy bones as we age. Antioxidants like vitamin C and lycopene, which can be found in fruits and vegetables, as well as other nutrients like vitamin D and K, the B vitamins, magnesium, selenium, zinc, copper and manganese are also needed to counteract oxidative stress and prevent the risk of osteoporosis. Taken together, these nutrients can help keep osteoblast activity humming along to prevent bone loss.

This study is a follow-up to another by the same research team looking at antioxidants and bone health. In that study, participants drank either regular tomato juice or juice laced with added lycopene, a powerful antioxidant found in red foods like tomatoes and watermelon. After four months, those drinking the tomato juice with added lycopene decreased their bone turnover and oxidative stress markers, and increased their antioxidant status.

Other research suggests that the more acidic your diet, the more bone loss you will suffer. Soft drinks and sugar can, over time, undermine bone health—as can eating a lot of meat. But it’s not just about the bad things we eat. Most of us aren’t eating enough fresh fruits and vegetables. To remedy this, it’s always smart to “color your plate” with two-thirds vegetables and salads, and one-third protein. Just remember, you can still eat meat but it’s important to balance the acidity of it with the alkalinity of a plant-based diet.

Along with boosting your intake of fruits and vegetables, it’s important for women, especially those over 50, to do load-bearing exercises like walking or weight lifting. You should also take 1,000 IU of vitamin D along with 1,500 mg. of calcium in three 500 mg. doses throughout the day and an antioxidant-rich nutritional supplement. To get the most bang for your buck, look for a liquid supplement rich in whole food extracts.

Taking good care of your bones now with diet, exercise and supplements is the best way to protect them as you age. And it’s never to late to start. Even women with established osteoporosis can slow their bone loss, and possibly even improve their bone mass and bone density, with these smart lifestyle changes.

References:

Rao LG. Lycopene consumption decreases oxidative stress and bone resorption markers in postmenopausal women. Osteoporosis International. 2007;18:109-115.

Rao LG. Polyphenol Extract of Greens+ Nutritional Supplement Stimulates Bone Formation in Cultures of Human Osteoblast-like SaOS-2 Cells. Journal of Dietary Supplements. 2008; 5: 264-282.

Rivas A. Validation of questionnaires for the study of food habits and bone mass. Nutricion Hospitalaria. 2009;24:521-528