Protein and Bone Health

In a recent webcast one of our experts, Dr. Bruce Daggy, covered why bone health is an increasing problem, why bones need more than calcium, what experts recommend for healthy bones, and much, much more. In case you missed the webcast, you can watch the replay here.

While calcium and vitamin D are crucial to bone health, many other vitamins and minerals are needed for bone maintenance and repair. Another key player you may not know about when it comes to bone health and osteoporosis prevention is protein.

Protein makes up roughly 50% of the volume of the bone and about one-third of its weight. It forms the structural matrix where minerals bind. Calcium – plus phosphorus and other minerals that make up bone – are held in a bone protein matrix.

The bones are in a constant state of renewal—new bone is made, and old bone is broken down. The cross-linking of collagen molecules in the bone results in modification of the amino acids, and many of the collagen fragments that are released during this process cannot be used to build new bone matrix. And, aside from providing the structural matrix, protein also helps absorb calcium through the gut wall and into the blood.

A calcium supplementation study reported that people who had the highest protein intake had an increase in bone mineral density. When this study came out, other researchers who had similar data went back and looked at their studies and got the same finding.

To learn more, email me at Jerry@fit4lifellc.com!