Do you eat the same thing every day? Although what you eat for breakfast may be pretty routine, your other meals throughout the day are probably not. Are you a creature of habit when it comes to taking your calcium supplements? Food First Remember calcium supplements are just that – supplements to your diet. Count… Read more
What's New
Stay up-to-date with the developments in research, what’s in the news, our opinions, and random thoughts. Our goal is to inform you of what we are reading, seeing, and hearing about to keep you abreast with the latest information on bone health (calcium, vitamin D, bone density), osteopenia, and osteoporosis.
5 Essential Facts About Bone Health Teens Should Know
Last summer we conducted the “Teen-to-Teen Bone Health Education Project.” This was a pilot project and first step in providing education as well as gathering valuable research information for future programs. Over a two-week session, the participants met with a total of 23 experts. The girls learned a tremendous amount of information not only about… Read more
A Piece of My Mind: Measuring Height and Weight
For years, I have preached the value of measuring your height once a year. Very few clues give signs of underlying problems with your bones. Height loss is one of those clues. In order to find out, your height needs to be accurately measured. Unfortunately I’ve become accustomed, as you may have, at your doctor’s… Read more
Do You Recommend Strontium Citrate for Osteoporosis?
This past weekend, I had the opportunity to speak at UC San Diego’s Stein Institute for Research on Aging event on bone health. Participants submitted questions at the end my talk entitled, Are You Sabotaging Your Bone Health? Since I was unable to answer all the questions, I will use those questions both answered and… Read more
Romosozumab: Bone-Building Osteoporosis Medicine In Development
The need in the osteoporosis “medicine cabinet” is for more bone formation medicines since Forteo is the only available medicine for targeting osteoblasts, the bone building cells. Research on how cells communicate with one another led to the identification of a complex system of messengers, called the Wnt signaling pathway, which plays a central role… Read more
5 Nondairy Sources of Calcium
Since our bodies do not produce calcium, we need to take in this essential mineral every day. Before deciding if you need to take supplements to meet your recommended calcium intake each day, you need to add up how much calcium is in your food. For #TipTuesday, learn about 5 nondairy foods with higher calcium… Read more
EU Panel Recommends Suspending Use of Strontium Ranelate for Osteoporosis
Strontium ranelate (marketed as Protelos® or Osseor®) is a medicine used in other parts of the world, but it is not approved for use in the US. Nevertheless, some patients in the US end up seeking sources for this medicine as alternatives to the current FDA-approved drugs for osteoporosis and may be taking this medicine.… Read more
Your Question, Expert Answer on Vitamin D: What is Ergocalciferol?
Q. My husband found out his vitamin D level was 16. His doctor prescribed 50,000 of ergocalciferol. What is ergocalciferol? A. The only prescription vitamin D in the US is “ergocalciferol” at the dose of 50,000 IU (International Units). Ergocalciferol is vitamin D2, which comes from plant sources. It is made by ultraviolet irradiation of… Read more
How Much Calcium Do I Need?
Calcium has become a controversial topic. Do I need calcium or not? Do calcium supplements do more harm than good? Calcium is Essential Our bodies do not manufacture calcium, but calcium is essential for many functions. How Much Calcium is Recommended? In 2010, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released new calcium recommendations. Based on recent… Read more
Vitamin D Blood Levels and Kidney Stones
Vitamin D supplements continue to be a hot topic. The risk of kidney stones from taking vitamin D supplements is not completely clear. A new study published in the American Journal of Public Health found no risk of kidney stones with higher vitamin D blood levels. A higher risk of kidney stones was originally reported… Read more