Newsletter

22.07.10 / Grilled Fruit with Yogurt

Serves 4

• Grapefruit, mango or pineapple
• 1/4  cup  packed light brown sugar (or use sugar substitute)
• 1/2  cup  nonfat Greek-style yogurt

Preheat your broiler

With a sharp knife, cut the fruit in serving size sections.

Arrange fruit sections in 4 shallow ovenproof dishes. Sprinkle with sugar. Broil until sugar melts and darkens, about 5 minutes (Watch carefully to prevent burning). Serve warm, with spoonfuls of yogurt.

Preparation and cook time: 20 minutes

Nutrition Information

Calories: 105 (1% from fat)

Protein: 3.2g

Fat: 0.1g (sat 0.0)

Carbohydrate: 24g

Fiber: 0.7g

Sodium: 16mg

Cholesterol: 0.0mg

Calcium: 133 mg

22.07.10 / Tips for Taking Fat- and Water-Soluble Vitamins?

Vitamins are classified according to where they dissolve in the body. The bone health vitamins A, D, and K are fat-soluble vitamins. They need to dissolve in fat before they are absorbed into the blood stream and then stored in the liver. These vitamin reserves can stay in the liver for months.

The best way to take a fat-soluble vitamin is with food so your body can dissolve and absorb the vitamin. Consider taking these vitamins with dairy products and you will get an added calcium boost.

Water-soluble vitamins-B12 and vitamin C-dissolve in water. Your body absorbs what it can and then sends the rest out through the urine. You may even notice that  water soluble vitamins cause a chnage in the color of your urine shortly after you take it.

It's easy to destroy water-soluble vitamins through exposure to heat, light, and water, which can happen during cooking or storage. We recommend that you refrigerate fresh produce until you use it and make sure that milk and grains are stored in light-proof (opaque) packaging. Because it's almost impossible to prevent vitamin loss completely, you may want to consider using the water you cook vegetables in to make soup. Not only do you preserve valuable vitamins, you also make a tastier dish.

Remember that we need to get these essential vitamins from our diets or from supplements. If you have a busy life or don't consistently eat a balanced diet, talk with your doctor about the benefits of taking a multivitamin.

22.07.10 / The Bone Health Vitamins

In the hurry and flurry of our every day lives, we often don't take the time to eat as well as we should. Fast food, busy schedules, and too little time to cook or eat together as a family can make it harder to eat right.

Here are the four vitamins that, in addition to vitamin D, are important to bone heath. The good news is that you can find them in many of the foods you eat.

Vitamin A

Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin that is important to building strong, healthy bones. Both osteoblasts (bone building cells) and osteoclasts (bone breaking down cells) are influenced by vitamin A.  Despite it good effects, most clinical research links higher vitamin A levels with lower bone density and higher risk for fractures.

One source of vitamin A is retinol, found in meat and fish, fortified breakfast cereals, and vitamin supplements. Remember that Vitamin A is fat-soluble and stored in our livers. So the liver of fish and animals are particularly rich in vitamin A.

Another source of vitamin A is beta-carotene, found in dark green and orange fruits and vegetables. Beta-carotene is generally considered safe. According to the National Institutes of Health, the RDA for men age 19+ is 3,000 International Units (IUs) and 700 ug or about 2500 IUs for women in the same age range.

Too much vitamin A (more than 3,000 mcg or 10,000 IU/day) will give you a headache and has been linked to bone loss. Pay particular attention to this possibility if you eat liver or take supplements.

Sources of vitamin A: Cantaloupe, carrots, cheese pizza, eggs, fatty fish, fat-free milk, kales, liver, mangoes, sweet potatoes, and spinach

More on vitamin A

Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 appears to have an effect on bone building cells.

A March 2005 Tufts University study done by Katherine Tucker and her colleagues showed that low levels of vitamin B12 are linked to a higher risk of osteoporosis in both men and women. Vitamin B12 is found in meat and fish, making vegans, who don't eat meat or dairy, at risk for bone loss.

People who have had a gastric bypass or have gastrointestinal disorders that cause poor absorption of fat lose the ability to absorb B12. Elderly people in their 80s and 90s may develop changes in the linings of the stomach that prevents them from absorbing iron and B12. In these cases where absorption is an issue, doctors may give injections of B12, bypassing the digestive tract, so patients get the benefits of the vitamin.

Sources of Vitamin B12: Dairy products, eggs, fish, fortified breakfast cereal, meat, milk, poultry, shellfish, supplements

More on vitamin B12

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is important for healthy gums and healthy bones. Vitamin C is essential to the formation of collagen, the foundation that bone mineralization is built on. Studies have associated increase vitamin C levels with greater bone density.

Vitamin C is water-soluble and the most common reason for low levels is poor intake.  Some people with poor absorption will have lower levels of this vitamin.  The elderly who are in nursing home tend to have lower levels of vitamin C.  Smokers also tend to have lower blood levels of vitamin C because their intestines do not absorb vitamin C normally. (Yet another reason to stop smoking!)

Sources of Vitamin C: broccoli, bell pepper, cauliflower, kale, lemons, oranges, papaya, strawberries

More on vitamin C

Vitamin K

Vitamin K is important to normal bone growth and development. This vitamin helps attract calcium to the bone.  Low blood levels of vitamin K are associated with lower bone density and possibly increased fracture risk. However, clinical trials have not shown vitamin K supplementation to be helpful in improving bone density.

