Fractures are a pain! They are painful, limit our ability to function and really affect our quality of life in ways [[none of us]]we don’t]] want. Osteoporosis is the main risk factor for fractures as we age. New Hampshire Spine and Sport cares for many Southern New Hampshire osteoporotic patients and sees what it does. New Hampshire Spine and Sport wants to prevent as much osteoporosis as possible! Here, New Hampshire Spine and Sport links new research observations related to osteoporosis care: the influence of vitamin B and protein on osteoporosis.
Now, osteoporosis and fracture prevention tips abound for Southern New Hampshire women (pre- and post-menopausal), men and kids. Get your kids to do the rights things to build bone mass while they’re young. (Don’t we wish we’d heeded that advice when we were young?) Eat well. Exercise. Prevent falls. Don’t smoke. Take calcium, vitamin D, phosphorous, and magnesium. Eat omega 3 acid rich food and milk/dairy products like yogurt. Limit alcohol consumption. Improve testosterone levels with testosterone replacement in men. Watch vitamin B levels. Eat enough but not too much protein. (1, 2, 3) New Hampshire Spine and Sport notes that these last two suggestions have been appearing more and more in the research literature and finds them of value to share with our Southern New Hampshire chiropractic families.
So, once men reach a certain age and women get past menopause, osteoporosis demands a bit more attention to these osteoporosis-prevention ideas, particularly when it comes to protein intake. That’s where a vitamin B deficiency – and its relation to protein metabolism - comes into play.
First, how do you and New Hampshire Spine and Sport know if you have a vitamin B deficiency? We can check the methylmalonic acid (MMA) level. What’s that and why? Well, MMA reacts with vitamin B12 to produce coenzyme A (CoA) which is important for normal cell function. When vitamin B12 is lacking, MMA levels rise. If there is a slight rise, the B12 deficiency is just starting. If it’s a larger rise… You get the picture. (4) Pretty interesting!
Next, let’s connect elevated MMA and total homocysteine (tHcy). These two are related to an increased risk of lumbar spine osteoporosis. (3) Homocysteine levels rise when the body doesn’t have enough vitamin B12 and folate to metabolize protein. Elevated homocysteine leads to some unpleasant health conditions itself like deep vein thrombosis, coronary artery disease and stroke, too. (3) It may behoove Southern New Hampshire chiropractic and other folks to be sure their tHcy is checked. So, bottomline, protein metabolism relies in part on the presence of adequate vitamin B which relates to the MMA level and thus the ability to metabolize protein properly.
So how can New Hampshire Spine and Sport be of help to our Southern New Hampshire osteoporosis patients? Order a MMA blood test. Order a tHcy test. Re-order them in the future, and monitor their results. New Hampshire Spine and Sport is also a willing partner to discuss nutrition and lifestyle habits that will boost your bone health and prevent osteoporosis-related issues. Contact New Hampshire Spine and Sport today to make your Southern New Hampshire chiropractic appointment.