Strong bones are essential for your long term health and wellbeing.  Unfortunately many people have their lives cut short prematurely due to bone fractures from a fall and the flow on complications from surgery etc.

You therefore owe it to yourself to be aware of the importance of building strong bones as early as possible in life and maintaining a regime throughout life that will help keep them that way.

Time taken now to take care of your skeletal system will help you maintain an active, independent life for the years to come.

Osteoporosis is the most common disorder of the skeletal system resulting from a reduction in bone density and flexibility resulting in fragility and a high risk of fractures. Osteoporosis is a condition older women worry about the most as it is the number 1 bone disorder in post-menopausal women. However, whilst osteoporosis is often only thought of as an older person’s disorder, especially of post-menopausal women, it must be emphasized that it can strike at any age, in men as well as women.

Every 3 minutes someone in the UK has a fracture due to osteoporosis 1 in 2 women and 1 in 8 men over 50 will have an osteoporosis-related fracture in their lifetime.  Therefore this section of Xtend-Life's Health Concerns mainly focuses on this issue.

The causes of bone density loss are many and varied.  Some of the key ones are as follows:

>> Medications (e.g. Prednisone, Phenytoin, Thyroxine, Heparin).
>> High alcohol intake
>> Smoking
>> Low Vitamin D due to inadequate sun exposure
>> Physical inactivity
>> Early menopause
>> Endocrine diseases
>> Rheumatic disease

It is important to be aware that it is not just a lack of calcium intake in your diet that can cause a loss of bone density.  You can have adequate intake but still have a problem because it is not absorbed by your bones.

A bone mineral density (BMD) test is a measure of tissue in your bones. It helps your practitioner to estimate your bone strength.

BMD is commonly used to help diagnose osteoporosis, especially in post-menopausal women where BMD tends to fall with age and their decrease in estrogen. 

But be warned... 

>> Sometimes readings from a bone density scan can be quite inaccurate and can vary between machines.  It is therefore a good policy to have follow up readings done by the same machine.

>> Don't panic if your levels are lower than the 'base line'.  These are generally for a healthy 26 year old woman.  It is natural to have lower levels as you age and unless they are abnormally low for your age there may be nothing to be concerned about.
Also, keep in mind that it is not only bone density that helps keep your bones strong and protects you from fractures.  It is also the flexibility of the bones.  They must be able to 'bend' without fracturing.

By far the most common conventional treatment for bone density loss is the drug called Fosamax produced by Merck Pharmaceuticals.

The most important truth to keep in mind when considering options to improve the density of your bones is that just taking extra calcium on its own is NOT the answer.

If you do not address all the other issues which contribute to weakened bones, taking the extra calcium may do you more harm than good.

If you have general nutrient deficiencies, your body will not only not absorb the additional calcium but will continue to pull calcium from your bones to distribute to other organs and cells.

For example, you may have high homocysteine which causes inflammation and bone loss.  Calcium alone will not fix that. For example, you may be deficient in Vitamin D, or Boron, or Strontium, or Vitamin K2. Without any of these key ingredients your body will not absorb any extra calcium you give it.

There are three ways to address bone density loss, and/or brittle bones.  These are all natural and are really the only solutions.  No drug can really provide the solution.

Option 1:  Prevention and Maintainence

Xtend-Life has an excellent formula to help build strong bones called Bone-Protec.  If you have already been diagnosed with Osteoporosis then this is a good option for you as it has a generous amount of calcium present, plus all the key factors needed for calcium uptake by your bones. 

However, if you are like most people and don't have an immediate problem and want to do everything you can to avoid a future one, then you would be best advised to take one of the Xtend-Life Total Balance formula's along with the Omega 3/DHA Fish Oil Esters. These products will help your body build new bone and prevent the loss of calcium as well as reducing inflammation.

They will also help reduce homocysteine levels because of the methylating nutrients they contain.

Option 2:  For maximum benefits when indications of Osteoporosis is already present.

This option includes all of option 1 PLUS the Xtend-Life Bone-Protec formula.  The Bone-Protec will provide additional levels of calcium and co-factors to help with absorption.  It is possible that it may only need to be taken for six months and then could be discontinued and the benefits maintained with just Total Balance and Omega 3 DHA.

Option 3:  Just calcium top up!

If at this time you feel that you have an excellent diet or, you are happy with other supplementation you are having then Xtend-Life Bone-Protec can be taken as a stand alone supplement.  It is MUCH more effective than the 'normal' calcium supplements on the market because all the key co-factors are included...even the very expensive but effective VItamin K2, as opposed to the ineffective synthetic Vitamin K1.