As hormones decline our bones can influenced.
Women can feel aches and pains in joints when hormones are in decline from start of Peri-menopause and Menopause. It is more noticeable in full Menopause and Elder menopause as support systems reduce faster due to hormonal decline.
Osteoporosis is a debilitating disorder and a large percentage of women often suffer debilitating symptoms in menopause. Hormonal depletion can highlight bone issues especially in elder menopause. Common symptoms show as weak wrists, fingers swelling and hand grip. The decline of Oestrogen / Progesterone are often cited as cause and effect.
Women lose bone more rapidly after Perimenopause due to decreased levels of Oestrogen.
1. Women may lose up to 25% of bone density after Peri-menopause/Menopause (approx. 1% to 2% per year).
2. Risks occur when too much bone is lost, increasing risk of developing bone fractures or Osteoporosis.
3. Bones of the hip, wrist, and spine are commonly affected.
Hormonal imbalances - Progesterone or Oestrogen?
Dr. Lee believed that although Oestrogen can help slow down bone density loss in a limited way, it is primarily a Progesterone deficient disease as Progesterone stimulates the osteoblasts cells responsible for laying down new bone.
Essentially, the depletion of bone strength can start in our 30’s and well on the way when we enter menopause. Logically the sooner corrected the better to slow down bone depletion. Those of a slender body shape seem to be more prone to Osteoporosis.
Reduced oestrogen, progesterone, dehydration and lack of Omega essential oils are often factors behind the depletion and pain.
Quinoa – A plant based product – by including it in your diet several times a week it can help with correcting internal malabsorption issues.
Includes more usable calcium than milk.
Helps to support skeletal system, bone and cartilage.
Provides a protector for arthritis
Helps to improve Bone degeneration
Calcium malabsorption
Full of vitamins and minerals the vegetarian protein factor is a WOW.
Essential Fatty acids – lack of Omega 3, 7 and 9 can cause skin and bone issues.
Progesterone
Optimum levels of progesterone promote feelings of calm and well-being, while low levels can cause anxiety, irritability, and anger.
1. Progesterone is found in nerve sheaths, cells in the bones and brain cells.
2. A woman’s ovaries produces progesterone after ovulation (while menstruating).
3. Progesterone supports and maintains pregnancy.
4. Required to balance oestrogen, a precursor to other vital hormones in the body, used in a range of biological functions.
5. Progesterone plays an important role in brain function and is often called the “feel good hormone” because of its mood-enhancing and anti-depressant effects.
US Doctor Lee, spent many years investigating and observing women with lowered progesterone. Even in younger women he found much lower progesterone levels than normal. From this he discovered that progesterone was the missing hormone in most women, being responsible for disorders such as: -
• Menopausal problems Some cases of infertility
• Low Libido Breast disease and disorders
• Uterine fibroids Cervical hyperplasia
• Endometriosis Ovarian cysts Osteoporosis
Vitamin C. Research has shown that women who take vitamin C have significantly increased levels of progesterone in their systems.
In fact, women who took 750mg of vitamin C per day had an increase of 77%. Foods which are high in vitamin C include: Yellow Peppers.
Diet is a leading factor and vegetarian, vegan diets can be a contributor.
The body needs building blocks and protein to develop in strength and removing meat without protein substitution can increase bone decline.
B12 B6 depletion can occur
Nervous system is affected
Isoflavones are used to help buffer the decline of Oestrogen
Help with cardiovascular prevention and LDL cholesterol:
Gives Anti-oxidative and Anti-inflammatory support.
More Soy in diet improves heart health
Superfoods such as Quinoa, Millet, sunflower seeds, all help to improve vitamin and nutrient intake.
A healthy balanced diet will help build healthy bones from an early age and maintain them throughout life.
Logically we should be able to get all the nutrients you need for healthy bones by eating a balanced diet. However from a D.A.R.E point of view there can be many underlying factors including deficient calcium absorption. Digestive issues and nutritional imbalances.
Millet and Quinoa – plant based products
By including it in your diet several times a week it can help with correcting internal mal absorptions issues.
Includes more usable calcium than milk.
