Bone Building – Beyond Calcium

When people think of energy and metabolism, the last thing they connect that to is their skeleton, in fact, most people think of their bones as a lifeless structure. However, bones are anything but dead, they are teaming with life and believe it or not, even the cells of your bones have their own metabolism.

When the metabolism of your bones is working in a healthy manner, your bones are in a constant mode of renovation. Bone cells called osteoclasts breakdown, dismantle and remove old bone, whereas bone cells called osteoblasts are in charge of rebuilding bones by laying down new mineral deposits.

We continue to build bone density until our late twenties or early thirties, at which point we have reached our peak density. And then our goal is simply to hold on to what we have. When old bone is removed faster than new bone is rebuilt, bones become weaker or “porous” leading to osteoporosis—literally, “porous bone.” As a result, bones become brittle and break or fracture easily. Common fracture sites include the wrist, spine and hip. More than 90% of hip fractures are associated with osteoporosis, leading to long-term hospitalization and triggering complications including death. Older adults who have suffered a hip fracture are 5-20% more likely to die in the first year following the injury than others in this age group. Osteoporosis affects nearly 30 million North Americans, and although men can also suffer from weakened bones, 80% of those with osteoporosis are women.

The fact is, you don’t simply wake up one morning with porous bones. There are indications along the way that your bone metabolism is breaking down. The first step is the thinning of bones, otherwise known as osteopenia (from the Greek “osteo” meaning bone and “penia” meaning poverty.) Major risk factors for bone loss include family history of the disease, thyroid disease, menopause, sedentary lifestyle, and high intake of red meat. Excessive alcohol intake and cigarette smoking are associated risks, as is the consumption of caffeine—particularly in the form of soda pop. Low intake of trace minerals and calcium, phosphorus and magnesium. Vitamin D deficiency due to lack of exposure to sun and poor diet are other avoidable risks.

Many people mistakenly believe that osteoporosis occurs simply due to a deficiency in calcium. If that were true, osteoporosis could be prevented and cured simply by popping calcium supplements. In reality, many factors play a part in bone building and subsequent bone loss.

In the bone building process, our bodies build a frame for us out of collagen (the bodies most abundant structural protein), which then fills in with copious minerals, including calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, boron, strontium, silica, zinc and copper. Deficiencies in these minerals can occur either because they are not consumed in sufficient quantities or because there is difficulty in absorption. Many people, particularly the elderly, have low stomach acid and this leads to poor assimilation of minerals or digestion problems.

This is where a supplement like NuWTR can help. NuWTR contains an abundance of organically bound trace minerals and organic acids—especially humic acid. Humic acid is one of nature’s most powerful nutrient enhancers, providing a “time-release” availability of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals to every cell of the body. Humic acid is able to increase the permeability of cell walls, allowing for easier absorption of nutrients into cells, making it an incredible ally when it comes to maintaining bone health as we get older.