02/25/2019 / By Ellaine Castillo
It’s a well-known fact that many older adults suffer from bone loss or osteoporosis. But what many people don’t realize is that it can happen to them, despite their age. In fact, the National Osteoporosis Foundation reports that over 54 million Americans suffer from, or are at risk of, osteoporosis. This can be caused either by excessive bone loss or insufficient production of bones mass. For some people, both factors may even be present.
Having weak bones can take a toll on the quality of a person’s life. It can reduce mobility and increase the risk of bone breakage. When bone loss becomes too severe, bones might even break just from bumping into something or straining, like when you sneeze. Over the years, people have gathered a lot of information regarding bone health and osteoporosis prevention. Unfortunately, most of it is wrong.
When it comes to bone loss, the most common misconception that people have is that calcium alone can solve this problem. This stems from findings that people with osteoporosis have calcium-deficient bones. Although this mineral is crucial for bone development, there are other problems that need to be addressed to prevent bone loss. One of these is oxidative stress, which occurs due to an imbalance in free radicals and antioxidants in the body. Studies have shown that vitamin C is crucial for preventing oxidative stress and bone loss. (Related: Supplemental calcium is the wrong approach to age-related bone loss.)
What many people don’t realize is that osteoporosis is scurvy of the bones, which is a symptom of vitamin C deficiency. This means that increasing your intake of this nutrient can promote the growth of new, healthy bone. Previous studies have shown that vitamin C supplements can improve bone density test results. But, unlike calcium, it produced strong, structurally sound bones and reduced the risk of fractures. This is possible because vitamin C plays an important role in the formation of bone’s structural matrix. It is involved in the production and cross-linking of collagen, as well as the development of non-collagen bone matrix proteins. It is also important for differentiating stem cells into bone cells and for regulating the cells that form collagen and cartilage.
A study from <