Strong Bones, Strong Life: The Ultimate Guide to the Bone Matrix

Right. So now from there, let's move on to the next article, which is again from wellness resources. Bone health depends on calcium, team player nutrients, and gut flourish. Now we're going to talk about calcium. We're going to talk about the nutrients in general and how your gut plays a role in all this. Okay. Now let's talk a little bit about calcium first, because that's the big one. That's the big buzzword. You go to your doctor, they talk about calcium. You hear it on TV all the time. And calcium is the buzzword in terms of bone and stuff like that. And I'm here to argue that calcium is a small part of this. Now the body contains an average of two to three pounds of calcium with 99% found in the bones and the teeth. Okay. But the amount of calcium found in the blood or in a standard serum calcium test is very tightly regulated. Okay. So this amount does not generally change with dietary intake. So when the body needs calcium for the metabolic functions, where does it go? It takes from the bones. Think about that. Okay. And this is again, and this is that whole part of Wolf's law, because if you're not using your bones and muscles properly, that's where the body's going to start to take a lot of the calcium and also the other minerals from. So several nutrients are needed for, you know, keeping your bones mineralized. And at the top of the list is calcium. Absolutely. A hundred percent, but you also need magnesium, vitamin K, vitamin D, okay. Boron, manganese, zinc, strontium, hyaluronic acid, glucosamine, all these types of things are needed. So it's not just calcium. Again, it's a bone matrix. You have, what's called a bone matrix, and these are all the minerals and all the nutrients that are needed to mineralize the bones and keep the bones strong. And this kind of a, this kind of back and forth transporters going back and forth, which magnesium is, is a huge part of this, by the way, making sure that, you know, these nutrients get in and out all this type of stuff. Okay. So it's this, it's this whole comprehensive approach to it. Calcium absorption and bone strength depends on gut health. So let's talk about the gut for a second. Okay. There are many, there are, there are many series of complex steps from the stomach, small and large intestine with numerous receptors, channels, and transport proteins that determine calcium absorption and effectiveness. Okay. So now a review article from the American Physiological Society fully describes and sheds enormous insight into the intricacies and complexity of gut physiology with stomach acid and basically the consequential impact of bone strength and durability. So we're talking about stomach acid. You have to remember that as you get older, your stomach acid starts to decrease. That's true. Okay. Your, your digestion starts to get a little bit weaker. So this is what you have to think about. Okay. Now let's talk about exactly the physiology and how this works. So the stomach acid secretes or the stomach secretes hydrochloric acid, but is involved with hormones like parathyroid hormone, gastrin, and, you know, and other types of hormones. Now, when stomach acid is suppressed, calcium and these hormones that are involved with the regulation of calcium in the digestive tract are disrupted. Insufficient stomach acid and derailed hormones lead to impaired bone mineralization. Basically the calcium does not get absorbed and bone health suffers. So again, when you have a decrease in stomach acid, you have a decrease in the absorption of calcium and pretty much everything else. And therefore it's not getting to the bone. That's one big issue. Okay. So gut health intimately involved in that. And that has to be, you know, you really have to think about that. Now on top of this, you have to remember that a lot of people are on what's called proton pump inhibitors or acid blocking drugs, right? People who are dealing with acid reflux, those types of symptoms. So, you know, doctors put them on a proton pump inhibitor to basically stop their stomach acid. The problem with that is because one of the side effects is poor digestion. Now that's just one, by the way, but one of the side effects is poor digestion. And now they have found that there is a condition called, it's called basically, it's basically caused by these types of drugs that cause osteoporosis. So what, and I'm going to play a clip from Dr. Dr. Neustadt. Okay. Who was on my show, Dr. Dr. John Neustadt, by the way, is a, he's a great doctor. He was on the show probably, I think it was October 23rd of last year. And he talked about, it was, by the way, those of you who didn't see that, check that out. Great, great, great show. We talked about the bone fracture risk. We talked about bone density tests. We talk about nutrition when it comes to bone, how to maintain your bone, all that. So those of you who didn't see it, check that out again, it's October 23rd of last year, but Dr. John Neustadt did talk about these acid blocking drugs and how they can cause osteoporosis and how So I'm going to play a quick clip from what he talked about on this show for again, for those of you who missed it, just check this clip out and let, you know, just listen to what he says here. Very interesting. Yeah. And