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La Grande Back Pain Sufferers May Benefit from Fiber to Improve Nutrient Absorption

“Youth is wasted on the young.” Ever heard that? Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC supposes that there’s a bit of truth in that for all of us - and particularly our La Grande spines - as we age. When we are young, our bodies require our attention more than we gave. Our youthful bones and spines and bodies need proper nutrition so that our older bones and spine and bodies are fit when we want to live our lives less painfully and more fully. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC shares what La Grande chiropractic patients can do now to tackle bone mineral density (BMD) issues, regardless of their current age.

BMD AND OSTEOPOROSIS: BUILD BMD WHILE YOUNG

Optimizing peak bone mass early in life may decrease osteoporosis risk later in life. A recent report wrote that Vitamin D and calcium in females positively affected bone mineral density into young adulthood. Intakes of phosphorous and the calcium:phosphorous ratio at adolescence for females negatively affected BMD in young adulthood. Calcium intake in adolescent males strongly negatively influenced BMD in the lumbar spine at young adulthood. Other leading factors were body weight at adolescence and young adulthood which positively affected BMD. (1) Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC cannot stress enough just how vital nutrition is for their future well-being. 

BENEFITS OF IMPROVED NUTRITION BEYOND BETTER BONE MINERAL DENSITY

Osteoporosis is a disease of older folks that results from youthful (in)attention. Low serum levels of vitamin D in osteoporotic women tend to have an increased chance of having any kind of cancer and breast cancer. (2) Calcium intake during the teen years of life is vital to decrease the risk of osteoporosis later in life. Teen girls absorb calcium more effectively: 326mg in teenage girls versus just 73mg in older women of 1332 mg taken a day. Even more concerning is that teen girls’ daily intake of calcium is way below what it should be. Enhancing bone mass by just 5% cuts the risk of fracture by 40%. (3) Getting healthy bones is subject to more than just calcium and vitamin D though. Deficiencies of vitamins B, C, E, and K as well as retinol compromise the health of bone. (4) Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC presents these findings to encourage us all to boost intake of nutrients to build bone mass initially and support it later to keep it healthy.

IMPROVE ABSORPTION OF NUTRIENTS

Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC understands that kids and their families want to be sure that their nutritional efforts will pay off. TIP: Dietary fiber may increase the body’s absorption of calcium but does it differently for older men and women. Higher intake of dietary fiber and fruit fiber was protective against bone loss in men but not women. Fiber from vegetables was protective against spine bone loss in women but not men. Cereal fiber or nut and legume fiber improvements didn’t associate with bone loss in either men or women. Higher dietary fiber may reduce bone loss in men. (5) Who would have thought that fiber would have anything to do with bone mineral density? Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC bets that many of our La Grande chiropractic patients wouldn’t have!

FIBER’S DEFENSE OF MEN’S BMD

Fortunately, there are some keenly alert researchers and doctors around! They found that fiber intake was a protective factor of lumbar spine BMD in men 18-45 years of age but not in females. In men over 65 years, nutrient intake indicated no effect on BMD. In women between 18 and 45, fiber did not show a significant effect on BMDs, but daily fat intake did significantly. (6) A curious side note: A new study refutes the idea that BMD may be a risk factor for lumbar disc herniation in youth, but a recent study debunked that idea. (7) However, there is evidence in the medical literature that stresses the overall benefit of nutrition - and now fiber intake in men - on the well-being of the body, its bones and its spine.

CONTACT Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC

Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Nike Taylor on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as she helps a patients with chronic low back pain with The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.

Schedule your next La Grande chiropractic appointment with Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC where your spine, body and its bones are well understood in their current age whether they were treated well in their youth or not!

 
Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC shares research about benefit of fiber for nutrient absorption and osteoporosis prevention/bone mineral density improvement. 
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"This information and website content is not intended to diagnose, guarantee results, or recommend specific treatment or activity. It is designed to educate and inform only. Please consult your physician for a thorough examination leading to a diagnosis and well-planned treatment strategy. See more details on the DISCLAIMER page. Content is reviewed by Dr. James M. Cox I."