Chocolate Consumption And Bone Density In Older Women
Nutrition is important for the development and maintenance of bone structure and for the prevention of osteoporosis and fracture. The relation of chocolate intake with bone has yet to be investigated. We investigated the relation of chocolate consumption with measurements of whole-body and regional bone density and strength.Randomly selected women aged 70-85 y were recruited from the general population to a randomized controlled trial of calcium supplementation and fracture risk. We present here a cross-sectional analysis of 1001 of these women. Bone density and strength were measured with the use of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, peripheral quantitative computed tomography, and quantitative ultrasonography. Frequency of chocolate intake was assessed with the use of a questionnaire and condensed into 3 categories: or=1 time/d.Higher frequency of chocolate consumption was linearly related to lower bone density and strength . Daily consumption of chocolate, in comparison to Older women who consume chocolate daily had lower bone density and strength. Additional cross-sectional and longitudinal studies are needed to confirm these observations. Confirmation of these findings could have important implications for prevention of osteoporotic fracture.
Hodgson JM, Devine A, Burke V, Dick IMAm. J. Clin. Nutr. Jan 2008PMID: 18175753 | Free Full Text
What Are The Risk Factors For Osteoporosis
Women are at a higher risk of osteoporosis, especially if they are over age 50 and have gone through menopause. People who are petite are also at higher risk because they do not have the bone mass of someone larger or taller. Race also plays a factor. White and Asian people have a higher likelihood to develop the disease. If you have a family history of osteoporosis, you would do well to take preventive measures. Be especially cognizant of parents or grandparents who have broken hips or larger bones later in life if there is a history there, you may be at risk.
Does Decaf Coffee Have Caffeine In It
Since there is much controversy about the healthiness of coffee, then we need to find an alternative. Since we tend to like some hot beverage, decaf coffee seems like an obvious choice.
If you feel that you cannot exist without your coffee and suffer from bone loss, then decaf might be a solution this does depend on the stage of bone loss!
If you feel that you do not want to chance it and avoid all caffeine, herbal teas might be better for you.
Herbals do not have caffeine, even though other teas might have caffeine.
An average cup of coffee, which is about an 8oz cup, has about 150-200 mg of caffeine
In the same size cup of a decaf coffee, there is about 2 mg of caffeine
Most Teas have much less caffeine than coffee but still have caffeine.
Average caffeine of some favorite Teas
White Tea 15-30 mg
Black Tea 40 -70 mg
Yellow Tea 33 mg
Herbal Tea: Chamomile, ginger, peppermint, Hibiscus, Echinacea Tea, Rooibos Tea, Sage Tea, Lemon Balm Tea, Rose Hip Tea No caffeine
To close this blog, if you have osteoporosis, then it might be a great idea to contact a Nutritionist, someone that can assess your eating patterns and determine how much it could be the cause of your osteoporosis. The nutritionist can help you develop a more balanced Alkaline meal plan that you can tolerate and follow. There is no harm in this type of process, and it could be beneficial.
Good luck to you, and stay healthy.
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Does Caffeine Affect Bone Density
Overall, it is highly recommended that individuals who may be at risk for osteoporosis either limit or completely eliminate caffeine consumption. This is due to the direct affect that caffeine has on bone density. The acids which are present within caffeine are directly associated with calcium loss, as the molecules bind with bone calcium and cause the mineral to be leached from the body. As calcium is excreted through the urine, it causes weakening of the bones and this can be particularly impactful in elderly individuals.
Women who are already experiencing postmenopausal osteoporosis are equally at risk as elderly people of any gender. This is because the calcium loss that is precipitated by caffeine consumption is greater than the bodys ability to replenish the mineral. As a result, this increases the rate of bone loss over time, and while younger individuals may not exhibit the warning signs for osteoporosis, the consumption of caffeine still contributes to risk factors over time. This is especially true if the habit of drinking excessive caffeine continues through the adult years.
Foods And Drinks To Avoid If You Have Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a common condition in our older patients, but there are things you can do to prevent or slow the progression of the disease. Most specifically watching what you eat and drink. There are foods that can leach calcium from your bones, or block your body from absorbing the calcium it needs.
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The Challenges Of Studying Alcohol Consumption
Alcohol is very challenging to study and the variability of the results in these studies is most likely because most of the effects of moderate alcohol consumption on bone are subtle, says Russell T. Turner, PhD, a researcher at the Skeletal Biology Laboratory at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon who studies how exercise, nutrition, and lifestyle interact to influence skeletal health. If alcohol has any beneficial or detrimental effect, its probably going to be over a really long term.
For one thing, alcohol consumption in many of these studies is self-reported. Study participants might have to think back on whether they had one drink a day or two over the past year, explains Dr. Turner. Their memory versus actual occurrence could lead to discrepancies. Then you have to factor in that the size of one persons alcoholic drink may differ significantly from person to person.