before I do that, I just forgot to mention one thing with the, with the question to ask, you know, has the drug been shown in my, with my diagnosis to prevent fractures? And I mentioned, you know, proton pump inhibitor induced osteoporosis. The reason why I did is because what happens in your, we're seeing, and doctors have seen osteoporosis being caused by other, by drugs and in other conditions. And they assumed, well, we use medication X, whatever it is for post-menopausal osteoporosis. So, you know, that's the first line therapy. So we're just going to use it in this other situation too, and assume that it's working. Right. But what happened? So they were doing that with people who were getting osteoporosis with proton pump inhibitors. And, and, and then they decided to finally study it. Multiple studies have been done on this now. And, and what the research shows is that people who took a proton pump inhibitor and were given Fosamax or the oral bisphosphonate, their risk for a fracture was actually increased. It was higher than somebody who was just taking the proton pump inhibitor alone. So that's interesting, right? So now let's put this together, right? So now let's look at what we talked about earlier. We looked at, we talked about how the surgeon saw these folks' bones and how it was basically artificially kind of wrapped, right? So we know that the bones were not doing what they were intended to do and actually making the bones stronger from the core, from the inside of the bone, right? Then we're seeing fractures that are caused by these drugs, such as that lady in that news story that we talked about. Okay. So now we have that. Then on top of that, we have proton pump inhibitor induced osteoporosis. So that's people who are on proton pump inhibitors that decrease stomach acid, that are also at higher risk for osteoporosis. And what he said was they saw people on that drug plus the bone drug and their risk went way up. Okay. Because now it's a twofold risk because why? Because now you're decreasing stomach acid and therefore there's less absorption of the minerals like calcium and all the other minerals. So you see how this is all playing together. You see how these risks are real and a lot of this stuff is going on. So again, you have to think about it. If you're going to be on these drugs or you're thinking about taking these drugs, there are real risks here. And it's not just from the bone drugs. There's a lot of different ways you can approach this. So let's continue. So let's look at other factors that interfere with calcium, obviously high salt intake especially, you know, or drinking colas, right? Processed foods, foods high in oxalates, actually a lot of spinach. Okay. Other things like, you know, soy, some soy products can do it. You know, there's a lot of things, excessive caffeine, smoking, stress, lack of exercise, all these types of things can really inhibit calcium absorption. Okay. So that's something you got to think about. Now the body absorbs calcium best at rates of about 500 milligrams or less per dose. Okay. So those individuals who take a thousand milligrams of calcium once per day may be unable to absorb the full amount. And we're seeing this, we see this also in other nutrients, right? I've talked about it in terms of vitamin C, right? Because the body has a certain threshold when you're taking in certain supplements. So vitamin C is a perfect example because when we take vitamin C, and I just want to kind of give this as an example, just so you kind of see, I typically say, take it in divided doses. And the consensus pretty much is if you're going to take large amounts of vitamin C, you take it throughout the day, 500, 500, 500, maybe something like that. Okay. Because the less vitamin C you take, for example, if you take a 500 milligram capsule of vitamin C, you're going to absorb a good amount of it. Let's just say 50%. You're never going to absorb a hundred percent. It just doesn't work that way. But let's say you're going to absorb, you absorb 50%. Now, the more vitamin C you take at one sitting, so let's say you take a thousand, let's say you take 2000, that absorption rate doesn't equal. So in other words, it doesn't go up to 50%, right? Now that absorption rate actually goes down to about maybe 30%. So the more you take at one sitting, the less the body absorbs. And so again, that's vitamin C, for example. And this is again, why I say, take it in smaller doses. This is exactly what I do. I take it in smaller doses throughout the day because your body can absorb it in smaller doses. Now, again, you're going to pee out whatever the body doesn't need, but don't you want the maximum effect, right? Think about that. So again, you're seeing that here with the calcium. Again, 500 milligram dose or less is best if you're taking it at one shot, because your body's going to be able to absorb the most from that 500 milligrams. The more you take, the less the body absorbs. Keep that in mind. Now let's talk about probiotics and prebiotics and what they do in this whole interplay. Okay. So they're emerging research shows that healthy gut flora plays a fundamental role in bone mass and the natural turnover of bone cells. Now also research has shown that unhealthy gut bacteria and changes in the gut flora, flora