Imagine yourself walking down a hallway and your foot gets caught in the floor tiles.
Are you quick enough to free your foot and strong enough to support your body weight?
If you are, you can avoid tripping and falling.
However, if you lose the ability to do either, you may stumble and fall, just like the 36 million adults who suffer from broken hips and shoulders due to falls each year. (1)
The culprit? Weak and brittle bones.
Are Your Bones Strong Enough?
The adult skeleton has 206 bones, including those in the spine, skull, arms, legs, and ribs. (2)
These bones are made of living tissue that works with your joints and muscles to hold your body together so you can freely move.
It also shapes and supports your body, protecting your internal organs from possible punctures, hard impact, or injuries.
For example, your ribs protect your lungs and heart, and your skull protects your brain.
Moreover, having strong bones reduces your risk of falls and serious issues such as broken hips and shoulders, and even death. (3)
However, as you age, you start to lose bone density.
When you are young, your bones can easily renew and replace old ones that have broken down. Your bones also get bigger and denser over time.
By age 30, your body reaches its peak bone mass, or its maximum size and strength. (4)
However, as you celebrate your 40th birthday and beyond, your bones start to break down faster than they are replaced.
This leads to a loss of bone density, resulting in weaker, thinner, and more brittle bones, increasing the risk of falls.
Between men and women, post-menopausal women are more at risk of fractures. (5)
During menopause, a woman's estrogen levels drop significantly.
Estrogen is important in supporting bone health by slowing the breakdown of bone tissue. (6)
Consequently, the decrease in estrogen during menopause can accelerate bone loss.
This makes women lose as much as 20% of their bone density in the first 5 years after menopause…
And up to 40% of their inner bone and 10% of their outer bone density after 10 years, putting them more at risk of fractures than men.
Thus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported that…(7)
- 36 million adults over age 65 fall each year.
- 3 million of them are rushed to the emergency room.
- More than 32,000 of these adults lose their lives due to falls.
It’s no wonder why having brittle bones is often called a “silent” condition because you may not know you have it until you experience a bone fracture. (8)
But you don’t have to wait for a serious fall, hip fracture, or crack to happen before you know.
As early as possible, get yourself screened for a bone density test, commonly known as a DEXA (dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry) scan to determine the health of your bones.
DEXA measures the levels of calcium and minerals your bones have using a T-score. (9)
The T-score compares your bone density to a 30-year-old.
- A t-score between -1 and +1 T-score means you have normal bone density
- A t-score between -1 and -2.5 means you have low bone mass
- A t-score of -2.5 or lower means your bones are weak and you’re at high risk of fractures.
Bone loss can also sometimes be physically noticeable. People with low bone mass may show the following symptoms:
- Slouched or stooped posture
- Loss of height
- Severe back pain from vertebral fractures
- Hip, wrist, or other bone fractures from a normal fall
- Fractures from everyday movements like sitting or bending
If you are experiencing at least one of these symptoms, get yourself checked.
What Puts You at Risk of Brittle Bones?
There are several factors for weak and brittle bones – below are the most common ones.
Genetics
Did your grandparents show signs of weakened bones, or did your parents experience bone fractures?
If so, the chances are that you might be at risk as well.
In fact, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), a family history of bone issues, especially on your mother's side, increases your risk. (10)
A study published in the British Medical Bulletin also found that people who are at risk of brittle bones have certain genes as shown in genome-wide association studies (GWAS). (11)
The researchers collected DNA from different people with specific health conditions.
Although more research is needed on this subject, researchers have discovered the following:
- A study published in PLOS Biology reported that Icelandic patients with brittle bones have a chromosome 20, which contains genes that trigger bone loss. BMP2 was believed to be one of these genes. (12)
BMP-2 is a molecule that supports healthy bone formation by promoting mineralization and osteoblast differentiation. (13)
Deletion of BMP2 can lead to low bone mass, which may result in spontaneous fracturing, making it impossible to repair. (14)
Bmpr1b deletion leads to osteopenia in 8-week-old male mice but does not change osteoblastic bone formation activity or osteoclastic bone resorption activity in vivo
- Another study published in the Journal of Nature Genetics showed that 426,824 test subjects with bone problems had the DAAM2 gene that decreases bone strength. (15)
The gene DAAM2 has a major influence on bone density, porosity, mineralization, and strength.
In the study, researchers discovered that mice with partial loss of gene Daam2 alleles had weakened bones and increased porosity in cortical bones.
Reduction of DAAM2 protein resulted in reduced mineralization in SaOS-2 cells
- Moreover, a study published in the International Journal of Health Sciences showed that people with low bone mineral density had increased TaqI and ApaI genes compared to the placebo group. (16)
The 10-month study was conducted with 146 Saudi test subjects.
