Women and food supplements

[Cheba_Mami]

Ever noticed mums do not get ill often? Due to food supplements? Or due to their healthy lifestyle -which is often the case- compared to their loved ones
-husband, kids and other familymembers- ?
That last is often the case. The intake of extra vitamins and minerals are not necessary if one eats enough fruit, fiber containing products and nuts/seeds and other natural products.

If i ever write about extra vitamins and minerals do keep in mind you don't have to run for extra tablets, instead just don't forget your daily orange juices, fruits, vegetables etc. And trouble is gone for long.
Still most women do need extra calcium for example without really knowing it to prevent osteoporose.
In that case - usually when older than 30-40 years- it might not be a bad idea to use extra supplements. But before that eat varied and healthy and on regular times.

Check the vitamin tables posted in this section if you want to know which things to choose to obtain extra vitamins.

Extra info about calcium containing products:
organe juice - one glass- : up to 30 % Daily dose calcium
milk - i cup- : up to 30% Daily dose
milk and milkproducts, even if lightporducts, often have high levels of calcium and is thus a good source.

check also: Food Sources of Calcium and Vitamin D - BC HealthFile #68e

and:
Best Vitamins for Women

Prevention's definitive guide to the supplements your body really needs

Best Vitamins for Women

[Cheba_Mami]

What Are Prenatal Vitamins?

For a mother's health, and the health of her baby, she is advised to take so-called "prenatal vitamins." These are specially formulated multivitamins that make up for any nutritional deficiencies in the mother's diet during pregnancy. While the supplements contain numerous vitamins and minerals, their folic acid, iron, and calcium content are especially important.

Why Do Pregnant Women Need High Levels of Folic Acid, Iron and Calcium?

Folic acid can reduce your risk of having a baby with a serious birth defect of the brain and spinal cord, called the "neural tube." A baby with spina bifida, the most common neural tube defect, is born with a spine that is not closed. The exposed nerves are damaged, leaving the child with varying degrees of paralysis, incontinence, and sometimes mental retardation.

Neural tube defects develop in the first 28 days after conception, before many women realize they are pregnant. Because about half of all pregnancies are unplanned, the U.S. Public Health Service recommends that all women of childbearing age get 400 micrograms of folic acid each day. In fact, the FDA now requires that all flour products, such as breads, buns and bagels, be fortified with extra folic acid. Women who have had a prior child with a neural tube defect should discuss with her doctor before her next pregnancy about the appropriate dose of folic acid. Studies have shown that taking a larger dose (up to 4,000 micrograms) at least one month before and during the first trimester may be beneficial.

There are natural sources of folic acid: green leafy vegetables, nuts, beans and citrus fruits. It's also found in many fortified breakfast cereals and some vitamin supplements.

Calcium during pregnancy can prevent a new mother from losing her own bone density as the fetus uses the mineral for bone growth.

Iron helps both the mother and baby's blood carry oxygen.

While a daily vitamin supplement is no substitute for a healthy diet, most women need supplements to make sure they get adequate levels of these minerals.
more info: Your Guide to Pregnancy: Prenatal Vitamins

[Cheba_Mami]

low levels of calcium can cause osteoporosis in elder women:

The definition of osteoporosis is decreased density of normal bone. Unlike conditions such as osteomalacia or Rickets, the mineralisation of bone is normal in osteoporosis. Osteoporosis causes a decrease in bone mass, often referred to as thinning of bone. When this occurs, the patient with osteoporosis will have weaker bones and have a higher risk of bone fracture.

There are two main categories of osteoporosis, Type I and Type II. Type I osteoporosis occurs only in post-menopausal women, and is due to oestrogen deficiency. Type II osteoporosis occurs in both men and women (about two times more frequently in women), and is due to ageing, and calcium deficiency over many years.

from: osteoporosis and osteoporoses at AGE MATTERS the site for the over 50's.

What causes osteoporosis?

