Vitamins
Folate (Folic Acid) (B9)
Folic acid is a B vitamin, also known as folate (its related anion form), or as vitamin B9. Folate detoxifies a protein called homocysteine, an amino acid linked with bone inflammation and increased fracture risk. Homocysteine is released as you breakdown protein, therefore the more protein you include in your diet the more folate you’ll need. As you age, your body will produce more homocysteine which leads to osteoporosis. Folate will help prevent this, as well as prevent the formation of plaque in the arteries. Folate is not stored in the body, therefore, you must ingest some every day in your diet. Alcohol and birth control pills can prevent the absorption of folate.
Folate is also essential in preventing heart disease, strokes, chronic fatigue syndrome,
infertility, depression, and birth defects such as neural tube defects and spina bifida. It is also essential in forming red blood cells, and genetic material such as RNA, and DNA.
Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)
B6 is used to produce the bone-building hormone progesterone and supports the protein
structure of bones. Older people, people on high protein diets, and smokers are more likely to be deficient in this vitamin which causes bone fractures to heal slowly. B6 works with folate to metabolize homocysteine which protects the bones and heart.
B6 helps with red blood cell formation, carpal tunnel syndrome, asthma, infertility, and osteoarthritis.
Foods Rich in B6: nuts (hazelnuts), eggs, pork, liver, brewers yeast, whole grains (wheat,
barley, buckwheat, rice), seafood (tuna, salmon, shrimp), chicken, beef, legumes (soybeans, chickpeas, black-eyed peas, pinto beans), sunflower seeds, lentils, tomato, avocado, vegetables (cauliflower, watercress, kale, kohlrabi, brussels sprouts, onions, okra, broccoli, squash, spinach, garden cress, carrots, radishes).
Vitamin B12
B12 works with folate and B6 to protect against the effects of homocysteine. B6 is essential
for red blood cell formation, protecting nerve fibers, cell division, and DNA formation. B12 levels decrease with age, so supplementation needs to increase to compensate.
Foods Rich in B12: Yeast, tempeh, miso, soy sauce, milk, eggs, dairy, fish (herring, flounder, sardines, mackerel), liver, and beef.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is necessary for the formation of cartilage, collagen, boosts the immune system,
heals wounds, cuts, bruises, and assists with calcium absorption. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps with the absorption of iron, metabolizing proteins, and protects cells from damage.
Foods Rich in Vitamin C: Vegetables (brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, snow peas,
potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, peas, kale), fruits (guava, cantaloupe, papaya, citrus fruits, strawberries, tomatoes)
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is the second most important nutrient for bone healing after calcium. Vitamin D3 is used for the synthesis of calcium. Without Vitamin D you would not absorb and properly
balance calcium and phosphorus. Vitamin D also lowers excessive levels of parathyroid
hormone, which protects against bone loss. Most of the vitamin D your body makes is produced by exposure to sunlight. Your body uses the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays to convert cholesterol in your skin to vitamin D. If you live somewhere where the days are shorter, spend most of your time indoors, or have a darker skin color, you will have to monitor how much vitamin D you're getting to make sure you're getting enough. Dark skin color is nature's sunblock, the darker your skin color the more melanin in your skin. This additional pigmentation will give you extra protection from the sun, but it also limits the amount of vitamin D your body can produce because it limits UV light absorption.
A person with a darker complexion will need more time in the sun, depending on how dark their skin is. This would be difficult to quantify without taking blood tests to measure how much vitamin D your body makes after sun exposure. Therefore it is recommended that you take vitamin D supplements and get sunlight to help speed the healing process. If you’re bed-bound go out into the sunlight in a wheelchair and expose your limbs to the sunlight. You can keep your face covered if you're concerned about wrinkles, however, your limbs must be exposed to direct sunlight to get the benefits. Do not wear sunblock on your limbs to maximize the production of vitamin D. Insufficient amounts of vitamin D can lead to soft bones, osteomalacia, rickets, or osteoporosis. Vitamin D also needs fats to be absorbed, therefore low-fat diets can also cause bone problems.
Vitamin D is also good for the prevention of colon and breast cancer and lowering blood
pressure. Anticonvulsant medications can deplete vitamin D levels.
Foods Rich in Vitamin D: Fortified dairy, bread, and cereals. Fish (sardines, tuna,
mackerel, salmon, and herring), fish liver oils, eel, avocado, organ meats, and egg yolks.
Vitamin K
Vitamin K activates osteocalcin, which is a protein crucial in the bone matrix. Osteocalcin is
second to collagen in importance, without it your bones would be like chalk. Vitamin K attracts calcium and holds it in place.