Vitamin K deficiency is uncommon in healthy adults probably because it is found in many of the foods that we eat every day. People on a blood thinner should not be taking vitamin K.

Sources of Vitamin K: Broccoli (cooked), Brussels sprouts, cabbage, Canola oil, kale, olive oil, parsley (raw), spinach, and Swiss chard

22.07.10 / Vitamin K and Blood Thinners

There appears to be a relationship between vitamin K and osteoporosis. The Nurses' Health Study that followed more than 72,000 women for 10 years found that women who didn't get enough vitamin K had a 30 percent greater risk of hip fractures than women who had a higher intake of the vitamin. However there is little clinical evidence that adding vitamin K supplementation is helpful in increasing bone density.

People who are at risk of having blood clots and who take prescription blood thinners, such as Coumadin (Warfarin), should avoid vitamin K supplements altogether  because this could reduce or even nullify the drug's blood thinning (anticoagulation) effects.  Furthermore, that people who take blood thinners are advised to lower the amount of vitamin K that they consume in their diets but to also keep their intake consistent from day to day. A small portion, one-third cup, of boiled spinach has about 300 mcg of vitamin K and the current recommendation for Vitamin K is 90-120 mcg/day. You can see how fast the vitamin K in dark leafy vegetables adds up.

22.07.10 / What you Should Know about Vitamins

Some vitamins regulate how our bodies metabolize other nutrients. For example, vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium. Other vitamins work to maintain healthy cells; like vitamin A, that helps the cells in the eyes and prevents night blindness.  And still other vitamins contribute to proper metabolism in various parts of the body. 

Vitamins are classified as either water-soluble or fat-soluble. Water-soluble vitamins go in and out of our bodies within weeks. They are absorbed in the intestines and what ever cannot be used is sent out through the urine.  Because of this mechanism, toxicity due to overdosing is generally not an issue with water-soluble vitamins.

Fat-soluble vitamins, on the other hand, are dependent on your body's ability to absorb fat. If you have a bowel problem, you may also have a problem absorbing fat-soluble vitamins. Once absorbed, the fat-soluble vitamins are stored in the liver and body fat and can remain in these stores for along time, perhaps months.  Thus, overdosing due to over-accumulation can be a problem.

Research into vitamins has a long and honorable history. The ancient Egyptians learned that feeding a patient liver would help cure night blindness, a condition that makes it nearly impossible to see in low light. (Now, we know that it is the vitamin A in liver that is vital to reversing night blindness.) And a Scottish surgeon, James Lind, discovered that citrus fruit helped prevent scurvy. This painful disease, which is almost unheard of today, keeps wounds from healing, causes bleeding gums, and can even end in death. When the British Royal Navy started giving lemons and limes to its sailors, cases of scurvy dropped dramatically-and British sailors became known as "limeys."

Since we can't make enough of the vitamins in our body, we need to take them in - by eating them in our diets or taking a supplement. It's important to note that, for the most part, we get all the vitamins we need from a balanced diet. Making an effort to eat from each of the food groups every day is worthwhile and may be a lot easier than you think. Visit mypyramid.gov for tips on menu planning, maintaining a healthy weight, and how to build good nutrition into your life.

With vitamins, it's also important to know that less is better than more. Too much of a fat-soluble vitamin can cause diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting. Too much of a water soluble vitamin will show up in your urine - wasted. Be knowledgeable. Read the labels carefully and compare all of your supplements for overlap in vitamins.

Better yet, work on improving your diet with brightly colored fruits and vegetables.

As always, American Bone Health recommends discussing vitamins and your diet with your doctor.

22.07.10 / Vitamins for Bone Health

This month's issue of BONESENSE is about the vitamins that have an important role in bone health. Like many of the minerals we talked about in the June BONESENSE on nutriceuticals, you can get these vitamins, with the exception of vitamin D, by eating a balanced diet that includes foods from all the food groups.

Our feature article gives you some general information about vitamins and why they are so important for our health. Then we'll focus on four vitamins that have a particular role in bone health: vitamin A, vitamin B12, vitamin C and vitamin K. Vitamin D is so important to bone health that we spent an entire issue of BONESENSE on it.

If you are taking a blood thinner, you will want to read Prevention First to learn how vitamin K can offset the benefits of blood thinning drugs.

We end this issue with a vitamin C-rich dessert recipe featuring broiled fruit. Broiled and topped with Greek-style yogurt, this dessert is packed with vitamin C and calcium.

23.06.10 / Dietary Sources of Important Minerals

BORON

Almonds, apples, bananas, broccoli, celery, pears, grapes, legumes, nuts, and tomatoes.

COPPER

Beans, nuts, mushrooms, liver, oysters, cereals, and chocolate.

IRON

Dark green, leafy vegetables, such as spinach, and red meat.

MAGNESIUM

Chocolate, green vegetables, nuts, seeds, squash, whole grains-and hard water.

PHOSPHORUS

Cereals, cola, dairy, eggs, fish, meat, legumes, nuts, grains, and cola.

POTASSIUM

Avocados, bamboo shoots, beans, cereals, orange juice, and scallops.

ZINC

Eggs, fish, legumes, milk, poultry, oysters, and whole grain breads.

23.06.10 / Reducing Your Salt Intake

You can improve the health of your bones and reduce your blood pressure by consuming less salt (sodium chloride).