Bones are made of living tissue and are continually rebuilding and remodeling, especially during childhood and adolescence. Bone growth peaks around the age of 30. After that, bone remodeling and rebuilding continue, but you lose slightly more bone mass than you gain.
Low bone density leads to a risk of osteoporosis, a disease in which the bones become more fragile as they lose density. As you get older, protecting your bone health becomes more and more important. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to protect your bones as they begin to lose density and mass.
Top Supplements for Bone Health
Choosing healthy, nutrient-rich foods does wonders to preserve your optimal bone health. Exercise — especially weight-bearing activities like walking, tennis and step aerobics — can help keep your bones strong. Avoiding excess alcohol helps too.
Taking supplements ensures that you’re getting nutrients that may be missing in your diet. Some of the most important supplements to take for improved bone density include:
- Calcium chelate. This highly concentrated calcium promotes healthy bone density by supplying three forms of easily absorbed calcium.
- Vitamin D. You need this vitamin to absorb calcium. Most pharmacists recommend it in the form of Vitamin D3, which is the natural form of Vitamin D your body makes from sunlight.
- Vitamin K2. This vitamin slows down bone loss after menopause. It also helps increase bone strength and reduce the risk of fractures in people with osteoporosis.
Improving Bone Health with Strontium
Strontium is a mineral that’s similar to calcium, but it’s found in soil and seawater. It’s sold as a supplement and appears to play a role in how the body makes new bone while slowing down the loss of bone growth.
In Europe and Australia, a drug called strontium ranelate is used to reduce the risk of bone fractures and to treat osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. The FDA hasn’t approved this drug for sale in the U.S., but they’re still studying it. Talk to your pharmacist at Asheville Compounding Pharmacy about the best alternatives.
Progesterone Cream for Improved Bone Density
Lack of progesterone is a factor in decreased bone growth and formation. Using a topical progesterone cream appears to be able help increase your bone mass. These creams are mostly derived from plant-based hormones, such as those present in yams and soy.
Women who are in perimenopause may find that proper management of hormonal levels decreases their chances of experiencing the extreme bone degeneration with age. Progesterone creams can help to stabilize fluctuating hormone levels too. These creams are easily absorbed by the skin and don’t cause digestive disturbances.
CBD and Osteoporosis
A promising aid for the treatment of osteoporosis is cannabidiol, better known as CBD. It’s a cannabis compound that has significant medical benefits without any of the side effects of the psychoactive type of cannabis. Research is still underway, but some positive evidence indicates that CBD oil may stop or reverse bone loss.
Current research on cannabinoid receptors using CBD in mice and humans indicate that this substance may be effective in combating low bone density and osteoporosis. Using CBD oil may eventually be the go-to method of treating osteoporosis without some of the side effects of other medications currently being used.
