July 2021

In Part One we examined the intriguing and trending dietary practices currently part of our culture which is becoming a more demarcated separation between animal-based food/nutrition sources, those of non-animal base sources in striving for a healthy diet.

 

Beyond dietary preference, the issue we all face is the challenge of healthy bones, most typically as we age and more common an issue in females.

 

Underlying Facts and realities regardless of dietary preferences are as follows:

 

1. Metabolic sensitivity of bone cells are positively responsive to exercise. This is crucial, especially resistance and weight-bearing.

2. Osteoporosis has underlying inflammation as one of the components of its etiology and destructive nature.

3. Nutrient and dietary factors beyond vitamin/mineral supplementation can have positive effects both in protection, prevention, and rehabilitation. These include a number of botanicals and mineral compounds that encourage Osteoblastic activity ( laying down of bone) and have a downregulation effect of osteoclastic activity ( bone remodeling). Very important to realize osteoblastic and osteoclastic balance crucial for a healthy skeletal structure.

4. There are “non-endocrine”, diet-related factors to bone health ( excess phosphoric acid, throws off calcium balance and mineralization,  that can develop from too much protein, especially red meat,  excessive drinking of phosphoric acid soft drinks).

5. Underlying medical, endocrine conditions, medications, excess drugs, tobacco, alcohol, nutrient inadequacy, and deficiencies.

 

An extremely crucial component of structural bone tissue is collagen. 

 

Collagen forms the net framework in which within this net, osteocytes reside to do their “thing”– bone mineralization as well as the crucial, constant, and dynamic bone remodeling. 

 

There are different kinds, important forms, and properties of specific structural collagens that are numbered one through five, but the most significant for the bone matrix is Collagen One which we will discuss in more detail.

 

Another stunning and growing understanding is the role of osteocytes ( osteoblasts, the bone builders,  and osteoclasts, the bone remodellers) are not only fundamental in the role of bone health and constant tissue turnover,  but also in their fascinating endocrine-like role in the global metabolism of the body!

 

Specifically, osteoblasts, the bone growers,  are the only body cells that produce and secrete a protein compound called OSTEOCALCIN which is closely tied in with the metabolism of glucose, fertility, cognition, other endocrine glands,  as well as what we understand for its most publicized function– bone mineralization!

Also in PART THREE, beyond Bone Broth, we will discuss the collagen challenge with those nutraceuticals that will help to facilitate the formation and protection of healthy bone and collagen that’s ideal for us vegans and non-vegans.