Wellness

[Bobbi sue]

I stopped taking my Oyster Shell Vit. D for the Citracal +D + Bone Density Builder. My last bone density test was not good and shows a decline in my left hip. Having broken my right hip in Feb 2011, I want to protect my bones as much as possible.

Does anyone know if this vit is better than the oyster shell vit D? I heard that Citracal + D absorbs better than the Oyster Shell Vit D. I had been taking the OS long before my last bone density test and there was no improvement. My Doctor wanted to put me on Fosomac (SP) and I refused to take it on recommendations of my hip surgeon who said no to Fosomac (SP).

What are your opinions of Citracal + D? Thanks in advance.

[Mindy D]

Calcium citrate in Citracal has the advantage of not needing to be taken with meals. There are also Citracal minis that are easier to swallow. My close friend had surgery to remove one of her parathyroid glands and she has been on Citracal on the advice of her endocrinologist. I was taking it, but there have been many studies linking calcium to heart problems, so I am currently taking D3 and I am counting dietary calcium to reach my daily levels. Marcassat, your bone density increase is likely to be due to the strong influence the hormone replacement therapy, which allows the absorption of calcium.

[betteb]

Yes, Citrical + D3 + Magnesium is what I take. Calcium Citrate is the most absorbable form of calcium. You need the D3 to absorb the calcium and you need to take the D3 with food that contains some fat, to absorb that. So, take your Citracal with milk (not nonfat) or something that has some fat.

Is that clear as mud?

[betteb]

On 1/3/2012 mideria said:

Has anyone tried the Citracal +D, slow release tablets? 1200mg of calcium. Take once a day. Found it at Walmart. It's still a big pill but at least I only have to remember to take it once a day.

You can take the slow release, but you can not cut the pill in half, like some are talking about with the large calcium pills.

[SaggingGal]

Be careful. Some research has found that ingestion of calcium can increase risk of heart attack in women. Supposedly calcium in supplement form is of less risk than ingesting calcium alone. There is always published medical research you can consult to make the best informed decision. Do a Medline online search or ask your local public library to which you pay taxes for assistance from the reference librarian. As well some of the prescribed drugs for increasing bone density can harden bone so much that the bone can easily splinter and fracture with minimum effort. My neighbor fractured a bone in her thigh just by bending over. Have you ever considered resistance exercises to build bone?

[deb5555]

On 1/5/2012 Winamac said:

On 1/3/2012 Amphitrite said:

They sell pill cutters at the drugstore, you can get one of those and cut them in two if you can't swallow the whole pill.

or take them with applesauce on a spoon.

[winamac1]

On 10/25/2011 CDN2 said:

In my experience, FOSAMAX is the only drug that builds better bone density.

There are others in the same category, but FOSAMAX is what I took and saw concrete results through the years.

I take plain calcium too, but that isn't enough on it's own. I use chewables, 500 mg.

not true Prolia can increase Bone Mineral Density in Verterbrae, Hip etc.

[raining_1]

You could add 10 to 15 min a day outside in the natural sunlight and get your vit D the way nature intended for us to get it. If I had a doctor telling me I was low on vit d I would absolutely get myself outside for those few min every day and see if it made a difference.Take a walk, good for you on many levels.

[jcstarz]

If you can I would also suggest heavy weight lifting. There was a study done on two female powerlifters who lifted heavy for a few decades... and their bone density was wayyy higher than females in their early 20's. I highly recommend barbell training (just Google Starting Strength and try to find one in your area. Most gym trainers are not knowledgeable when it comes to heavy strength training).

Here's part of the article

Strategy #1: Strength Train Heavy and Load the Spine
Research shows that the best strategy for increasing bone mineral density for both genders is to strength train. Both men and women can build the strongest bones by performing a heavy traditional strength training program and doing weight bearing activity that loads the spine with high loads. For example, a recent study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research outlines a reliable way to build bone over a lifetime.

The study presented two competitive female senior powerlifters who had trained with heavy lifts for over 30 years. The bone mineral density of both women was far above that achieved by young women at age 25 when bone strength peaks.

The subjects included a 48-year-old powerlifter whose primary lifts were the squat, bench press, and deadlift. She typically performed 70 percent of her training lifts near the maximum weight possible. The second woman was 54 years old and also primarily trained the traditional powerlifts of squat, deadlift, and bench press, with approximately 75 percent of her lifts near maximal. Both participants had been lifting for over 30 years. Bone scans showed that they both had bones that were much stronger than the norms for their gender and age

Related studies suggest that women will build the strongest bones by starting to strength train at a young age and continuing throughout their lifetime, while being as physically active as possible. For example, shorter term studies indicate that a variety of strength training protocols appear to halt bone loss as women age, or provide a small increase in bone mineral density in younger women, but gains are not impressive. You have to “bank” your bone early on and keep it strong—coming from behind doesn’t work, although it does keep you from losing more bone.

[terrier3]

ITA about weightlifting. It works well for me.

Every time I complain to my trainer, he reminds me how important it is to stay active and work hard to keep your bones strong.

I really didn't start until I was about 50 years old...you are NEVER too old to get started!