Vitamin D is essential during the menopause as with calcium and magnesium, it prevents
osteoporosis and controls weight gain. The best and most enjoyable way to
get vitamin D is by spending some time in the sun. For most of us in the
northern hemisphere, that is not a practical option in the winter.
I was talking to a pathologist the other day, and he said that of all
the tests he did, the vitamin D test was almost always deficient in most
people and he couldn't understand why it was not prescribed more often
by doctors.
It's quite difficult to get vitamin D from the diet - oily fish is almost the only real(significant) dietary source.An easy and efficient way to supplement is to use in spray form. It's amazing how much this underrated vitamin helps to regulate
hormones, build bones, protect from diabetes, lift mood, improve skin
and a whole host of other things...
Showing posts with label osteoporosis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label osteoporosis. Show all posts
Friday, October 04, 2013
Tuesday, October 09, 2012
The Risks of Osteoporosis, Fracture and even mortality greater if you have an Early Menopause.
The Risks of Osteoporosis, Fracture and even mortal is greater if you have an Early Menopause.
More bad news for those of us who have been through an early menopause as this was the conclusion of a Swedish study that looked at the long-term effects of early menopause on mortality, risk of fragility fracture and osteoporosis and which was published in 'An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.'
They suggest that women who go through the menopause early are nearly twice as likely to suffer from osteoporosis in later life were also found to have a higher risk of fragility fracture and of mortality ie death.
However, these results found in women with an early menopause need to be explored further as many other factors could affect this such as medication, nutrition, smoking and alcohol consumption.
The good news is that now that we are aware of this, we can do all that we can to prevent osteoporosis as early as we can.
To read more about this study...
More bad news for those of us who have been through an early menopause as this was the conclusion of a Swedish study that looked at the long-term effects of early menopause on mortality, risk of fragility fracture and osteoporosis and which was published in 'An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.'
They suggest that women who go through the menopause early are nearly twice as likely to suffer from osteoporosis in later life were also found to have a higher risk of fragility fracture and of mortality ie death.
However, these results found in women with an early menopause need to be explored further as many other factors could affect this such as medication, nutrition, smoking and alcohol consumption.
The good news is that now that we are aware of this, we can do all that we can to prevent osteoporosis as early as we can.
To read more about this study...
Friday, May 27, 2011
Menopausal Women Benefit From Green Tea and Tai Chi
According to Dr Chwan-Li Shen, Green Tea and Tai Chi enhance bone health and reduce inflammation in postmenopausal women.
Dr. Chwan-Li (Leslie) Shen is an associate professor and a researcher at the Laura W. Bush Institute for Women's Health at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center and has conducted a study focused on postmenopausal women and investigating the potential for green tea to work synergistically with tai chi (an eastern fitness activity) in enhancing bone strength after the menopause.
She carried out a double-blind, placebo-controlled, intervention trial which involved 171 postmenopausal women with an average age of 57 years old, who had weak bones but not full-fledged osteoporosis.
The study lasted for 6 months, during which time blood and urine samples were collected and muscle strength assessed.
The results show that drinking about 4 to 6 cups of steeped green tea daily and doing tai chi, enhanced markers of bone health by the third and sixth month. A similar effect was found for muscle strength after six months. Participants taking tai chi classes also reported significant beneficial effects in quality of life in terms of improving their emotional and mental health.
What she found important was the substantial effect that both the green tea and tai chi had on biological markers of oxidative stress. Because oxidative stress is a main precursor to inflammation, this finding suggests that green tea and tai chi may help reduce the underlying etiology of not only osteoporosis, but other inflammatory diseases as well.
Dr. Shen and colleagues hope to soon complete a more long-term study utilizing more technically savvy measures of bone density.
In the meantime, I for one, will be enjoying my well earned cuppa green tea!
Dr. Chwan-Li (Leslie) Shen is an associate professor and a researcher at the Laura W. Bush Institute for Women's Health at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center and has conducted a study focused on postmenopausal women and investigating the potential for green tea to work synergistically with tai chi (an eastern fitness activity) in enhancing bone strength after the menopause.
She carried out a double-blind, placebo-controlled, intervention trial which involved 171 postmenopausal women with an average age of 57 years old, who had weak bones but not full-fledged osteoporosis.
The study lasted for 6 months, during which time blood and urine samples were collected and muscle strength assessed.
The results show that drinking about 4 to 6 cups of steeped green tea daily and doing tai chi, enhanced markers of bone health by the third and sixth month. A similar effect was found for muscle strength after six months. Participants taking tai chi classes also reported significant beneficial effects in quality of life in terms of improving their emotional and mental health.
What she found important was the substantial effect that both the green tea and tai chi had on biological markers of oxidative stress. Because oxidative stress is a main precursor to inflammation, this finding suggests that green tea and tai chi may help reduce the underlying etiology of not only osteoporosis, but other inflammatory diseases as well.
Dr. Shen and colleagues hope to soon complete a more long-term study utilizing more technically savvy measures of bone density.
In the meantime, I for one, will be enjoying my well earned cuppa green tea!
Monday, August 11, 2008
Eat Prunes to prevent Osteoporosis..
Eat Prunes to prevent Osteoporosis..
A study was undertaken where 58 post menopausal women ate about 12 prunes daily for 3 months. At the end of the study it was found that they had higher blood levels of growth enzymes and growth factors that indicated bone formation, than those who had not eaten the prunes.
