My bones were jumping for joy having found The Healthy Bones Nutrition Plan and Cookbook - Medicine Through Food Guide by Dr. Laura Kelly and Helen Bryman Kelly.  Inside the book offers a recipe for Bone-Building Calcium-Rich Vinegar.

"Just one tablespoon of Bone-Building Vinegar equals 350-400 mg of calcium (1,000-1,200 recommended for menopausal and post menopausal women)".[1]

[br] You can use fresh herbs as I have used or dried herbs.

Ingredients:

You will need a selection of 5 of these bone-building herbs.

Herbs:

• Dandelion leaves
• Stinging netttle
• Horsetail
• Red clover
• Hound's tongue
• Motherwort
• Mugwort
• Mint
• Wild arugula
• Chickweed
• Shepherd's purse
• Oatstraw
• Alfafa
• Parsley
• Comfrey
• Raspberry leaves
• Blackberry leaves
• Thimbleberry leaves
• Sage
• Amaranth leaves
• Lamb's quarter
• Kale
• Cabbage

Chinese herbs: - the extra juice!

If you want to boost the bone-building properties, add 0.35 ounce (10g) of each.

1. Gu Sui Bu
2. Xu Duan  work together to build healthy bone.
3. Bu Gu Zhi
4. Du Zhong also assist in bone-building and repair.
5. Yin Yang Huo is shown to stimulate bone growth through safe plant hormones [1]

Purchasing Herbs

You can purchase the herbs and Chinese herbs from Dr. Kelly's site HERE

AMENDMENT:

Since publishing this video, I had the vinegar tested for calcium and magnesium.

Since Chinese Herbs are part of the ingredient list, I also tested for heavy metals.

This was an independent lab; Medallion Labs that was recommended to me by a food scientist.

The report showed

not 350mg of Calcium per tablespoon but

33mg of Calcium per tablespoon.

The response from the Dr. Kelly:

"I received the numbers in the book from a respected elder herbalist who specializes in women's health.

There are so many reasons that there can be enormous differences as you can imagine - climate, amount of sun, what's in the soil, plant species, season, etc etc etc.  Perhaps she ran her numbers many years ago.

Other tests have been run on dried herbs and the numbers are closer to yours than to hers - and I am gathering this information.

I must say that we know there are much larger amounts of calcium in these herbs than is showing on this test.

I'm sorry for the disappointment.  If this is misinformation in the book then of course it will be changed on the next printing, and thank you for contributing to the store of knowledge around this subject.  Science is always a project.

But please do not throw the baby out with the bathwater. There are many more benefits to the vinegar than just calcium I hope you are not using it only for that reason - nature works in very complex ways and I guarantee there is great benefit.  With just the Chinese herbs alone bones heal, I have used them in my practice many times.

It remains that the overall science is sound, and that those who are using the book report increase in bone density as well as increased overall health.  It is always a combination of elements that contributes. "

From my delicious bones to yours!

Irma

?? Questions simple reply to this email.

[1] The Healthy Bones Nutrition Plan and Cookbook pages 231-233

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It’s always the first step in my bone health program.

You see, you can’t just pop a pill and keep poisoning your bones with bad food. But I do think that supplements can play an important role in boosting the nutrients that your bones need.

Maybe you don’t digest your food very well so you aren’t getting the nutrients your bones need. Or maybe you’re trying to eat right, but you’re not hitting your goals at every meal. I get that…

Now, I’m no expert on supplements. But I thought I’d share with you today the four supplements that I take to make sure my bones are getting the most important vitamins and minerals they need.

And before I get started, I’ll mention the one “bone” supplement that I DON’T take.

It’s calcium.

You see, instead of giving you harder bones, calcium supplements could give you hardened arteries…

A study in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that calcium supplements may significantly raise your risk of plaque buildup in the arteries and even heart damage. People in the study who took the most calcium as a supplement had a 22 percent increase in their risk of coronary artery calcification.[i]

But people who got their calcium through food had no increased risk of heart disease.

That’s why I don’t take calcium supplements any more. Instead I get my calcium the way nature intended – from my food.

But there are other bone nutrients that are so important I take a daily supplement.

Here are my top 4 bone supplements:

1. Vitamin D

The lower your vitamin D levels, the more likely you are to break a bone…

A recent study found 77 percent of patients with traumatic bone fractures have low levels of vitamin D.[ii] A traumatic fracture is a broken bone from a fall from a height, a car accident, playing sports, or something falling on you.

