Calcium and Vitamin D are critical for healthy bones, and medical experts agree that you should get as much of these nutrients as possible from a good diet. Unfortunately, for most people diet alone is not enough, and they turn to vitamin supplements as a recourse. But the recommendations issued this week from the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force call into question the value of calcium and Vitamin D supplementation. Echoing the advisory board, C.W. Randolph, Jr., M.D. and his medical team agree modest calcium and Vitamin D supplementation alone is not enough to prevent bone loss or rebuild bone. The clinicians at Dr. Randolph's Ageless and Wellness Medical Center promote a more comprehensive approach that has been clinically proven to successfully increase bone density in patients with bone loss.
Internationally recognized as an expert in optimal aging medicine, Dr. Randolph emphasizes the importance of addressing bone health holistically. "When it comes to bone health, there is no magic bullet.'" said Randolph, "As the advisory board concluded, taking a few pills a day is not always enough, so it is vital to address lifestyle issues such as diet and exercise because supplements are never a substitute for a healthy lifestyle."
Dr. Randolph and his team recommend patients do weight-bearing exercises such as tai chi or yoga, avoid tobacco and alcohol use, and eat plenty of calcium-rich foods such as dairy products, almonds, and broccoli. They also recommend a diet rich in good sources of Vitamin D, which the body needs in order to absorb calcium, found in fish, egg yolks, fortified milk, and sunshine. Nevertheless, it is often not possible to get an adequate dietary intake of the essential nutrients to support long-term bone health.
"Prescription medications are one option for treating loss of bone density," said Randolph, "but what many people do not know is that the most popular class of prescription medications used to treat osteoporosis, bisphosphonates, focus on limiting additional bone loss, rather than actually building more bone, in aging men and women. This class of drugs is also associated with potentially serious side effects, including heart arrhythmia."
Lori Ann Leaseburge, M.D. is another physician practicing in Dr. Randolph's Ageless and Wellness Medical Center. Drawing on her background as a registered dietician at Duke University Medical Center prior to attending medical school, Dr. Leaseburge addresses the controversy over the value of nutritional supplementation for bone health.
"I prefer to stay away from the prescription drugs when possible. Exercise and a healthy diet are non-negotiable but often are not enough, particularly for patients at risk of osteopenia (thinning of the bones) and osteoporosis (bone loss)," said Leaseburge. "Women are far more likely to develop osteopenia and osteoporosis than men. One reason is because loss of bone mass speeds up as hormonal changes take place in the decades leading up to and after menopause. At-risk women usually benefit from nutritional supplementation but calcium and vitamin D alone are usually not sufficient for measurable impact."
Dr. Leaseburge recommends a more comprehensive multi-mineral nutritional supplementation regimen (vitamins D and K, strontium, magnesium, calcium and a multi-vitamin) shown to prevent bone loss and stimulate bone growth while, also, reducing underlying risk factors associated with inflammation and oxidative stress. She says that repeat bone density scans provide clinical evidence that this more multi-spectrum approach has a more significant impact.
Both Drs. Randolph and Leaseburge agree that nutritional supplementation should not be hit or miss. They recommend women concerned about long-term bone health should work with their physicians, or medical professionals, to develop a more comprehensive strategy. Bone density scans can first determine the level of risk, says Randolph, then the physician and patient can work together to devise a bone health action plan always emphasizing diet and exercise and when appropriate, a comprehensive nutritional supplementation regimen which has been clinically shown to help improve bone density.
About C.W. Randolph, Jr., M.D.: Dr. Randolph is an internationally recognized expert in the field of bioidentical hormone replacement and anti-aging medicine. He is board certified by the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the American Board of Holistic Medicine. He is also a member of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine. Dr. Randolph's distinctive expertise derives from his training as a licensed compounding pharmacist specializing in pharmacognosy (plant-based medicines), combined with decades of experience as a trail-blazing physician. He coauthored three highly-acclaimed books: From Hormone Hell to Hormone Well (winner of the 2010 Bronze National Consumer Health Information Award), From Belly Fat to Belly Flat (now published in four languages), and In the Mood Again (Simon & Schuster, 2010).
About Lori Ann Leaseburge, M.D.: Dr. Leaseburge is widely recognized as a clinical expert in both women's health and the science of optimal aging. She is board certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. She is a member of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology, the Institute for Functional Medicine and is an Advanced Fellow of the American Academy of Anti- Aging Medicine. Dr. Leaseburge's research has been published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Prior to medical school, she worked as a Registered Dietician at Duke University Medical Center. Today Dr. Leaseburge practices at the Ageless and Wellness Medical Center with a strong clinical interest in nutrition and holistic health.
About Dr. Randolph's Ageless & Wellness Medical Center: Dr. Randolph's medical practice, located in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, is nationally recognized as a Center of Excellence in the field of natural, bioidentical hormone replacement therapies (BHRT). The Ageless & Wellness Medical Center offers age management medicine for women and men, as well as comprehensive gynecological treatments and procedures for women.
Nanette Noffsinger
Burke Hollow Productions
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Calcium and Vitamin D Not Always the Answer
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