3ac Health Tips

 

Are you getting enough nutrition for healthy bones?

According to the Osteoporosis Research Center (ORC) in Omaha, US, older women generally realise the importance of calcium intake, but most still don't get enough.
 
An ORC study that assessed calcium intake in more than 11,000 women. Results showed that only 15 percent of postmenopausal women get more than 727 mg of calcium daily. The recommended intake for women over age 50 is 1,200 mg per day.
 
Nutritionists have known for some time that calcium is better metabolised when vitamin D is abundant. And that's confirmed by a new study published last month in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The methodology used by researchers at a university hospital in Reykjavik, Iceland, is a little complicated, so we'll just cut to the chase. An analysis of food frequency questionnaires and blood samples of 944 subjects showed that sufficient amounts of vitamin D may be more important than high doses of calcium.
 
Many postmenopausal women are deficient in vitamin D
 
When Boston University Medical Center researchers analysed dietary and supplement use data from more than 8,200 subjects across the US, they found that less than five percent of adults over the age of 50 were getting an adequate amount of vitamin D. According to Cancer Research UK, some groups of the UK population are more at risk for vitamin D deficiency than others. They include:

• Elderly people - especially if or home bound
• Dark skinned people
• Women with darker skin who dress to cover most of their skin

Researchers at an Amsterdam medical centre compared blood samples, hormone levels and questionnaires submitted by nearly 2,600 postmenopausal women with osteoporosis in 18 different countries. On average, more than 60 percent of the subjects were vitamin D deficient. And this number rose by several percentage points among women who were tested during winter months.
 
This last detail reveals the best source of vitamin D: sun exposure. Dietary sources include eggs, liver, fish liver oils and oily fish such as salmon, sardines, trout and tuna. And if you are lucky enough to be flying off to a sunny destination for a holiday, remember that only a small amount of sunlight is needed for adequate vitamin D levels. Don't over do it.
 
Which form of calcium is best?
 
For the best compromise of price, percentage of elemental calcium and absorption try calcium citrate. Calcium is not found in nature (in edible form) without magnesium, and they therefore should always be given together. Plus, phosphorous is also needed with calcium. Talk to your doctor or a health care professional before adding any of these supplements to your daily regimen.