The participants were evenly divided into two groups: one with bone issues and a healthy control group.
Each participant had a blood sample extracted.
After 10 months, results showed a significant increase in the ApaI genes in patients with bone loss. Additionally, the TaqI genes were higher in this group compared to the control.
Medical Conditions
People with medical conditions, such as erratic blood sugar, can have low bone mineral density.
These people have low bone turnover and slower bone formation than normal, making them more prone to fractures.
In fact, they can have up to a sevenfold higher risk of broken bones between the ages of 20 and 60. (17)
That’s because erratic blood sugar can increase osteoclast function while decreasing osteoblast function. (18)
This can accelerate bone loss and low bone mass.
Your blood sugar levels can also trigger the release of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), which can likewise reduce bone density. (19)
AGEs contribute to fragile bone-related fractures.
Erratic blood sugar can also lead to vision loss, muscle loss, and neuropathy in the feet, which can increase your risk of falling.
Risk of fractures in patients with erratic blood sugar
Children with blood sugar issues, during their crucial bone-building and growth periods, may never reach peak bone density.
This makes them more at risk of fractures compared to other people.
Lack of Movement
The saying "use it or lose it" holds true for your bones.
Having a sedentary lifestyle, like mostly sitting and lying in bed, encourages bone loss.
In a study published in the Journal of Scientific Reports, Chinese researchers studied people with sedentary lifestyles to determine how detrimental this can be to bone health.
Results showed that participants with sedentary lifestyles not only have weaker bone mineral density but also increased total body fat percentage. (20)
Researchers discovered that these people have weakened and brittle bones due to the following reasons:
- Reduced vitamin D exposure, which disrupts skeletal system homeostasis.
- Increased parathyroid hormone production, which affects the metabolism of calcium critical for bone formation.
- Weakened periosteal attachment due to decreased mechanical stimulation.
All of these result from having a sedentary lifestyle.
In other words, lack of movement and not doing any weight-bearing exercises, such as running and walking, can make your bones weak and affect your balance and posture.
On the other hand, doing simple physical activities, even in the comfort of your home, can support healthy bone formation and strength.
It can help grow your muscles and support your balance, minimizing your risk of a fall.
Therefore, make sure you stay active and exercise regularly to maintain strong bones, or you may lose bone density.
Chronic Alcohol Use
Drinking alcohol isn’t just bad for your liver but also for your bone health.
Growing research has reported that chronic alcohol use during young adult years can put you at risk of low bone density and brittle bones over time. (21)
That’s because drinking alcohol can affect how well your pancreas absorbs vitamin D and calcium. (22)
Alcohol can also damage the liver, which plays an important role in activating vitamin D.(23)
Vitamin D supports calcium absorption so you build and grow strong bones and support bone density as you age.
Moreover, chronic alcohol use can make the hormones important for bone health go awry. (24)
Testosterone in men supports the formation of osteoblasts, the cells that support bone formation, just as estrogen does in women.
The use of alcohol can decrease the production of these two hormones, which may lead to bone loss.
This has been backed up by a study published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, where college students with heavy episodic drinking had decreased bone mineral density on their vertebrae, affecting their skeletal health. (25)
Heavy episodic drinking means these students had four or more drinks within two hours 115 or more times since they began high school.
Fortunately, abstaining from drinking alcohol can support healthy bone-building again.
In all the above cases, how can you support your bone health as you age?
Move Your Body
Working out not only strengthens your muscles but also puts good stress on your bones, supporting how they are built.
The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that people with low bone density do weight-bearing exercises, or those that involve weights, at least three to five times a week to support strong and healthy bones. (26)
Similarly, The National Strength and Conditioning Association highly recommends resistance training to support bone mineral density, which is usually lost as you age. (27)
Moreover, the Surgeon General’s Report on Bone Health promotes resistance training if you want to enjoy healthy bones, flexibility, and strength as the years go by. (28)
All these exercises have been shown to support the maintenance of bone health through:
- Gravitation loading
- Muscle contraction forces
- Paracrine/endocrine effects
If you’ve once fallen or broken a bone, or are at risk of doing so, make sure to avoid high-impact workouts such as running, jumping, dancing, and climbing stairs.
Instead, go for low-impact exercises such as stair steps or elliptical machines to avoid fractures.
But apart from regular workouts…
Nutrition Is Just as Important
Exercise and nutrition should go hand in hand if you want to support healthy bone density.
You can’t just exercise and not eat a healthy diet, or eat healthy but not exercise.
Both play a crucial role in supporting good bone health – especially if you are over 40 years old when your bones start to break down faster than they are replaced.
One way to do this is through getting enough vitamin D and calcium.
The mineral calcium is critical in keeping bones strong and healthy.
