AB Extra Bonecare+: A source of Calcium and essential Vitamins & Minerals for your bones

With today’s busy lifestyle involving work and family, we know how hard it is to make sure that you eat well and get enough exercise. While many find it difficult to find a balance, studies show that a less than adequate diet can lead to poorer health conditions which are preventable. One of these conditions is osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a condition where bones become weak and can break easily due to mineral loss, leading to chronic pain and a loss in height and mobility. Osteoporosis sufferers are often not aware of their condition, being vulnerable to hip, spine and wrist fractures. The consequences are severe, requiring frequent stays in hospital and being immobilised, with increased risk of infections, blood clotting, and ultimately a higher rate of death.

Osteoporosis can affect anyone:
• of the patients suffering osteoporosis, 77% female, 21% male;
• 17% of people will experience a hip fracture by the age of 90 due to osteoporosis;
• in women, osteoporosis typically commences about 15 years prior to menopause (women 45 –75 years of age lose 30% of their skeletal bone mass (males lose 15%);
• pregnancy increases the requirements for nutrients. If not in adequate supply, both the mother and child would be at risk;
• bone and teeth development in growing children requires more nutrients than what is usually provided.

Why do we have to worry about proper nutrition? The body is dynamic, that is, it is never constant and is always changing. Cells reproduce and die all the time. New and existing cells constantly require nutrients to keep going while at the same time, toxins and cell waste has to be removed. Nutrients such as minerals, like the body, are never the same. We lose minerals through day to day activities and some of these minerals come from our bones. Other nutrients also get used up. This is why we need to refill our bodies with these nutrients.

As with other nutrients, as we lose calcium and other minerals from our bones, and we need to replenish what we’ve lost. We can use supplements but there are many factors to consider. There are several different forms of calcium available, and they each have a different degree of solubility and absorption. Young people produce high levels of stomach acid, making it easier to absorb almost any form of calcium. Older people on the other hand, often produce less stomach acid, or take medication that reduces stomach acid production. Add to this habitual drinking of liquids that are too hot, or consuming an excess of irritants such as coffee, tea or pickles and spices, resulting in a drop of secretion of digestive fluids and poorer extraction of vitamins and minerals from food.

People with insufficient stomach acid production only absorb about 4% of calcium carbonate supplements, whereas these same people will absorb 45% of calcium citrate supplements. Even people with normal levels of stomach acid only absorb about 22% of calcium carbonate supplements. Most commercial calcium preparations contain low-cost calcium carbonate, including anti-acid products that claim to have a high calcium content. For example, the benefits of oyster-shell calcium are often promoted, but this form of calcium is really only calcium carbonate obtained from oyster shell. Calcium carbonate also comes from limestone or chalk. If you have been taking calcium carbonate, you can save yourself some money and eat chalk instead! But you won’t be any healthier.

The rate of mineral absorption into the bloodstream is an important consideration. The wrong form of calcium can result in a person swallowing a lot of pills and absorbing little actual calcium into their blood stream. The citrate, phosphate and amino acid forms of calcium are the most often used by the informed consumer who understands the importance of getting calcium into the bloodstream where it is used to maintain and strengthen bone.