Helps to support skeletal system, bone and cartilage.
Provides a protector for arthritis
bone degeneration
calcium malabsorption
other related problems.
Calcium - NHS says adults need 700mg of calcium a day.
The body requires sufficient Calcium to keep bones healthy and by taking vitamin D it helps our body absorb calcium.
Poor bone health can cause conditions such as rickets and Osteoporosis and increase the risk of breaking a bone from a fall later in life. A good diet is only one of the building blocks for healthy bones, also includes exercise and avoiding certain risk factors for osteoporosis.
Good sources of calcium include:
Milk, cheese and other dairy foods
green leafy vegetables, such as broccoli, cabbage and okra,
soya beans tofu nuts
plant-based drinks (such as soya drink) with added calcium
bread and anything made with fortified flour
fish where you eat the bones, such as sardines and pilchards
**Spinach although spinach contains a lot of calcium, it also contains oxalate, which reduces calcium absorption, and it is therefore not a good source of calcium.
Vitamin D Vitamin D it helps our body absorb calcium. Just like Vitamin C helps, opens the gates for the body to absorb other nutrients.
Adults need 10 micrograms (400 International Units or IU) of vitamin D a day.
It's difficult to get all the vitamin D we need from our diet and we get most of our vitamin D from the action of the sun on our skin.
From late March or early April to the end of September, you can make vitamin D from sunlight by having short daily periods of sun exposure without sunscreen. However, everyone should consider taking a daily vitamin D supplement during the autumn and winter when we cannot make vitamin D from sunlight.
Good food sources of vitamin D:
oily fish, such as salmon, sardines and mackerel
egg yolks
fortified foods, such as some fat spreads and breakfast cereals
At-risk groups
Some groups of the population are at greater risk of not getting enough vitamin D, and the Department of Health and Social Care recommends that these people should take a daily 10 microgram (400IU) vitamin D supplement all year round. These groups are:
· people who are not often outdoors, for example if they are frail, housebound or living in a care home
· people who usually wear clothes that cover up most of their skin when outdoors
· people with dark skin such as those of African, African-Caribbean or south Asian origin
Osteoporosis
If you've been diagnosed with osteoporosis, your doctor may prescribe calcium and vitamin D supplements as well as osteoporosis drug treatments if they have concerns that your calcium intake may be low.
Find out more about treating osteoporosis.
Menopause
Women lose bone more rapidly for a number of years after the menopause when their ovaries almost stop producing oestrogen, which has a protective effect on bones.
There are no specific calcium or vitamin D recommendations for the menopause, however a healthy balanced diet, including calcium, summer sunlight and vitamin D supplements, will help slow down the rate of bone loss.
Vegans
Non-vegans get most of their calcium from dairy foods (milk, cheese and yoghurt), but vegans will need to get it from other foods.
Good sources of calcium for vegans include:
· fortified soya, rice and oat drinks
· soya beans
· calcium-set tofu
· sesame seeds and tahini
· pulses
· brown and white bread (in the UK calcium is added to white and brown flour by law)
· dried fruit such as raisins, prunes, figs and dried apricots
· green leafy vegetables such as kale, cabbage and broccoli
The vegan diet contains little, if any, vitamin D without fortified foods or supplements but, for everyone, sunlight on the skin in spring and summer is the main source of vitamin D. Remember to cover up or protect your skin before it starts to turn red or burn.
Other vegan sources of vitamin D are:
· fortified fat spreads, breakfast cereals and plant-based drinks such as soya drink (with vitamin D added)
· vitamin D supplements
Read more about sources of calcium and vitamin D in the vegan diet.
During pregnancy and when breastfeeding, women who follow a vegan diet need to make sure they get enough vitamins and minerals for their child to develop healthily.
Read about being vegetarian or vegan and pregnant for more information.
If you're bringing up your baby or child on a vegan diet, you need to ensure they get a wide variety of foods to provide the energy and nutrients they need for growth.
Too much vitamin A
Some research has suggested a link between too much vitamin A and an increased risk of bone fractures. As a precaution, people who regularly eat liver (a rich source of vitamin A) are advised not to eat liver more than once a week, and not to take supplements containing retinol (a form of vitamin A usually found in foods that come from animals).
