Nutrient intake, hormonal factors, and physical activity all play important roles in regulating bone health. Women are at a greater risk for bone loss during their lifetime and should begin supporting their bones at a very early age. Nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, and vitamin D-3 are vital to maintaining and promoting healthy, strong bones. Regular exercises that use some weights also help tell your body to enhance bone structure, particularly the legs, hips, and spine.

What is Osteoporosis?

Bone is a living tissue and is in a constant state of renewal. When you are young, your body makes new bone faster than it breaks down old bone and your bone mass increases. Most people reach their peak bone mass by their early 20s. As people age, bone mass is lost faster than it is created. Osteoporosis occurs when the creation of new bone cannot keep up with the removal of old bone.

Osteoporosis is a disease where your bones become weak and are more likely to break. It is a common condition affecting postmenopausal women. Osteoporosis can cause people to lose height and can affect posture. Broken bones can cause pain and can be severe to seniors who then require long-term nursing care.

Major Risk Factors for Osteoporosis in Women

• Family history of osteoporosis
• Your sex (women are more likely to develop osteoporosis than men are)
• Your race (white or asian are at the greatest risk)
• Age (the older you get, the greater the risk)
• Small body frame
• Hyperthyroidism
• Overactive parathyroid and adrenal glands
• Low estrogen levels
• Low calcium levels
• Anorexia
• Gastrointestinal surgery
• Long-term use of corticosteroid medications
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Smoking
• Excessive alcohol consumption

What are the Common Causes Osteoporosis?

• Low stomach acid (poor absorption of calcium)
• Low vitamin D, low vitamin K
• Low calcium/high phosphorus intake
• High protein diet
• High salt intake/high soft drink intake
• High refined sugar intake
• Trace mineral deficiencies
• Hormonal factors
• Lack of physical exercise

Improving Diet & Lifestyle to Support Bone Health

Village Green provides a full range of solutions to meet everyone’s specific dietary needs. Because you’re biochemically unique, our trained nutritionists will work to develop the right diet plan – just for you.

Foods that promote bone health:

• Dark leafy greens (bok choy, collards, kale, turnip greens, dandelion greens, spinach, etc.) – provide a wide range of vitamins and minerals (calcium, vitamin K, and boron) important to maintaining healthy bones
• Protein (animal foods, beans, and soy foods) – support the collagen matrix of bones
• Whole grains – supplies magnesium
• Foods rich in trace minerals (seaweeds, nuts and seeds)
• Health fats – provide vitamins K and D

Supplements That Support Bone Health

Pathway BONE GUARDIAN

Bones require a wide variety of nutrients, such as calcium, magnesium, Vitamin D, boron, and Vitamin K. These vitamins and minerals work together to help build and maintain strong bones. Pathway BONE GUARDIAN is a unique and comprehensive formula that features the most highly absorbed form of calcium (natural hydroxyapatite form) along with a wide range of supporting nutrients that have been shown, through extensive research, to work well with calcium in promoting bone health

Pathway IPRIFLAVONE PLUS

Ipriflavone (similar to soy isoflavone) helps to preserve the amount of calcium retained in bones and decrease bone-mineral loss. Pathway IPRIFLAVONE PLUS combines ipriflavone with magnesium and glycine to help stimulate bone and connective tissue formation. Studies show that ipriflavone increases bone density in women with osteoporosis

Vitamin D-3

Vitamin D-3 is essential to bone health as it stimulates the absorption and utilization of both calcium and phosphorus. Beyond its bone building benefits, Vitamin D-3 also helps protect against muscle weakness, various types of cancer, and enhances immunity. Vitamin D-3 is a natural form but is less commonly found in most vitamin formulas and is considered to be better than Vitamin D-2. Each softgel of Pathway VITAMIN D-3 supplies 1000 mg of bioactive Vitamin D-3.

VITAMIN K2

Vitamin K2 is a natural form of vitamin K and is more biologically active than vitamin K1. Vitamin K2 increases the body’s production of osteocalcin, which helps calcium bind to the bone matrix. The binding of calcium to the bone matrix is critical to the growth and maintenance of bones. Vitamin K2 also plays an important role in maintaining the elasticity and overall health of arteries.

Pathway SUPER OMEGA-3

Diets with low levels of omega-3 fatty acids have been linked to increased resorption of bone tissue. Many researchers speculate that this is related to the connection omega-3's have to reducing inflammatory chemicals produced by the body. Omega-3 fatty acids in the diet help calm inflammation and have been linked to lower rates of osteoporosis. Taking a high quality omega-3 capsule such as Pathway SUPER OMEGA-3 can help to reduce chronic inflammation and support a healthy skeletal system. Pathway SUPER OMEGA-3 is molecularly distilled for purity and is guaranteed to be free of heavy metals, pesticide residues, and other harmful contaminants. For ideal effects, it contains high concentrations of EPA & DHA (300 mg & 200 mg respectively).

Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy

Our Village Green team of compounding pharmacists specializes in providing individualized compounded prescriptions to fit each woman’s exact needs. Call us today at 800-869-9159 x1012 for more information.

Holistic Treatment for Osteoporosis

At Village Green Apothecary, our nutritionists and doctors work with patients to create optimal health by using natural remedies, such as vitamins, minerals, herbs, and homeopathic treatments. They also recommend tailored diet plans, exercise routines, lifestyle tips, specialized testing, as well as natural or bio-identical hormone replacement therapy to address the root cause(s) of imbalances.

We’re here to help! 

Schedule a consultation with one of Village Green’s naturopathic doctors or certified nutritionists for a personal assessment of your unique situation. During your appointment (either by phone or in-person), our professionals will:

• Review your osteoporosis symptoms and health history
• Examine your diet and lifestyle
• Recommend specialized testing
• Assess possible drug-nutrient interactions or depletions
• Answer any questions you may have
• Evaluate osteoporosis treatment options
• Create a customized plan that includes natural solutions, diet and lifestyle recommendations, and custom compounding.

  Contact a Village Green nutritionist to help you design the best diet plan for your needs by calling 800-869-9159.

  Learn more about our nutrition counseling and wellness services.