Our bones and teeth contain 99% of the calcium in our bodies. (29)
The remaining 1% is used to support other bodily functions such as allowing muscles to contract, blood to clot, and the heart to beat.
Every day, we lose calcium through our nails, skin, sweat, hair, and urine. The problem is that our bodies cannot produce calcium naturally.
If your calcium levels are not replenished, your body must take the calcium from your bones. This can cause bones to grow weak and brittle.
That’s why you need to eat calcium-rich foods and get at least 1000 mg of calcium daily if you want to support healthy bone density and health.
Some of the best food sources of calcium include:
- Yogurt
- Cheese
- Cultured and fermented dairy products
- Kefir
- Tofu
- Chia seeds
- Celery
- Canned salmon
- Sardines
- Lentils
- Almonds
- Arugula
- Kale
- Spinach (high oxalate)
- Collard greens (high oxalate)
Daily recommended calcium intake based on gender and age
To maximize calcium absorption, vitamin D can help your body use the calcium from the foods you eat, supporting healthy and strong bones.
You can get vitamin D from sunlight or food, including:
- Tuna
- Mackerel
- Sardines
- Cultured and fermented dairy products
You need at least 1000 IU of vitamin D daily to properly support bone health.
Daily recommended vitamin D intake based on gender and age
The amount of calcium and vitamin D remains the same even if you’re over 50.
However, the Food and Nutrition Board (FNB) bumped this number up to 1,200 mg in women in their 50s who are entering or going through menopause. (30)
Vitamin E for Bone Health
When asked how to build stronger bones, people often say…
"Get more calcium and vitamin D."
On the other hand, vitamin E rarely comes to mind.
Vitamin E is known for its many health benefits, including supporting the immune system, healing from wounds, promoting skin, brain, and heart health, and more.
However, beyond these well-known benefits, the founder of American River Nutrition, Dr. Barrie Tan, discovered that vitamin E, specifically annatto tocotrienols extract, supports healthy bone mineral density in men and women. (31)
In 2018, his team worked with 89 postmenopausal women to determine how effective tocotrienol is in supporting bone health.
The women were divided into three groups.
Each group was respectively given 430 mg of olive oil, 430 mg of 70% pure tocotrienol, and 860 mg of 70% pure tocotrienol to take daily for 12 weeks.
The result?
The group who took tocotrienol supplementation supported healthy bone turnover after just six weeks compared to the placebo group.
Not only that, but while Dr. Tan was doing his study with vitamin E tocotrienols, he discovered a little-known molecule that is also essential in supporting healthy bones and muscles in humans.
This molecule is known as geranylgeraniol (GG).
GG is extracted from the annatto plant, but the body also produces it naturally.
It is a building block for the synthesis of the nutrients Vitamin K2 MK-4 (1) and CoQ10, which are important for supporting skeletal muscle proteins. (32)
Specifically, MK-4 helps deliver calcium to bones while pulling out calcium from arteries.
Geranylgeraniol is an important component for MK-4 production, as it protects it from the side effects of bisphosphonates.
Bisphosphonates are used to slow bone loss. However, it can also disrupt the mevalonate pathway.
The mevalonate pathway helps osteoclasts develop but prevents osteoblasts from forming.
Osteoclasts are cells that break down old or damaged bone tissue, while osteoblasts are cells that build new bone tissue.
GG protects the osteocytes, the longest-living bone cells, from the effects of bisphosphonates.
Therefore, if you want to support healthy and strong bones in your 40s and beyond, supplementing with geranylgeraniol and annatto tocotrienols can make a huge difference in your bone and overall health and life.
We’ve Done the Heavy Lifting for You
Here at Healthy Bones. Co, it’s our mission to develop products that can support people’s health and bones throughout their lifetime.
That’s why we developed Annatrol™ Bone Support, which combines annatto tocotrienols and geranylgeraniol, two powerful nutrients to help support…
- Healthy bone mineral density
- Bone tissue production
- Healthy bone inflammation
- Calcium absorption and metabolism
In other words, annatto tocotrienols and geranylgeraniol work synergistically in Annatrol™ to support your stronger bones goals.
Therefore, in times when your foot gets caught in the tiles…
You don’t have to worry about tripping and falling because you’ll be fast enough to get your foot out in front and your bones strong enough to hold your body weight.
Not to mention that just two pea-sized capsules of Annatrol™ Bone Support offer other health benefits beyond supporting bone health.
- Helps maintain skin and eye health*
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- Supports insulin sensitivity and normal glycemic control*
- Promotes a healthy inflammatory response*
- Supports antioxidant status*
- Maintains healthy liver function*
- Helps mitochondrial function and cellular energy generation*
- Supports hormone synthesis*
- Supports proper cell membrane construction*
- Provides support for healthy lipid profile and total cholesterol levels*
Support healthy and strong bones as you age.
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