For women in menopausal stage, their mean issue is the decrease in
estrogen levels. This sudden drop disrupts many chemical reactions in
the body. Bone density can quickly diminish, no matter how well
supplemented a person is. The difference is how much the person can
afford to lose before the whole structure collapses.
A person who drink three glass of milk daily before the age of thirty
with proper nutrition from all possible sources (Vit D & K, Omega 3
acid, Isoflavone, magnesium, phosphorus & fluorine) to aid bone
osteoblast will achieve optimal bone density. Beyond thirty, it is
maintenance. The chemistry of bone building is a complex one. It is
governed by genetic issues, proper diet nutrition, physiological
conditions & weight bearing exercise.
The number one issue in the west is protein overdose. You can't be
drinking more than 3 glasses of milk... then you eat ice cream, yogurt,
poultry, soya, eggs... Too much protein can disrupt bone matrix
binding. This kind of diet imbalance poses great danger for menopausal
individuals. The limit protein intake is 0.8g per kg of body weight.
Milk itself has protein. So if you drink milk for every meal... then
you should regulate other sources of protein. This is a game of
complementing & substituting. Perhaps should use meat as condiment...
eat eggs, seafoods, fishes.. only two to three times a week..
When you talk about proper nutrition, it is not just eating a
supplement or taking a particular food. Proper, optimal nutrition is
about synergistic blendings. You need to know what works with what &
what contradicts what. Don't be surprised.. people drinking lots of
milk or talking megadoses of calcium still fracture. They simply lack
other ingredients in the nutrition synergy. Without magnesium, calcium
will end up in places it should not have gone. Without Vitamin D, our
intestines can't uptake calcium. If you take calcium supplements with
cereal, calcium absorption is blocked. Bone mineralisation requires
phophorus, Vit K & Flourine too. You also need other supportive agents
like omega-3 fatty acids & isoflovones, especially for menopausal
women. Before rushing to buy supplements or eating some functional
foods, we should check our diet & work towards supplementing our diet.
Nutrition is diet.
Animal sources, i.e. mlik calcium, sardine & salmon with soft bones,
remain the undisputed most readily absorbable form, compared to plant
sources. Lots of plants has high calcium but more than 60% is not
absorbed. Something is wrong with the way we construct our daily diet
to cause shocking research outcomes in the recent studies. Those
research of statistics are factual but it reveals something more
worrying than not benefiting from milk or supplementation. What are
people eating daily? What is their overall nutrition status?
Matthias Robin [censored] Heng Teck
Undergraduate Student
Bachelor of Science in Human Nutrition
Kansas State University