Vitamin K is normally made in the intestines and is also important in clotting blood,
maintaining the cell membrane, and fat synthesis. Antibiotic treatments can destroy the bacteria which leads to damage to the bones.
Foods Rich in Vitamin K: Green leafy vegetables (kale, spinach, turnip greens, collards, Swiss chard, mustard greens, parsley, romaine, and green leaf lettuce), vegetables (brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage), fish, liver, meat, and eggs.
CoQ10
Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is an antioxidant that your body produces naturally. Your body’s
cells use CoQ10 for growth and maintenance. It protects cells from damage and plays an
important part in metabolism and therefore aids in the body’s healing after surgery and in
healing broken bones.
Foods Rich in CoQ10: CoQ10 is found naturally in food but in quantities lower than
what can be obtained through supplements. Good food sources of CoQ10 include tuna,
salmon, mackerel, sardines, vegetable oils, and meats.
Minerals
Calcium
Calcium helps your muscles, nerves, and cells work normally. Calcium is the main ingredient in bones, and bones are the main storage area for calcium. Your body’s calcium requirements must be met through your diet as your body is unable to make calcium. Without sufficient amounts of calcium in your diet, your bones can become weak and will not grow properly. Only 15% to 20% of the calcium you eat will be absorbed in your gut. Vitamin D helps the gut absorb more calcium, therefore, low vitamin D levels cause an increased risk for fractures.
Hormonal signals take some calcium out of the bones every day to keep blood calcium levels normal, release hormones, maintain blood Ph, move blood through the body, move muscles, allow nerves to carry messages between the brain and all parts of the body, and enzymes that affect almost every function in the human body.
People that consume large amounts of sodium in their diets through processed, canned, or
any other type of high sodium food, are at risk for losing calcium which is extracted from the body as the kidneys excrete sodium.
Foods Rich in Calcium: Seeds, fish (sardines, salmon), beans and lentils, almonds,
rhubarb, oranges, seaweed, parsley, leafy greens, and dairy products. If you’re going to eat
dairy products use organic, raw, full-fat whole milk without synthetic vitamin D, unpasteurized cheese, and yogurt made from whole milk from organic grass-fed cows. Fermented milk products that have lost their lactose are the easiest to assimilate. While milk is fortified with vitamin D, most other dairy products are not. Yogurt is very high in calcium, while cottage cheese is very low.
Boron
Boron is essential to endocrine function which helps activate vitamin D and maintain the
balance of calcium and magnesium. Without enough boron, your bones can become brittle, and essential chemical reactions throughout your body will not take place.
Foods Rich in Boron: seeds (almonds, poppy, cumin seeds, hazelnuts, and peanuts),
nuts (pistachios), fruit (apples, oranges, prunes, pears, strawberries, cherries, apricots, grapes, figs, currants, raisins, peaches), honey, legumes (beans, soybeans, and peas), vegetables (onions, parsley, cabbage, asparagus, broccoli, tomatoes, beets, leafy vegetables), and herbs including dill, stinging nettle, and dandelion.
Copper
Copper is responsible for the cross-linking of collagen and elastin in the organic bone matrix which gives bone strength. Therefore it slows bone breakdown and assists in repairs.
Deficiency inhibits bone growth, causes skeletal abnormalities, fragility, and promotes
pathological changes characteristic of osteoporosis. Copper is also essential in the creation of red blood cells and heart muscle function.
Food Rich in Copper: green leafy vegetables, legumes (especially peas), poultry, eggs,
shellfish, whole grains, nuts, and organ meats especially the liver. Copper bracelets will supplement copper transdermally through your skin. As your body reaches adequate copper levels it will stop absorbing the copper and your skin will start to turn green. Although the green color is unsightly it is harmless.
Magnesium
The third most crucial nutrient for bone mineral density(BMD). Over 75% of people are
deficient in magnesium. As you age your body has difficulty absorbing magnesium.
Magnesium gives bones their structural strength. Magnesium also plays a role in controlling
parathyroid hormone, estrogen, calcitonin levels in the body, normal body weight, lowering high blood pressure, and lowering high cholesterol. Magnesium controls respiratory disorders such as bronchitis, asthma, wheezing. counters PMS symptoms, mental illness, depression, hallucinations, agitation, headaches, bursitis, angina, irregular heartbeat, irritable bowel syndrome, arteriosclerosis, heart attacks, gum disease, tendonitis, and reduces the likelihood of recurrent kidney stones. Taking calcium and magnesium supplements before bedtime can help prevent nighttime leg cramps. Lack of magnesium can cause nausea and muscle weakness. Alcohol consumption causes decreased absorption of magnesium, which causes depletion of bone calcium.