balance caused immune cells to disrupt the remodeling process of bone cells. Thus, when immune cell inflammation occurred from unhealthy gut bacteria, bone loss occurred. As a result, the risk of osteoporosis and fractures increased. Again, this goes along with that other study I was talking about, right? About the niche, right? And about that whole thing of how exercise and that process of how it helps to build a bone and build immunity. And we're seeing that here also with the gut flora, right? Because a compromised gut flora also compromises the bone and compromises the immune cells and immune system. Now, in a recent animal study, it was shown that the internal architecture of the femur or the thigh bone improved with bifidobacteria in animals in menopause state. Now, bifidobacteria is a probiotic, okay? So these were animals in menopause state. So the presence of healthy bifidobacteria in the gut was shown to support serum osteocalcin, okay? Osteoblasts, which are the bone builders and other bone formation factors while reducing breakdown of bone. Prebiotics like fructooligosaccharides, which I've talked about on this show, have also been shown to assist with mineral absorption, bone mineral content, and bone structure, okay? So again, prebiotics, probiotics, this is, you know, stuff you got to make sure if you have gut problems, this is what you need to keep your gut in shape. At least one of the things, anyway. Also, another factor in this, genetic mutations, genetic polymorphisms. I've talked about this. And what is a genetic polymorphism? Basically, a dysfunction of either a gene or a transport molecule or something in your system that is not allowing you to absorb certain things, right? We see that a lot in B12. We see that a lot in folate. We see that in vitamin D, okay? These are polymorphisms. These are genetic, okay? Genetic polymorphisms. My wife has one of those for folate, for example, okay? So methylation defects is an issue here, okay? So there's been studies that show that defective vitamin D and calcium transport from genetic changes will also affect how resilient and healthy bones are. So again, if you have a mutation, and you may not know if you do, and again, you have to, you know, talk to your doctor about getting these types of tests for genetic polymorphisms, because there's a lot of people, and they're saying that up to about 60% of people walk around with genetic polymorphism and don't even know it. So these are tests that you have to talk to your doctor about. They may not be included in your insurance, so just keep that in mind. But it's something to know, because if you're not able to absorb certain things, you need to know that, right? So keep it in the back of your mind. Now let's talk about nutritional support for bones. So now this is the next step in the process, right? So the first steps towards understanding bone health and not succumbing to incomplete and twisted information, okay? So that's the first step. You have to understand that, you know, you have to understand the actual information and what the real information out there is, okay? Because there's a lot of, we know about misinformation, right? There's a lot of misinformation that's been going on for the last 20 or 30 years, just like all you need is calcium, okay? That's, in my opinion, misinformation. That's only a part of the story. So the first thing you have to understand is that that's not the whole story. The second step you have to ensure is that gut health is a priority, okay? So again, prebiotics, probiotics, okay? Digestive enzymes, anything that can support your stomach, your gut, your stomach acid, all that to make sure that you're absorbing these nutrients properly. This helps to ensure that there's proper cross-talk that occurs with the gut bacteria, the immune system, the hormones, the minerals, and, you know, the bringing down of any kind of inflammation. Next, you have to make sure that calcium and other minerals and co-factors like magnesium, vitamin K, vitamin D, the fish oils, the hyaluronic acids, and all these trace minerals are present. So you have to make sure you're taking in the minerals, okay? And also obviously keeping your, you know, your blood sugar function in check and all this types of stuff, okay? And again, it's a use it or lose it type of principle. So let's look at kind of an overall package of what, you know, you need to do. So if you're getting older, okay, let's take it in steps, okay? And this is what I recommend and what, you know, again, I've worked with people who are older. I worked with one of the oldest people I worked with. She was 90. Yeah, she was 90 years old. And let me tell you, this woman walked every day. This woman took supplements. This woman exercised. And I mean, she was doing that before she even worked with me, but she wanted to kind of just tweak what she was doing. So I tweaked it with her and I helped her through the process, but really she was already on her game. She was into it. 90 years old and doing her thing. Didn't have any problems. Didn't have to walk with canes or crutches or anything like that. She just did it. So it is possible, okay? So again, let's take a look at the comprehensive picture now that we've kind of painted here, right? So we know, okay, we know that again, bone drugs