Dr. Turner worked on a review of studies published in the journal Alcoholism, Clinical, and Experimental Research that found that light-to-moderate drinking might have beneficial effects on older adults by slowing bone remodeling, though he says that alcohols effect on younger adults skeleton and bone remodeling is less certain. In people who are careful, moderate drinkers, then its unlikely that is going to lead to any type of skeletal issue, he says.
Coffee Prevents Neurodegenerative Diseases
In 2010 a group of researchers gathered data from four studies on the relationship between coffee consumption and cognitive decline. The studies they examined were different in methodology and results, but their combined conclusion was clear: the caffeine in coffee has a neuroprotective effect.6
That means that coffee drinkers are less likely to experience cognitive decline, dementia, and Alzheimers Disease. Participants in these studies were as much as 65% less likely to develop these neurodegenerative conditions, because of the benefits of coffee.6
Much like the other studies, this inverse relationship was seen across consumption levels. So drinking coffee in moderation still benefits your neurological health.
Synopsis
A meta-analysis of various studies has found that coffee drinking reduces the risk of cognitive decline and neurological disease.
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The Bottom Line On Coffee
As you can see, you can still enjoy your morning coffee and have healthy bones.
In fact, drinking coffee may actually help improve your bone health! So dont worry about having that cup, or two or three each day so long as youre not dousing it in bone-depleting sugar!
That said, the best route to healthy bones is a healthy diet with lots of calcium rich-foods, along with an active lifestyle. Better still, add in the worlds only calcium supplement guaranteed to increase bone density each year. Its guilt-free as well: coming from a natural, plant-based calcium source that also contains all 13 trace minerals your bones need for optimal density.
Negative Effect #: Coffee Can Cause Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a serious and costly bone disease. It occurs when too much bone is lost and/or too little is made. Bones lose density and start to look like a honeycomb. Bones become brittle and frail. In serious cases, you can break a bone merely from sneezing!
This disease is extremely dangerous for senior citizens, causing permanent pain. You are especially perceptible if you have low bone density to begin with. And as multiple studies show, caffeine may be a factor too.
Calcium is crucial for healthy bones. And caffeine can decrease the efficiency of calcium absorption. A study found that for every cup of joe you drink, you can lose around 4-6 mg of calcium. Another study found that caffeine can lead to accelerated loss of bone mineral density in elderly women.
But in most studies, many cups of coffee and low calcium intake were needed for this negative effect. To be on the safe side, especially for older folks, try to limit yourself to three cups per day and eat a lot of calcium and vitamin D!
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Osteoporosis Diet Danger : Salt Is Bad For The Bone
Salt can pose a great obstacle to a sturdy skeleton. Research has found that postmenopausal women with a high-salt diet lose more bone minerals than other women of the same age.
“The salt content of the typical American diet is one of the reasons why calcium requirements are so high,” says Linda K. Massey, PhD, RD, a professor of human nutrition at Washington State University in Spokane.
Massey says studies show that regular table salt, not simply sodium, causes calcium loss, weakening bones with time. Thatâs important because Americans get about 90% of our sodium through salt.
We also get about twice as much sodium as we should. The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans advise limiting sodium to 2,300 milligrams a day â equal to a teaspoon of salt. But most Americans get at least 4,000 milligrams a day.
“Generally speaking, for every 2,300 milligrams of sodium you take in, about 40 milligrams of calcium is lost in the urine,” Massey explains.
Getting the recommended amounts of calcium and vitamin D every day helps offset bone loss from salt.
- Adults up to age 50 require 1,000 milligrams of calcium daily — the equivalent of three 8-ounce glasses of milk.
- Older adults need 1,200 milligrams of daily calcium â about half a glass more of milk.
As for vitamin D:
- People need 200 International Units of vitamin D a day until age 50.
- Adults need 400 IU of vitamin D from the ages of 51 to 70 years.
- Seniors need 600 IU of vitamin D a day after age 70.
Foods To Avoid When You Have Osteoporosis
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Approximately 10 million Americans have osteoporosis, a disease characterized by the loss of bone tissue and weakening of the bones. Osteoporosis dramatically increases the risk of broken bones, which can cause pain, disability, and additional health complications. Appropriate treatment can decrease your risk of broken bones and slow bone degeneration. Learn more about what makes up a good osteoporosis diet, foods to avoid with osteoporosis, and how treating osteoporosis with diet changes can reduce symptoms.
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How Diet Affects Bone Health
Some foods can help support bone strength while other foods promote bone mineral loss. In general, research has shown that foods rich in calcium, phosphorus, riboflavin and niacin are positively associated with high bone mineral density . Foods high in saturated fats, omega 6 fatty acids, refined foods, added sugars, and vitamin E were negatively associated with bone mineral density and associated with a higher risk of fractures. .
Caffeine And Bone Density
We know a great deal of what is the bodies way to solve the effect of too much acid in the bloodstream. The body has a feedback system that keeps the ph of blood at a constant 7.4.
The body will bend over backward to maintain a ph of 7.4 in the blood.
