In the news

Kiddie canaries in the coal mine

            For those of you who have come to believe that vitamin D is my favorite vitamin, you are correct. Month after month, there is more data showing that this micronutrient has more functions within the body than had been thought only a few years ago. One reason for my constant referral to vitamin D in my blogs is that deficiency is a serious problem. This is highlighted by a study from the University of Florida.

          The crux of the article is that fractures in children who are deficient in vitamin D take much longer to heal. But there is another very serious implication that is not addressed by the authors of the article: those whose bone health is poor and who are significantly deficient in vitamin D as children face the strong likelihood that they will develop osteoporosis at a relatively young age.

          For several reasons, osteoporosis will be Third Epidemic of this century; obesity and type two diabetes are the first and second, respectively. Although figures vary depending on the demographic group and research population studied, approximately one-half of Americans are deficient in vitamin D. But there is more to bone health, including adequate amounts of omega-3 fats, vitamins A, C and K, and exercise. In regard to the last, physical activity continues to decline among youngsters, and the recent surge in electric bikes, scooters and skateboards can only make things worse.

          The Florida study attributes the slow healing of bone fractures in children to low levels of vitamin D. I believe that the problem is far more complex. A thorough analysis of these children’s lifestyle would probably uncover other nutritional deficiencies, and a lack of exercise as well.

Lifestyle

“I’m doing everything right! Why do I have osteoporosis?”

          I have heard this lament several times during my nearly twenty-years’ speaking on matters of health and fitness, mostly to senior organizations. The complaints have usually come from slender women who state that they exercise regularly, eat a healthy diet, take vitamins regularly and ensure an adequate calcium intake, often with the help of a supplement.

          My answer is not a comforting one for them. After assuring them that they are now following the proper course to maintain good bone health, I point out that building a strong skeleton depends on regular, moderately intense physical activity during the “bone-building window” from ages roughly 5 to 25, and that they were probably not aware of that during those years. A good diet, as noted above, also matters, but the prime determinant of bone health is moderately intense exercise throughout life, even past retirement age.

          Approximately 20 percent of women over the age of fifty have osteoporosis, compared to 4 percent of men. That figure for men is misleading and it is going to rise significantly in the coming decades. Generally speaking, boys are physically more active during the critical bone-building window, and a man’s occupation involves greater physical activity – until recently. Today a man’s thumb is more likely to be injured by repetitive stress from using a keyboard than from pounding a hammer; construction workers’ cordless power tools have replaced manual screwdrivers, handsaws and drills. Modern males make little use of their muscles and they will pay the price when they reach middle age.

          Although it’s possible to regain some bone mass at any age, it takes more effort than most persons are aware. Persons of every age (nonagenarians included) should engage in resistance exercise (barbells, dumbbells, machines, elastic bands) at least three times weekly. The Standard American Diet (S.A.D.) is poor in bone-building nutrients. Those are the hard facts.