Herbs

* Herbs like horsetail, oatstraw, red clover blossoms, alfalfa or nettles brewed overnight into a strong tea provide ready-to-absorb minerals, including silica, critical for bone flexibility, strength and repair. * Got yogurt? Cultured dairy products (yogurt and buttermilk) are more easily assimilated than milk, and goat milk products are even better. But the rate of calcium absorption from dark green leafy vegetables like kale and collards is far superior to milk, and they offer generous amounts of magnesium as well. * Some feel the RDA for calcium is set too high at 1200-1500 milligrams per day. Unused calcium can show up as bone spurs, kidney stones and so on; and taking calcium pills without magnesium is counterproductive. Calcium and magnesium needs vary among individuals. It’s interesting to note that the World Health Organization suggests only 800 milligrams calcium per day as sufficient for most adults. * The calcium carbonate present in so many supplements is the most difficult form to digest and absorb. Better choices are calcium citrate, aspartate, malate, orotate or gluconate. (Avoid dolomite, bone meal, oyster shell and coral calcium.) * If you eat lots of protein (say the typical 95 grams a day), plenty of salt and little or no vegetables, you require much more calcium to stay in balance, even if you're taking 1500 milligrams per day. You’re fighting a losing battle, and making your kidneys work ever so much harder than they should. A better amount of protein to strive for might be 45-60 grams a day (for females), depending on your size. Manage your stress creatively Stress releases about 30 different acids into the bloodstream and tissues, and accordingly, minerals are pulled from the bones to neutralize them. You may think this is a small issue, but it's not. (I’ve seen stress cause urine pH to plummet overnight.) All the endocrine glands—the hypothalamus, pituitary, kidneys, thyroid, parathyroid, ovaries and adrenals—support healthy bone metabolism, and all can be negatively impacted by poorly-handled stress. Exercise helps defuse the stress response. There are also many "adaptogenic" herbs that regulate and balance the entire endocrine symphony, softening the impact of stress and strengthening these important glands. Eleuthero (formerly Siberian ginseng) is a gentle adaptogen that's safe for anyone to take on their own; be warned that cheap, supermarket products are often poor quality. Consider also Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) and Holy Basil. These remedies are best taken long-term—months or years—for health maintenance. Move it! Bones are subject to the "use it or lose it" rule, and respond quickly (in as little as three to five months) to the forces placed upon them. Ideally, you want to build muscle, aerobic capacity and bone. Not only can bone density be increased, but the equally important qualities of muscular strength, balance and flexibility are easily cultivated with yoga and tai chi. Brisk walking is still a superb aerobic conditioner. But it's resistance or weight training that has the most profound capacity to build healthy bone. Even better, it can specifically target the most vulnerable parts of the skeleton such as the hips. And resistance training is effective for everyone; studies show bone mass being gained by women at age 70, and even 80-year-old women in wheelchairs!