have tons of side effects. Okay. We know what those side effects are. And we know that this is something you have to look out for and study if you're on those. Now, what can we do on our own to kind of keep our bones healthy and strong as we get older? Number one, the walking, the running, the gardening, the, you know, exercise, whatever exercise you want to do, that is absolutely number one. And you have to do that for the rest of your life, period. Again, I've given, I've countless examples. So you guys can go back into the previous shows and just kind of listen to the examples I've given. So number one, you got to move, exercise, keep those bones strong. And we know now how it affects the immune system and how it affects the bone. Number two, gut health. Make sure your gut health is nice and strong. If you are having problems as you get older, digesting, digesting, or let's say you're having stomach acid issues, let's say you're having gas and bloating, you know, all these types of things after you eat, that's a sign. Okay. So we've got to look at things to keep our, you know, our digestion in check. So we're going to look at digestive enzymes, which you can take with your meals or before your meals. You're going to look at probiotics, which you should take in between your meals. Okay. And, um, you know, different types of things like that. You, um, prebiotics are all is also good fiber, lots of fiber. Okay. Keep your gut in good shape. Okay. And by the way, digestive enzymes are huge by the way. They're really, really good, especially to help support. If you have any kind of acid reflux, keep that in mind. Okay. So that's number two. Number three, make sure that we have all the nutrition for the bone mineral matrix. So we're taking in our calcium, right? We're taking in our vitamin D, our vitamin K, our zinc, our selenium, our strontium. Okay. Our boron. We're taking in all these things, magnesium, especially magnesium. Magnesium is huge. Most people are magnesium deficient. All these things have to be taken in order to make sure that your bones are strong. Your muscles are strong. Okay. So again, many supplements you can take. Okay. Wellness resources has great supplements, vibrant health, vibrant health. You can take it in one scoop. They have some fantastic superfood supplements that contain all these things. They contain 25 billion parts of probiotics in their supplements. So check them out. They have some great stuff, especially for the gut. They have amazing probiotics. So if you just want a scoop that you want to take once a day, check out vibrant health, or you can check out wellness resources. Again, they have some great bone and joint supplements that are fantastic. Okay. So that's number three, the nutrition has to be in place. So if you're doing a combination of those three, and you're doing that into your old age, you've reduced your risks of osteopenia, osteoporosis, all the osteos. You're reducing your risk of fracture. You're keeping your muscles in good shape. And by the way, which is going to help with blood sugar. And it's also going to help just keep you metabolically fit and metabolically flexible. That's what I recommend. Okay. Just doing those three things. You're well ahead of the curve. Okay. So again, you know, you guys really, this is all about taking responsibility. This is all about, you know, doing what you need to do to try to stay away, if at all possible, from being on any kind of medications that can cause these side effects and these problems. Okay. So this is basically, and again, this is from a guy who has worked with people, older people, all from all different ages and have helped them remineralize bone. I've helped them strengthen their muscles and their bones. I've actually helped people out of osteoporosis and that's the truth. I have done that as well, but they were willing to listen. They were willing to take the responsibility. You have to understand, and this is the mentality that you have to think about, especially for those of you who listen to the show. Getting older does not mean that you will automatically have osteoporosis joint problems or anything like that. It does not. Okay. It really is up to you. You have to take that responsibility. You have to be in control of that, you know, and I know it's not sexy. I know it's hard. It's not the easiest thing to do because you have to get up and you have to do stuff. You have to, you know, but that's the only way you're going to do it. There's no other way. Simple as that. If you want to take, if you want to take a drug and you just want to sit there on the couch all day, well, okay, that's up to you. But I prefer to be in control of myself. And this is what I recommend to all you folks. Okay. So try that. Do those things. Obviously talk to your doctor again, if you're not sure about any of this or not sure about if you can exercise or not, but, um, check it out. And I think if, you know, at the end of the day, if you really take these things to heart and make this a program for the rest of your life, you will be glad you did because the quality of your life is going to be maintained. And I've talked about that quality of life is big for me. Okay. So that's my two cents on bone health things to keep in mind. And, uh, hope you guys get a lot out of it.