The best type of magnesium supplement to take is magnesium citrate which has a high
bioavailability and is easily absorbed. Taking high levels of calcium, but low levels of
magnesium can cause bone loss. Keep calcium to magnesium supplements at a 2 to 1 ratio.
Taking too much magnesium can cause diarrhea. Don’t take magnesium supplements if you’re on a renal diet.
Foods Rich in Magnesium: Green leafy vegetables (spinach, lettuce, chard), green
vegetables (celery, green beans), milk, whole grains (oats, wheat germ), fish and seafood,
brown rice, seeds (poppy, pumpkin, and sunflower), nuts (brazil, almonds, and cashews), fruits (bananas, avocados), legumes (soybeans, peas, red beans, black beans, and black eye peas), dark chocolate, quinoa, molasses, and herbs such as; dandelion, licorice root, coriander, stinging nettle, and purslane.
Manganese
Manganese is essential in the formation of parts of the bone, cartilage, and the matrix
structure to which calcium attaches to. It is also essential for activating the enzymes that enable chemical reactions throughout the body. Deficiency in manganese will affect sex hormone production which affects bone formation and exacerbates bone loss.
Foods Rich in Manganese: nuts (almonds and pecans), legumes (lima and pinto
beans), whole grains (oatmeal, bran cereals, whole wheat, brown rice), leafy green vegetables (spinach), fruits (pineapple and acai), tea, dark chocolate.
Selenium
Selenium is critical to various enzymatic reactions throughout the body and is one of the
building blocks of the bone matrix. Selenium is an antioxidant that works with vitamin E to
prevent breast cancer. It is also an antiviral agent, slows the progression of cataracts, and
prevents damage to organs and cells. A deficiency in selenium has been linked to heart failure and heart abnormalities.
Foods Rich in Selenium: Brazil nuts, sunflower seeds, fish (tuna, salmon, sardines,
oysters, mussels), pork, beef, turkey, chicken, garlic, cucumbers, onions, mushrooms, whole grains (wheat and oat bran).
Silicon
Silicon supports calcification and is important for the formation of connective tissue, cartilage, and tendons. With age and decreased hormone production, silicon levels decrease and arthritis becomes more prevalent.
Silicon supplementation is good for balding, kidney stones, urinary tract health, tendonitis,
fractures, arthritis, and bursitis. Homeopathic silica supplements improve bone nutrition and growth.
Foods Rich in Silicon: Nuts (cashews, walnuts, brazil nuts, pistachios), brown rice,
cucumbers, barley, turnips, string beans, and the herbs horsetail, stinging nettle, and
chickweed.
Strontium
Necessary for bone remodeling and helps attract calcium to bones. Strontium helps in the
treatment of arthritis and bone pain.
Foods Rich in Strontium: Plants are better sources of strontium than meats, but it
depends on the quality of the soil where the food was grown. Strontium is found in whole
grains, spices, legumes, root and leafy vegetables, and seafood.
Zinc
Zinc is vital in the formation of osteoblasts, osteoclasts, bone proteins, assists in repairs, and vitamin D function. Zinc is vital to healthy hair, shortening PMS cycles, shortening colds, prostate health, stress, and wound healing.
Foods Rich in Zinc: egg yolks, seeds (pumpkin, sesame, sunflower), legumes, beef,
pork, lamb, poultry, crab, fish, dairy, oysters.
Phosphorus
Phosphorus works with calcium to help build bones, nucleic acids, and cell membranes. It’s
also involved in the body’s energy production. If calcium levels are too high your body absorbs less phosphorus. You also need vitamin D to absorb phosphorus properly. Phosphorus is found in almost all foods so it’s difficult to not get enough of it in your diet. Excess phosphorus, however, can prevent calcium absorption. Drinking soft drinks, eating large amounts of meat, and grains can cause an oversupply of phosphorus.
Foods Rich in Phosphorus: tuna, pork chops, tofu, dairy, chicken, scallops, lentils, squash, pumpkin seeds, beef, beer, quinoa.
Molybdenum
Molybdenum prevents the build-up of deadly sulfites and toxins and is critical to various
enzymatic reactions throughout the body.
Foods Rich in Molybdenum: Navy beans, almonds, soy, dairy.
Fluoride
Fluoride combines with calcium in the bone and prevents bone loss. Being deficient in naturally occurring fluoride will cause osteoporosis. Most people will get enough fluoride from municipal water and food. However most people overdose with fluoride, so do not supplement it. In fact, for your overall health, it is better to avoid any products (toothpaste, mouthwash, and teeth whiteners) with fluoride. Over supplementing fluoride can cause fluorosis, neurological, skeletal, and thyroid problems.
Foods Rich in Fluoride: tea, tap water, wine, raisins, shrimp, and blue crab.
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