People at risk of osteoporosis, such as postmenopausal women and older people, are advised to limit their retinol intake to no more than 1.5mg (1,500 micrograms) a day by eating less liver and liver products and avoiding supplements containing retinol (including those containing fish liver oil).
Dehydration is one of the biggest factors of pain and discomfort at this time.
We may not realise but invariably we are not drinking enough, plain water, to support our bone density.
Hormones may have been the buffer to the lack of water being consumed
Once the rug is pulled on hormones, it highlights the dryness of the bones, and lack of flexibility. Skin can be affected too with dryness, Eczema patches and Porosis.
Dehydration is a common theme for both men and women. And causes a whole list of disorders or influences within.
Dehydration is involved lack of moisture within the body
Cranium needs water to eliminate toxicity
Headaches can occur when dehydrated
Water helps to remove the build up of toxicity within gut and body
Reduces build up of inflammation
Helps with skin elasticity.
Vitamin C is also a benefactor for skin.
Additionally lack of Omega oils are also an indicator.
There are a whole list of disorders just from lack of Omega Essential oils.
Ingested via oily fish and Avocados etc.
We tend to concentrate on collagen for bones, when it is water and Omega essential oils that are the missing true factors involved in bone strength and support.
Stress is bad for your bones (among many other things!)
Your adrenal glands pump out a number of hormones one of which is cortisol.
We know that even slightly higher levels of cortisol can increase the risk of fractures, so it is important that stress is reduced as much as possible.
When experiencing a period of prolonged stress body does not cope well with the cause and effects of biological stress.
Sugar has been identified as another factor influencing bone strength and denseness.
We know refined sugar is bad for organs and internal systems in our body, including bones. Trials are now indicating too much refined sugar in our diet can lead to Osteoporosis. All comes down to how we well we individually absorb and generate calcium internally.
The balance of calcium, absorption is set in womb formation.
Did our mother have a good supply of calcium to pass on to us. In pregnancy women are often drained in minerals, as demand increases via infant. Especially 3rd trimester, and mothers can find they have aches and pains, even dental issues. Highlighting how fine a balance nutrients
We need a good balance of several nutrients for proper calcium absorption.
A balance of sodium, calcium, magnesium and potassium. Zinc and copper are other nutrients that play a part too in skeletal tissue alignment. Any imbalance here can cause calcium depletion over time.
Turmeric tea
This yellow spice is a main ingredient in curry, and it adds an earthy flavour to tea and has been a part of Chinese and Indian medicine for centuries. Turmeric helps to combat inflammatory properties, turmeric is useful for skin, joint, and digestive issues. Researchers are now looking at its protective effects on the brain and whether it might improve memory and slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
Lemon water
Your whole body needs water — including your brain. When you’re dehydrated, your mental function suffers. Water makes up 75% of your brain’s volume and acts as a natural shock absorber. Lemon has plant nutrients that protect your cells from damage so add a squeeze of lemon to your glass of water for both flavour and its vitamin C content.
Ingesting Ginger and/or drinking Lemon in water is thought to help reduce impacts of sugar, helpful in the highest disorder in society…Diabetes.
Green smoothie
Research has found that just one serving of greens a day can help slow mental decline as you age.
Spinach, kale, and collard greens are rich in brain-friendly nutrients like folate and lutein. More common in the USA, in the UK the equivalent are leafy green vegetables like lettuce, Swiss chard, and spinach. All belong to the ‘Brassica’ family of cruciferous vegetables, known for their nutritional and health-protective benefits.
Not keen on green veg taste, blend 2 ounces of greens with berries, a banana, and ice for a rich, nutritious treat that’s also loaded with vitamins A and C.
Beetroot juice
This root vegetable is high in antioxidants that protect against damaging substances in the body called free radicals. It also has nitrates that relax blood vessels and may help to reduce high blood pressure — a risk for stroke and dementia.
A very helpful juice to reduce blood pressure also helps fight fatigue. Helps with brain fog too. Joy Wisdom 2004
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