Preventing Osteoporosis

Overview 

Osteoporosis is a major problem for millions of women and men in the US. The basic cause is lack of adequate vitamin D and calcium. If you are at risk, there are some things that you can do to prevent or slow the development of osteoporosis.

What is Osteoporosis? 

Osteoporosis is a condition in which bones lose calcium and become thin and brittle.

Causes of Osteoporosis 

You can develop osteoporosis if you are not consuming enough calcium. Vitamin D is needed for calcium absorption, so if you do not have enough vitamin D in your body, you could also be at risk for osteoporosis.

Signs of Osteoporosis 

The first sign that someone has osteoporosis might be when they fall and break a bone. It is often said that you fall and break a bone, but as one of my professors used to say, it is more likely that the reverse happens – you break a bone and fall. Sometimes, pain in the hips could be a sign of osteoporosis.

Testing for Osteoporosis 

A bone density test is used to determine the density or thickness of your bones.

Preventing Osteoporosis 

Eating a diet that is rich in calcium is the first step in preventing osteoporosis. But vitamin D must be present in order for you to absorb the calcium and make it available to build strong bones. Taking a calcium supplement along with vitamin D might delay bone loss in some individuals. Regular exercise can also help to prevent or delay the development of osteoporosis.

Treating Osteoporosis 

Unfortunately, by the time osteoporosis is diagnosed, it may be too late to correct the problem with calcium and vitamin D supplements alone. At this stage, your doctor might prescribe a type of drug, called bisphosphonate, that literally harden the calcium in the bones. However, these drugs, which turn your bones into cement-like structures, can have serious side effects.

Food Sources of Calcium 

The most common food sources of calcium are milk and other dairy products. You can also get calcium from other foods that have been fortified with calcium, including orange juice and some breakfast cereals.

Food Sources of Vitamin D 

Natural sources of vitamin D include fish, fish oil, fish liver oil and mushrooms that have been irradiated. Orange juice and some breakfast cereals that have been fortified with vitamin D are also good sources. However, most of the vitamin D that you get comes from the sun. You can get about 400 IUs of vitamin D from food. In comparison, your body can make 10,000 IUs with just a brief exposure to the sun (10 to 20 minutes of sunlight).

Recommended Intake of Calcium 

The recommended intake for calcium is 800 milligram for adults. If you are at risk for osteoporosis, you might need as much as 1000 to 1200 milligrams of calcium plus vitamin D. To meet this goal, a dietary supplement is usually required.

Recommended Intake of Vitamin D 

The recommended intake for vitamin D is 400 IUs from food sources. This is the amount deemed necessary to prevent rickets or osteomalacia, which are signs of calcium deficiency in children and adults, respectively.

There has been a lot of discussion about the need for higher doses of vitamin D, with some studies suggesting that the recommended intake of 400 IUs is not enough and that people need a much higher dose of this vitamin.

Summary 

Osteoporosis is a condition that results from lack of adequate calcium and vitamin D in the body. You can prevent or delay the development of osteoporosis by eating foods rich in these two nutrients, and getting regular exposure to the sun. Exercise can also help to prevent osteoporosis.

Simple Steps to Preventing Heart Disease

Overview

If you have a family history of heart disease, you may be at increased risk for developing the disease yourself. So, it is important for you to pay attention to other risk factors. In many cases, you may be able to prevent or delay the development of heart disease by following a few basic steps.

Know Your Risks

Family history is a known risk factor for heart disease. Other risk factors include obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol levels, particularly high LDL or bad cholesterol levels, and high triglycerides. A diet that is high in sugar, trans fat or saturated fat and low in dietary fiber can also contribute to heart disease. Studies suggest that low vitamin D levels may also put you at risk.

Tips for Making Your Diet Heart-Healthy

The American Heart Association and other healthcare experts have recommended a number of strategies to lower your risk for heart disease. Here are a few tips:

Weight Control. Lose weight if you are overweight. Small changes in your diet, coupled with exercise will help you to lose the weight and reduce your risk of heart disease.

Omega-3 fats. Increase your intake of omega-3 fats. Omega-3 fats are powerful anti-oxidants that help to reduce inflammation in your body; inflammation has been linked to plaque buildup and an increased risk of heart disease.

Fiber. Foods that are rich in fiber play a key role in controlling your cholesterol. Fiber helps to control cholesterol by slowing the absorption of fat and by binding with bile in the gut to reduce the production of cholesterol.

Saturated fats and trans fat. Saturated fat and trans fat can increase the level of cholesterol in the blood, lead to the buildup of plaque in the arteries and increase your risk for a heart attack or stroke. So do your best to avoid these fats.

Triglycerides. High triglyceride levels are common in people with diabetes. These fats have also been linked to heart disease. So, make a special effort to avoid these fats.

Sugar. Excess sugar can contribute to the development of heart disease by causing an increase in blood glucose and high insulin levels. Both high blood glucose and insulin have been associated with increased inflammation. This inflammation can lead to damage to the heart and blood vessels, thereby increasing your risk of heart disease.