Both men and women achieve their "peak bone mass" in the third decade of life. After that point in time, their bone mass gradually, but steadily decreases. In pregnant and lactating women the rate of bone loss will temporarily increase if the increased calcium demands are not met by dietary intake. In women, there is also a significant decrease of bone mass in the immediate postmenopausal period. As people age, the rate of bone loss tends to slow, but it continues to decrease. Therefore, age and sex are the two most important factors in determining who is at risk of developing osteoporosis.

Other important factors that can contribute to developing osteoporosis include Northern European ancestry, hypothyroidism, anticonvulsant medications, and a sedentary lifestyle.

How is osteoporosis diagnosed?

Osteoporosis most commonly is found either on routine examination, or following a pathologic fracture. X-rays usually show a generalised loss of bone density. Laboratory studies are not too helpful in showing evidence of osteoporosis, rather they are very helpful in showing conditions that can have symptoms similar to osteoporosis. Laboratory studies can show evidence of osteomalacia, kidney failure, parathyroid gland insufficiency, or other problems that can mimic osteoporosis and cause bone weakness.

When screening for osteoporosis, or trying to detect the early stages of the disease, the most useful test is called bone densiometry, or DEXA scan. While these tests do require special equipment, they are safe, expose the patient to minimal radiation, and are very useful in detecting the early stages of osteoporosis.

Fractures are the most common problem associated with osteoporosis. A pathologic fracture is a broken bone that occurs because of an abnormality of the bone. When a fracture occurs in an area of osteoporotic bone, it is called a pathologic fracture. The most commonly fractured bones due to osteoporosis are the vertebral bones, the femur (thighbone), the humerus (arm bone), the tibia (shinbone), and the radius (forearm bone, usually near the wrist).


Treatment for Osteoporosis

The primary goal of treatment of osteoporosis is to reduce the risk of fractures. The three mainstays of treatment are: exercise, calcium, and medications. Exercise is important to maintain healthy bones. Individuals who live a sedentary lifestyle have much weaker bones and a subjected to a much higher risk of sustaining fractures. Strenuous activity is not necessary. rather simple, easy forms of exercise such as walking are the most beneficial for patients with osteoporosis.

Calcium supplement is important to ensure intake is at least 1500 mg every day. The most important pharmacological treatment to prevent osteoporosis is hormone (oestrogen) replacement therapy (HRT). Oestrogen not only helps maintain, but it can even increase bone mass after menopause. Multiple studies have shown the benefits of HRT, including a lower risk of fracturing bones. In addition, other benefits of HRT in the postmenopausal patient include lower risk of heart disease, lower cholesterol, and fewer postmenopausal symptoms. HRT was shown to increase the risk of uterine cancer, but this risk is eliminated when the oestrogen is combined with progesterone. Also, there have been studies showing a slight increase risk of breast cancer in some study populations, but these reports are inconclusive.

Can I prevent progression of this condition?

As stated previously, there are several methods to prevent the rapid progression of osteoporosis. There is not a cure to this condition, but there are good treatments. It is of utmost importance that all individuals remain active, even in their later years, to help maintain strong bones. Simple forms of exercise, walking, swimming, aerobics, will all help significantly. Furthermore, maintaining adequate calcium intake, and supplementing in times of higher need (most importantly pregnancy and lactation) will help even more. Discuss oestrogen replacement, and other treatment medications, with your doctor.

Statistics
Orthopaedic surgeons treat fractures throughout the skeletal frame, except for the skull (neurosurgeon) and face (ENT surgeon). Extremity fractures are most common, and usually occur in men younger than age 45, and then becoming more common in women over age 45. The reason for the difference is that when women go through menopause, and stop producing oestrogen, the rate of bone loss increases. This is why women are particularly susceptible to osteoporosis and subsequent fractures. The most common fracture prior to age 75 is called a colles fracture (forearm); in the elderly, hip fractures become the most common.