Soy Milk Can Lower Risk of Osteoporosis

Soy milk, fortified and consumed at least once per day, was as effective as dairy consumption in protecting against osteoporosis. This finding comes from a cohort of 337 postmenopausal women enrolled in Adventist Health Study 2. Those drinking soy milk had 58% lower odds of osteoporosis, and women drinking dairy milk at least once per…

Belly Fat and Your Bones

Although associated with cardiovascular risk, obesity has traditionally been associated with stronger bones and protective against osteoporosis. However, this is being challenged by studies that suggest obesity--especially abdominal obesity--may actually weaken the bones. A cross-sectional, biopsy-based study has found that women with the most central fat accumulations had about 30% lower bone volume and greater…

High Calcium Intake May Actually Increase Risk of Hip Fractures

A newly published Swedish study of over 61,000 women who were followed for more than 19 years provides the strongest evidence to date that high calcium intake is not beneficial for preventing bone fractures. The exceptions are women with very low amounts of calcium and vitamin D in their diet. Women in the top 25 percent of…

Cardiac Risks from Calcium Supplements

Millions of women take calcium supplements. The U.S Government recommends 1200 mg intake of calcium per day for men and women over the age of 50.Recent research, just published in the British Medical Journal, show that calcium supplements actually have no beneficial effect on bone density and are actually harmful because they increase the risk of…

Vitamin D Makes You Fall Down

Lots of people are urged by their doctors to take Vitamin D supplements to preserve strong bones. But a study published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association reports a surprising complication from vitamin D supplements.

Breast Feeding Mothers Less Likely to Get Hip Fractures

There are many benefits of breast feeding both to the baby and to the mother. Women who breast feed are less likely to develop osteoporosis and therefore less likely later in life to fracture bones. Because falls in later life often result in fractured hips, we can say, that one way to help prevent fractured…

7 Keys to Protecting Against Osteoporosis

Lifestyle and diet continue to be the best line of defense against osteoporosis for women. The North American Menopause society has recommended that every woman should periodically review 7 key ways to reduce postmenopausal risk of bone loss:Maintain a healthy weightEat a balanced, healthful dietObtain adequate calcium and Vitamin D intakeDo weight-bearing exercises daily, with…

Cola May Be Bad News for the Bones

More than 2500 people in the Framingham Osteoporosis Study with an average age of 60 were given bone-mineral density measurements of the spine and and three different hip sites. In the women, cola drinks were associated with lower bone mineral density at all three hip sites. The principle investigator, Katherine Tucker said, "The more cola…

What is Your Hip Fracture Risk?

Estimate your risk of premature bone fractures without any lab tests? Hop on over to QFracture to see what your score is! British researchers developed this site after developing the risk prediction algorithm using data from 2.4 million men and women and validating it against another 1.3 million others. A long list of variables were used to…