Salt. Eating too much salt, specifically the sodium portion of the salt molecule, can lead to high blood pressure in certain individuals. High blood pressure results when the walls of the blood vessels get stiff, making it difficult for blood to pass through the arteries to the heart. When this happens, the heart can be damaged, resulting in a heart attack or a stroke.

Summary.

You can reduce your risk of heart disease by maintaining a healthy weight or losing weight if you are overweight, eating a a diet that is rich in natural fiber,and eating foods rich in omega-3 fats. Avoid consuming sodas and other sugary drinks or foods made with a large amount of sugar. Also, avoid trans fats and  foods containing large amounts of saturated. fat. You should also reduce your salt intake. And finally, stay active.

Health Benefits of Vitamin D - The Sunshine Vitamin

Overview

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that you get from the sun, thus the name, the “sunshine vitamin.” Vitamin D is mostly known for its role in helping to build strong bones. But studies show that vitamin D does much more than promote bone health.

Sources of Vitamin D

Most of the vitamin D you get comes from the sun. A mere 10 to 30 minutes of exposure to the sun at least 3 times a week can provide all the vitamin D you need, under normal circumstances.

On the other hand, if you live in areas that get little sun exposure during certain times of the year, or if you are housebound with little chance to get some sunshine, you may not be getting enough vitamin D.

Food sources of vitamin D include oily fish, fortified milk and products made from fortified milk, and fortified orange juice. Certain mushrooms that have been irradiated also contain vitamin D.

Vitamin D Synthesis

Vitamin D is made in your body when the ultraviolet B (UVB) rays of the sun hit your skin and interacts with cholesterol to form cholecalciferol. Both your liver and kidneys are involved in the conversion of cholecalciferol to the active form of vitamin D. This is the major source of vitamin D for most people.

Supplements

Vitamin D supplements are normally sold in capsules containing 500 or 1000 IUs of the vitamin. These supplements come in two forms - Vitamin D3 and vitamin D2. Vitamin D3 is made by irradiating yeast and is said to be more potent than vitamin D2. Vitamin D2, a synthetic form of the vitamin is the less potent form.

Recommended Intake

The National Academy of Sciences set 400 IUs as the recommended intake of vitamin D for adults and 200 IUs for children. On the other hand, 10 to 30 minutes of exposure to the sun, under ideal circumstances would produce about 10,000 IUs of vitamin D, which is adequate to meet the needs of most people.

Health Benefits

A number of studies show that vitamin D is important for a number of health-promoting functions that go beyond its role in bone health. Here are several health benefits that you may get from vitami D: 

• Calcium absorption
• Calcium transport to and from bone
• Reduce the risk of heart disease
• Lower blood pressure
• Reduce the risk of stroke
• Reduce inflammation
• Reduce the risk of diabetes
• Enhance the immune system
• Fight infections
• Reduce the risk of cancer

Vitamin D Deficiency
Vitamin D deficiency can lead to serious bone problems, including rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults. Although vitamin D deficiency low vitamin D levels have been associated with an increased risk of osteoporosis and other chronic health problems.

Summary

Get a few minutes of sun exposure daily or most days and eat dairy or other vitamin D fortified foods for added insurance. If you have low circulating levels of vitamin D, talk to your doctor and a registered dietitian to find the best course of action, which might include a vitamin D supplement.

Vitamin D Insufficiency Linked to Obesity

Overview
If your are obese, your doctor might want to run a test to determine your vitamin D status. Don't be too surprised if a blood test shows that the level of vitamin D circulating in your blood is below normal. This would be consistent with what others have found. Studies on American adults show that obese individuals are more likely to have insufficient vitamin D in their blood than individuals who are not obese.

Vitamin D is Trapped in the Fat Cells
Vitamin D insufficiency - low levels of vitamin D - is believed to be a major problem, affecting millions of Americans. All too often, the level of vitamin D circulating in the blood is found to be low in obese individuals, with a greater number of normal weight individuals having adequate levels.

You may be consuming what the recommended level of vitamin D, which should be adequate to meet your needs. You could be getting adequate exposure to the sun. You might even be taking a vitamin D supplement. But if you are obese, your lab work is likely to come back showing that your blood levels are low, maybe even deficient.

The low levels of vitamin D in the blood of people who are obese may be due to the way fat cells process the vitamin. It seems like the fat cells trap the vitamin, making it unavailable for all the vital functions that require vitamin D. The good news is, losing weight appears to resolve the problem for many people, according to a number of studies.

Insufficient levels of circulating vitamin D can also happen to obese people who undergo gastric bypass surgery. The problem with gastric bypass is that the surgery involves bypassing an area of the small intestine where vitamin D would normally be absorbed. Consequently, little or no vitamin D can be absorbed following the surgery. In this case, the doctor is likely to prescribe a vitamin D supplement.