This may be due to the fact that prunes are packed with bone-building phenolic compounds, boron and potassium. These play important roles in bone health.
In fact prunes are an important source of boron, a trace mineral which is thought to play an important role in the prevention of osteoporosis.
The daily requirement for boron is 2 to 3 mg.The amount of prunes you would need to get this is just over half a cup, but there are other sources (cabbage, dandelion, parsley etc) as well of course.
Avoid eating prunes if you have existing and untreated kidney or gallbladder problems beacuse of their oxalate content.
A study was undertaken where 58 post menopausal women ate about 12 prunes daily for 3 months. At the end of the study it was found that they had higher blood levels of growth enzymes and growth factors that indicated bone formation, than those who had not eaten the prunes.
This may be due to the fact that prunes are packed with bone-building phenolic compounds, boron and potassium. These play important roles in bone health.
In fact prunes are an important source of boron, a trace mineral which is thought to play an important role in the prevention of osteoporosis.
The daily requirement for boron is 2 to 3 mg.The amount of prunes you would need to get this is just over half a cup, but there are other sources (cabbage, dandelion, parsley etc) as well of course.
Avoid eating prunes if you have existing and untreated kidney or gallbladder problems beacuse of their oxalate content.
Sunday, June 18, 2006
Soya for Menopause
natural menopause
Soya beans and any products made from them, such as tofu, tempeh, miso,
soya milk and soya sauce, are rich in phytoestrogens, plant substances that mimic human oestrogen.
These have been shown to be especially beneficial for menopausal women, helping to control symptoms as well as having a protective factor against osteoporosis and heart disease.
Soya may also help to boost memory by promoting and protecting nerve cell communication and have a protective effect on the prostate.
natural menopause
Soya beans and any products made from them, such as tofu, tempeh, miso,
soya milk and soya sauce, are rich in phytoestrogens, plant substances that mimic human oestrogen.
These have been shown to be especially beneficial for menopausal women, helping to control symptoms as well as having a protective factor against osteoporosis and heart disease.
Soya may also help to boost memory by promoting and protecting nerve cell communication and have a protective effect on the prostate.
natural menopause
Friday, May 12, 2006
Osteoporosis Diagnosed by Fingernail Test
natural menopause
Scientists have devised a way of testing for the bone disease osteoporosis simply by scanning a patient's fingernail.
Both fingernails and bones contain a crucial bonding substance which helps give them strength.
The team, including University of Limerick experts, say low levels in the fingernail indicate low levels in bone.
The idea has been nominated for the Medical Futures - Innovation Awards, due to be announced later this year.
Osteoporosis is a weakening of the bones that can lead to breaks which are difficult to heal.
This test could be a low cost and simple way of assessing someone's risk and if they need to go for further checks according to Mark Towler.
It affects one in three women and one in 12 men and is responsible for 200,000 broken bones per year in the UK - and 40 deaths a day.
The first clue the fingernail could play a role in diagnosing the disease came when a doctor noticed his osteoporosis patients had floppy nails.
Mark Towler, a lecturer in materials at the University of Limerick was asked to look at the properties of nail and bone.
Dr Towler checked the nails and bones in 10 people with osteoporosis and 10 without.
He found that levels of disulphide bond - needed to bind one protein molecule to another - were lower in people with osteoporosis.
The researchers went on to look at another 200 people, who were also given bone scans - the conventional way of assessing if someone has a risk of osteoporosis.
Everyone shown by the scans to have osteoporosis was also found to have low levels of disulphide bond.
Dr Towler said "People are usually referred to hospital for bone scans if their doctors feel they have risk factors, such as being post menopausal, or if they smoke.
This test could be done in a GP surgery, or someone could send off a nail for testing."
Good news for us women going through the menopause, as this would be a cheaper, easier, time saving and no hassle way of testing.
natural menopause
Scientists have devised a way of testing for the bone disease osteoporosis simply by scanning a patient's fingernail.
Both fingernails and bones contain a crucial bonding substance which helps give them strength.
The team, including University of Limerick experts, say low levels in the fingernail indicate low levels in bone.
The idea has been nominated for the Medical Futures - Innovation Awards, due to be announced later this year.
Osteoporosis is a weakening of the bones that can lead to breaks which are difficult to heal.
This test could be a low cost and simple way of assessing someone's risk and if they need to go for further checks according to Mark Towler.
It affects one in three women and one in 12 men and is responsible for 200,000 broken bones per year in the UK - and 40 deaths a day.
The first clue the fingernail could play a role in diagnosing the disease came when a doctor noticed his osteoporosis patients had floppy nails.
Mark Towler, a lecturer in materials at the University of Limerick was asked to look at the properties of nail and bone.
Dr Towler checked the nails and bones in 10 people with osteoporosis and 10 without.
He found that levels of disulphide bond - needed to bind one protein molecule to another - were lower in people with osteoporosis.
The researchers went on to look at another 200 people, who were also given bone scans - the conventional way of assessing if someone has a risk of osteoporosis.
Everyone shown by the scans to have osteoporosis was also found to have low levels of disulphide bond.
Dr Towler said "People are usually referred to hospital for bone scans if their doctors feel they have risk factors, such as being post menopausal, or if they smoke.
This test could be done in a GP surgery, or someone could send off a nail for testing."
Good news for us women going through the menopause, as this would be a cheaper, easier, time saving and no hassle way of testing.
natural menopause
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