You already know that steady deposits into your calcium bank during the bone-building years are crucial if you don't want wrists or hips to easily crack later life. And you've been shaken by images of little old ladies bent double by shrinking spines.  The bad news is, loading up on calcium is insufficient. To keep bones solid enough not to snap like twigs, you need weight-bearing exercise as well as the right combination of other nutrients for maximum absorption of dietary calcium.

There's a significant rise in the incidence of hip fracture in Asia. The immediate conclusion: The low calcium diet of Asians. However, people in North America consume plenty of calcium-rich dairy products and more calcium supplements than any other part of the world. Yet, more people in America than elsewhere, suffer from osteoporosis, the loss of skeletal bone mass. Therefore, we cannot conclude that increasing calcium intake through calcium-rich food or supplementation of high doses of calcium will prevent the risk of osteoporosis.

While many people may try to ensure that they eat plenty of calcium-rich foods and high doses of calcium supplements, not all of this calcium gets absorbed by the body or reaches the bones. In fact, a high dose of calcium supplementation leading to an excess of calcium can result in renal stone disease and cardiovascular deposition of calcium. Hence, it is important to maintain the body's calcium balance.

Calcium zappers
On the other hand, high protein and high sodium diets increase the loss of calcium through the urine, so the dietary influences are complex. Exercise especially weight-bearing exercise is very important, increasing the lumbar spine bone density. It is generally recommended that we do 20-30 minutes of weight bearing exercise 3-4 times a week to increase bone mass. And finally, hormones such as estrogen, testosterone and a group of hormones called the calciotrophic hormones impact on bone density. 

To maximize bone density within our genetic capability, we must optimise our diet and exercise regimen.  It may not be possible to avoid osteoporosis altogether, but it is certainly possible to delay its onset and to reduce its severity.
Good bone structure is a combination of genetic predisposition, hormonal and environmental influences including exercise and diet.

Our genetic make up influences 75-80% of our ability to achieve peak bone density. But dietary influence is also quite important.  We need a certain amount of calcium and vitamin D in our diets in order to achieve peak bone density. But at the same time excess calcium consumption can trigger kidney stone formation and deposits of calcium in blood vessels contributing to cardiovascular disease.

Who needs more
It is very difficult to obtain sufficient calcium in the diet if you do not eat dairy products.  So anyone who does not eat dairy products should take a calcium supplement.  Athletes and pregnant women require more calcium than non-athletes and non-pregnant women, so they too may need calcium supplements.  People who use corticosteroids and anticonvulsants, smokers and those who drink excessively are at risk of not absorbing sufficient calcium from their diet so they may want to supplement.  Peri and post menopausal women require more calcium because their estrogen levels are dropping and this reduces the body's ability to build bone.  Also, those who are thin or have a small frame, don't have a very large internal supply of calcium and so any dietary deficiency will result in rapid bone deterioration.

If the calcium balance within the body is properly managed, then the body will deposit in the bones as much of that excess dietary calcium as possible and the remainder will be excreted in the urine. Unfortunately, there are many things that influence calcium balance. Often this process can malfunction resulting in calcium deposits in the kidneys (forming renal stones) and in the blood vessels (contributing to cardiovascular disease).  A unique ratio of four parts evening primrose oil and one part fish oil, as found in Efacal¨, can enhance the body's ability to optimise calcium metabolism, thereby increasing calcium deposition in the bones and reduce calcium deposition in the kidneys and blood vessels. Hence, it is not about how much calcium you have consumed but more importantly, how much calcium is being ABSORBED, DELIVERED and DEPOSITED into your bones.

Nancy L Morse is a member of the Efamol Scientific Affairs Committee

Article: Courtesy of BiO-LiFE Pte Ltd, the appointed distributor and marketer of Efamol products in Singapore. For enquiries on health issues, ring 6333-9587/6333-9728.