If you suspect that you may be suffering from vitamin D insufficiency, talk to your doctor and a registered dietitian before making any drastic changes to your diet or taking large doses of any supplement.

Osteoporosis
Vitamin D helps to promote the absorption and transport of calcium from the gut to the various tissues and organs where it is needed. This includes carrying calcium to the bones where it is needed for ongoing remodeling of the bone. If vitamin D is locked in the fat cells and not available in the blood when needed, the remodeling of the bone will be impeded. As a result, the bones will become weak and thin. This condition, called osteoporosis, often leads to hip fractures and falls, particularly among the elderly.

Losing weight
Losing weight and consuming a diet that is rich in calcium and vitamin D, along with adequate exposure to the sun can help to prevent or slow bone loss associated with osteoporosis. But keep in mind that although calcium and vitamin D are key factors in promoting bone health, there are a number of other nutrients that are also involved.

Note: The information provided in this blog is for information and educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for personal medical guidance. Always consultant your personal doctor and registered dietitian before making any drastic changes that could affect your nutritional status and your health.

Is Obesity Ruining Your Health?

Overview

You may be at risk for a number of chronic diseases if you are overweight or obese, according to the U.S. Centers for disease Control and Prevention. Despite this dire warning, two-thirds of American adults are overweight or obese. And each day, millions attempt to lose weight. Some succeed. But many lose a few pounds, or even a lot, only to regain it.

According to the statistics on losing weight, only about five percent of those who lose weight are able to keep it off for more than five years. That leaves millions of people at risk for chronic diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and other lifelong health problems.

Obesity and Diabetes

Although not everyone who is obese will develop diabetes the chances are, if you are obese, you are at increased risk for diabetes. Obesity is marked by an unusually high number of fat cells and large deposits in those cells. As a result, your body develops a resistance to insulin, which is needed to metabolize sugar for energy. Instead of using this sugar for energy, your body creates a resistance to insulin. That is why type 2 diabetes, the type associated with obesity, is called insulin resistance diabetes. When this happens, your blood sugar becomes elevated and remains elevated for a while. Then you might experiences a sudden drop in your blood sugar. These highs and lows can be dangerous to your health.

High Blood Pressure and Obesity

The extra work that your body has to do to carry around the excess weight when you are obese can cause high blood pressure and take a toll on your health. You are more likely to deposit fat in the lining of your blood vessels if you are obese. This fat then causes the blood vessels to become narrow. The arteries may become thick and hard also, which complicates the problem. As a result of these changes, it becomes difficult for blood to flow through the blood vessels and get to vital organs. When this happens, your blood pressure builds up, leading to a diagnosis of hypertension or high blood pressure.

Heart Disease and Obesity

Obesity is a major contributing factor in the development of heart disease in the United States. The work of your heart is critical in pumping oxygen-rich blood to the lungs and other vital organs. This is generally not a problem if you are not overweight or obese. But the more weight you gain, the harder your heart has to work to get the blood-and oxygen-to the lungs and other vital organs. The muscles of your heart could actually become damaged, less efficient and finally stop working, resulting in a heart attack.

High Cholesterol and Obesity

You might have heard a lot of bad things about cholesterol and think that nothing good could come from cholesterol in your body. Actually, cholesterol is not all bad. It plays a vital role in making vitamin D from the sun; it is used for synthesizing hormones, such as testosterone, estrogen and progesterone; . However, too much cholesterol can result in clogged arteries, which can ultimately lead to a heart attack or stroke. 

The more fat there is in your body, as in the case of obesity, the more likely you are to have dangerously high levels of cholesterol. This can happen because you consume too much cholesterol or your body produces too much and at the same time, loses the ability to get rid of the excess. Cholesterol then builds up in the arteries (blood vessels), causing them to become narrow and making it hard for blood to get to the heart, lungs, brain and other organs. 

In some cases, cholesterol-rich plaque may build up in the arteries. Ultimately, a piece of this plaque may break off, travel in the blood, and end up causing a blockage in one of the blood vessels, If this blockage prevents the blood from reaching your heart or brain you can have a stroke.

Prevention

One of the most important things that you can do to prevent chronic diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and high cholesterol is to lose weight. Numerous studies show that losing as little as 7 to 10 percent of your body weight can improve symptoms of diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and may reduce cholesterol levels.

Simple steps like eating smaller portions, cutting back on foods that are high in calories from sugar and fat, and reducing salt intake can help you to lose the weight and improve your health. The evidence for the health benefits of losing weight is so powerful that there is growing emphasis on losing weight to prevent or control obesity-related chronic diseases. In some instances, you might even be able to reverse the condition.

About Dr. Dorene E. Carter

Dr. Dorene E. Carter is a registered dietitian and nutrition consultant with over 25 years of experience in nutrition education, counseling, training, consulting and writing. She is founder and CEO of CHANA Project, the Child Health and Nutrition Access Project, a nonprofit organization serving children and families. Dr. Carter received her PhD in Nutrition from the University of California, Berkeley.

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