Elderly women with low bone mass may have a higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, according to a study.
However, it is likely the lack of estrogen that goes along with low bone mass, rather than the low bone mass itself, that increases the risk.
Past studies have shown that when women reach menopause their estrogen production decreases, which leads to accelerated bone loss. The amount of bone mass that a woman has in her older years is an indicator of her lifelong estrogen exposure.
For instance, if a woman in her 70s has low bone mass, her exposure to estrogen throughout her life may not have been as high as it should have been.
Additionally, previous research has found that estrogen may protect the brain from memory loss, according to researchers.
In the study, researchers recorded bone mass measurements for 987 men and women with an average age 76 years. They then followed them for up to 13 years and tracked who developed Alzheimer's or dementia.
Results showed that women with the lowest bone mass measurements were more than twice as likely to develop Alzheimer's or dementia as women with stronger bones.
Bone mass had no relationship to Alzheimer's or dementia among men, which suggests that changes in estrogen affect men and women differently.
Although more studies are needed to confirm the findings, the research suggests that lifetime exposure to estrogen may be useful in preventing Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia, researchers said.
Annual Meeting of the American Geriatrics Society in Baltimore May 15, 2003
It is no surprise these diseases are linked. Once you start violating basic fundamentals of health, large numbers of body systems will start to self-destruct.
Since losing your mind is one of the last things you want to do, let's review some of the basics of maintaining healthy bones.
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This uniquely branded powerful form of vitamin K2 is poised to revolutionize the market for bone health and heart health supplements.
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One of the most significant things you can do is normalize your insulin levels by reducing grains and sugars in your diet, as explained in my new book, The No-Grain Diet. Wheat is particularly a problem with bone density as the gluten can be directly toxic to many of the cells that build bones.
For early prevention or inhibition of postmenopausal and age-related bone loss, nutritional interventions should be the first choice as they are the least toxic and least expensive option. While other nutrients are important for maintaining high bone densities, increasing evidence indicates a significant role for vitamin K in bone metabolism and osteoporosis.
Vitamin K serves as the biological "glue" that helps plug the calcium into the bone matrix. While I don't recommend many vitamin supplements, because vitamin K is absolutely essential to build strong bones--and it is proven to prevent heart disease--but is "the forgotten vitamin" that many people do not get nearly enough of on a daily basis through the foods they eat, I now offer you vitamin K at a very reasonable price in my "Recommended Products" Section.
Some of Vitamin K's Major Benefits include:
However, the vitamin D in milk will likely not provide a benefit, as it is actually synthetic vitamin D called ergocalciferol. It is not the real deal.
The major source of vitamin D is sunlight, when UV-B shines on your healthy skin and your body converts that to vitamin D. If you live in the United States, however, there is a high likelihood that you will be vitamin D deficient in the winter. Most people do not get sufficient sun exposure during the winter months and actually lose bone density during this time.
This is where cod liver oil, which contains vitamin D, comes in. However, you need to be careful with cod liver oil, as you can easily overdose on it. Too much vitamin D is harmful and will actually worsen your bone density.
This is why I strongly recommend vitamin D testing. I recommend taking cod liver oil only during the winter months, unless you have had your vitamin D level tested and found it was low. During the summer most people get enough vitamin D from sun exposure and don't need the additional supplementation.
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Vitamin K May Help Build Strong Bones
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Annual Dose of Drug May Help Fight Osteoporosis
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