Osteoporosis is a condition that causes bones to lose density and structural integrity. This makes them more prone to breaks and fractures, even from minor falls. Osteoporosis is usually linked to aging, developing slowly in later life. However, some younger people can experience accelerated bone weakening and osteoporosis.
The first sign of osteoporosis is often a broken bone. This is because osteoporosis is typically not a painful condition. However, other consequences of osteoporosis, like broken bones, height loss and a stooped posture, can be distressing.
Osteoporosis is not an inevitability of aging. While the condition can be treated with medication and osteoporosis supplements if it is diagnosed, there are good reasons to look after your bone health at any age to reduce the risk of developing any signs of it. In this blog, we look at how strategies and supplements for bone health, like GcMAF, may help prevent osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis and Bone Health
Losing bone density is a natural part of aging, but some people lose it faster than others. Women are more likely to develop osteoporosis in later life than men because they lose bone density more rapidly in the first few years after menopause. Low oestrogen levels impact the body’s bone remodelling capabilities.
The bone health of younger people can also decline for various reasons, leaving them more at risk of fragile bones and osteoporosis.
Who Is at Risk of Developing Osteoporosis?
You are more at risk of developing osteoporosis if you have:
- Gone through early menopause or had your ovaries removed
- Taken high-dose steroids for sustained periods
- Taken long-term medication that affects hormone levels and bone health, like anti-oestrogen tablets
- Inflammatory conditions
Having a lower bone density than the average for your age is known as osteopenia. If you have osteopenia, there are lots of evidence-based steps and osteoporosis supplements you can take to reduce your risk of it progressing to osteoporosis.
What Causes Osteoporosis?
Throughout life, your bones are in constant renewal. Old bone tissue breaks down and is replaced by new bone tissue. Osteoblasts are key cells that contribute to new bone formation. When you are young, you can build bone mass faster than it breaks down until you reach peak bone mass.
Later in life, the opposite is true: bone breaks down faster than it can be replaced. Osteoclasts are the cells that encourage old bone tissue to break down.
As discussed above, hormone levels, medications and other medical conditions can also interfere with osteoblasts, osteoclasts and the normal replacement of bone tissue. Over time, bone density declines to the point where bones are weak and fragile, and osteoporosis can be diagnosed.
The Importance of Good Bone Health at Any Age
Promoting good bone health is crucial to preventing osteoporosis from developing. At any age, the more you can encourage healthy bone renewal and the more bone density you can ‘bank’, the less likely you are to develop osteoporosis later on.
Immunity and Better Bone Health
Recent studies have identified overlapping pathways between bone density and immunity.
Cytokines are proteins that act as messengers around the body. There are many types of cytokines but in general, they regulate various biological processes and immune responses, including inflammation and cell renewal. Some pro-inflammatory cytokines may play a critical role in the normal remodelling of bone. For example, interleukins (IL)-6 and IL-1 are cytokines linked to the development of osteoporosis because they encourage bone resorption and accelerated bone loss.
How to Promote Better Bone Health: Strategies
Doctors often recommend taking a variety of steps to help prevent osteoporosis. Many of these are in line with general healthy living advice. You should exercise regularly, eat a healthy diet, avoid smoking and limit alcohol consumption.
More specific steps you can take include:
Weight Bearing Exercises
Like muscle, when bone is put under stress and strain, it strengthens. Lifting weights or doing weight-bearing exercises can, therefore, help you improve your bone density at any stage of life.
Weight-bearing exercise ideas include those in which you can use your own bodyweight to put bone and muscle under strain, such as running and walking, pilates, dancing and climbing stairs.
A Protein-Rich Diet
Protein is needed as a building block for strong bones. The International Osteoporosis Foundation recommends a protein-rich diet for optimal bone health with plenty of meat, seafood, eggs, dairy or plant-based proteins like tofu, legumes and nuts.
Increasing Calcium and Vitamin D Levels
Calcium is another important building block for bones. You need to have lots of calcium in your diet, especially when you are young and working towards peak bone mass. Later in life, the ability to store calcium declines so you are likely to need a higher intake in your diet.
Other good vitamins for bone density include vitamin D. Vitamin D helps with calcium absorption and healthy bone renewal. Humans get their Vitamin D from sun exposure and through bone supplements, and not from their diet. Taking a bone health vitamins and minerals supplement that includes calcium and vitamin D can help improve your body’s ability to renew bone.
Boosting Immunity
Recent studies, such as ‘Immunoporosis: Role of immune system in the pathophysiology of different types of osteoporosis’ published in Frontiers in Endocrinology, highlight a growing understanding of the link between a lower-functioning immune system and osteoporosis. Imbalances in the immune system contribute to various causes of osteoporosis, including oestrogen deficiency, diabetes, and age-related fragility.
Making changes that help boost your immune system should, therefore, reduce your risk of developing osteoporosis. You can take supplements like GcMAF to help optimize immune function.
GcMAF capsules are considered the best osteoporosis supplement for a variety of reasons. Let’s understand how.
How GcMAF Can Help Osteoporosis and Lower the Risk of It Occurring
GcMAF supplements help activate macrophages, the immune cells responsible for removing harmful pathogens and repairing damaged tissues. For people with osteoporosis, osteopenia or those at risk of poor bone health, activating macrophages can help contribute to optimal immune function, improve symptoms and slow the progression of the condition.
GcMAF osteoporosis and bone health supplements can:
- Restore immune function and address the imbalances that contribute to inflammation
- Increase bone density by promoting osteoblast activity and new bone formation
- Inhibit osteoclasts and therefore reduce the breakdown of bone tissue.
- Help improve calcium absorption for stronger bones.
- Reduce pain by decreasing inflammation.
- Improve mobility and quality of life for osteoporosis patients.
On the advice of your doctor, GcMAF bone density supplements can be used alongside other osteoporosis treatments to enhance their effectiveness. Few side effects are reported, making GcMAF one of the best bone supplements for osteoporosis.
If you’d like to know more about GcMAF, visit our immune support blog, FAQs or GcMAF research resources pages.
Author
Dr Toshio Inui
Doctor, expert in internal medicine and worldwide authority on GcMAF treatments, Dr. Inui is the visiting professor at Kagoshima University. He has dedicated his career to developing innovative treatments using MAF, and has 22 research works and 266 citations into macrophage activating factors.