Attribution: WikiMedia Commons
http://cnx.org/content/col11496/1.6/
If there is too much acid that might affect the ph of the blood, then the body goes into a defensive system and keeps the acidity controlled to an expected 7.4 ph by pulling calcium from the bones.
For the body to balance the ph to 7.4, it must release alkalinity to the bloodstream to maintain the acidity in check.
Calcium is an alkaline substance.
Since bone is mainly calcium, it is as alkaline as you can get the body surrenders some of its calcium to balance the pH to a neutral range of 7.4. The amount of acidity will determine the amount the body needs to relinquish its calcium from bone.
Getting back to a balanced pH, blood pH, if the blood is not at a neutral 7.4 ph, then the body will go into shock, and chances are it will die.
Altering the pH means that if the body has too much alkalinity or not enough acidity, it will suffer, stress the body, and die.
As you can see, the body must maintain its ph levels at a comfy 7.4, which is neutral for us.
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Coffee Tea And Bone Health
Its not hard these days to find a coffee shop around the corner with all varieties of caffeinated options. Should you be worried about how much you consume? Probably not, unless the amount of caffeinated coffee or tea you drink is excessive.
Some studies link caffeine consumption with negative effects on calcium metabolism, possibly related to caffeine increasing loss of calcium in the urine, and decreasing calcium absorption in the body. Over time, having less calcium available could cause bone loss.
However, the effect of caffeine is weakened in individuals who are getting enough calcium in their diet . Caffeine may very modestly reduce calcium absorption , but this can be offset completely by adding 12 tablespoons of milk to your coffee.
If you have a good calcium and vitamin D intake, there is little reason for concern about moderate caffeine intake on your bones although it could raise your blood pressure or increase your heart rate.
If you consume large quantities of coffee or tea , consider moderation. At first you may experience withdrawal symptoms like headaches, so stay hydrated while you are cutting back.
Keep a diary of what you are drinking for a few days. Take note of your calcium and vitamin D intake. Reduce your caffeine if necessary and make sure you meet your daily requirements of calcium and vitamin D.
Heaney, R. Effects of caffeine on bone and the calcium economy,Food and Chemical Toxicology, v. 40, Issue 9, September 2002, Pages 1263-1270.
Is Caffeine Bad For Bones
A very loaded question, is caffeine bad for your health? Does caffeine affect bone density?
The question is caffeine bad for bones is an ancient subject with constant conflicting answers. The scientific community will go back and forth with this subject, and it is easy to change your mind depending on the decade you read on the topic.
Whatever word you would like to use, coffee, or caffeine, is a staple of the American family. You cannot start your day without it.
The clichés, the coffee mugs, the Starbucks cups, the romantic coffee cup to go all working individuals show in the morning. We cannot dismiss the entire social attraction to coffee and its energy effects.
However, if you are a subject that is looking to stay free of nutritional damage to your bones, then we need to look a little deeper into the issue.
The controversy is that caffeine, being acidic, can cause bones to give up their calcium.
If there is too much acid in the system, the body needs to combat it by adding some alkalinity. Alkalinity is the opposite of Acid.
The most abundant and most alkaline substance in our bodies is calcium, and we have the greatest amount of calcium in the bones.
The big question is how much the body needs to fight off the acidity and what other forces can protect the body from surrendering the bone.
Here is where the controversy starts.
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Vitamin And Mineral Absorption
Heavy drinking negatively impacts bone health because it affects nutrient absorption, says Scott Boden, MD, a professor of orthopedic surgery at Emory University School of Medicine and director of the Emory Orthopaedics & Spine Center in Atlanta, Georgia.
Alcohol consumption impacts how the body absorbs calcium and vitamin D, both of which are critical for healthy bone development. Alcohol can decrease the absorption of calcium via the intestine, or it can have effects on the pancreas and vitamin D metabolism, which can impact bone density, says Dr. Boden.
When alcohol disrupts vitamin D and its ability to help the body absorb calcium, it impacts your bodys ability to build strong bones and overall bone density, putting you at a higher risk for fractures after falls.
Coffee Lowers Risk Of Depression
More than 60,000 women in the United States participated in a study on the relationship between caffeine, coffee, and depression risk. Over the course of 20 years, the participants coffee consumption was compared to their incidence of clinical depression.
While decaffeinated coffee showed no association to depression risk, caffeinated coffee consumption had an inverse relationship to depression. The more coffee a participant consumed, the less likely she was to experience depression. 4
Researchers observed the lowest risk of depression among women who drank 4 or more cups of coffee a day. However, we also know that drinking 4 or more cups of coffee a day leads to bone loss.
Fortunately, moderate coffee-drinking also reduces depression risk, provided the coffee is caffeinated. So you can reap this benefit without risking bone loss.
Synopsis
A study found that people who drink caffeinated coffee have a reduced risk for depression. The more coffee study participants drank, the lower their risk, but dont forget that more than four cups a day has been shown to cause bone loss.
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