As we end the discussion on preventing osteoporosis and maintaining strong bones, let’s review what we know so far. In the last two weeks we have discussed that you need to keep your pH alkaline rather than acidic and we said you need the right balance of other nutrients including magnesium, and vitamins D and C to truly benefit from the calcium that you take in. To satisfy both of these criteria, your best choice of dietary calcium will be from the dark green vegetables.
I’ve saved the most important factor for last. Several years ago Harvard did a study on calcium and strong bones. In this study they took four groups of people. The first group took prescription grade calcium and did nothing else. The second group took the same prescription and exercised five times each week. The third group took placebo (fake) calcium and did nothing else. And the final group took the placebo and exercised five times each week. The researchers believed that the two prescription groups would get the best results. However, after several months, the only two groups that showed an increase in bone density were the two groups who exercised. Of these two groups, the ones taking the calcium did slightly better than the placebo, but the difference was not considered significant. Their conclusion was that moderate exercise for at least 20 minutes three times per week was critical for proper bone strength.
In the end, the key to healthy bones in the body is the same key as healthy anything else – eat a natural diet high in fruits and vegetables and exercise regularly!