Another study also linked non-traumatic fractures with low vitamin D levels. Women with blood levels of 20 ng/ml or above of vitamin D were 46 percent less likely to have a non-traumatic fracture. And every 10 ng/ml increase in vitamin D levels cut fracture risk by 28 percent.[iii]

Your skin produces vitamin D when it’s exposed to the sun’s rays. But most of us don’t spend enough time in the sun. One study of 1,600 people found 89 percent were low in vitamin D.[iv]

I usually take 5,000 IU of vitamin D3 every day.

2. Magnesium

Studies prove a significant link between bone density and magnesium.[v]

Without magnesium, bone nutrients like calcium and vitamin D can’t do their jobs. Your body needs magnesium to convert vitamin D into its active form. If vitamin D is not activated it can’t turn on your body’s calcium absorption.[vi]

You also need magnesium to stimulate the hormone calcitonin. That helps draw calcium out of the blood and soft tissues and put it back into the bones.

The magnesium content of your bones decreases as you age.[vii] In addition, sugar and alcohol cause you to lose magnesium through your urine.

That’s why I take 2 400mg (800mg daily) of magnesium every evening. There are many different forms. I take magnesium dioxide. It also helps with constipation. Magnesium glycinate is a better choice if you don’t want the laxative effect.

3. Vitamin K2 

Your bones need vitamin K2 to corral calcium. K2 hooks onto osteocalcin, a protein that helps anchor calcium in the bones. It drags osteocalcin to the bone so calcium can stick there and do its work.

Without K2, osteocalcin hangs out in the blood stream. It doesn’t get to the bones. The bones become porous. And calcium collects in the arteries or organs and hardens there.

Vitamin K2 also joins with vitamin D3 to increase production of osteocalcin in the cells that build bones (osteoblasts). It also inhibits production of cells that break down bone (osteoclasts).

Don’t get it confused with vitamin K1. That helps your blood clot. Vitamin K2 is different. It comes in several different forms called menaquinones (MK). They’re numbered from 4 to 9. The higher the number, the more bioavailable and long-lasting the K2.

I take this K2 in a Metagenics product called Coratin - Red Yeast Rice & Plant Sterol combination. It has  a total of 60 micrograms of MK4 and MK 7.

4. Vitamin C

Vitamin C is needed for a healthy balance of bone-building osteoblasts and bone-destroying osteoclasts. It helps new osteoblasts form to build new bone. It also impedes the destruction of bone by osteoclasts.

When your levels of vitamin C are low, you have trouble building new bone and your bone breakdown speeds up.

I take 1,000 mg of vitamin C every day. Too much can give you an upset stomach and diarrhea. That’s why I take Perque buffered ascorbate powder. It’s easy on my stomach.

Please let me know how I can better serve you and your bones.

There is a wonderful alkalizing salad dressing video gift for you on the other side for your time.

Have your bones click —-> HERE

If you found this article helpful, please share my blog (using the share buttons on the bottom) with anyone you know who has bones.

From my bones to yours,

Irma

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[i] John J.B. Anderson, Bridget Kruszka, Joseph A.C. Delaney, et al. “Calcium Intake From Diet and Supplements and the Risk of Coronary Artery Calcification and its Progression Among Older Adults: 10-Year Follow-up of the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).” Journal of the American Heart Association, 2016; 5 (10): e003815 DOI: 10.1161/JAHA.116.003815

[ii] Brett Crist, MD et al. "Incidence of Vitamin D Deficiency in Orthopaedic Trauma Patients," presented at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons' annual meeting.

[iii] Cauley J., et al. “Serum 25 Hydroxyvitamin D, Bone Mineral Density and Fracture Risk Across the Menopause.” The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 2015 May;100(5):2046-54..

[iv] Schilling S. "Epidemic vitamin d deficiency among patients in an elderly care rehabilitation facility." Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2012 Jan;109(3):33-8.

[v] Ryder KM et al, “Magnesium intake from food and supplements is associated with bone mineral density in healthy older white subjects.” J Am Geriatr Soc. 2005 Nov;53(11):1875-80.

[vi] Saggese, G. Bertelloni, S. Baroncelli, G. I. et al. “Bone demineralization and impaired mineral metabolism in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. A possible role of magnesium deficiency.” Helv Paediatr Acta. 1989 Jun; 43 (5-6): 405-14.

[vii] Jahnen-Dechent W., Ketteler M. “Magnesium basics.” Clin. Kidney J. 2012;5:i3–i14. doi: 10.1093/ndtplus/sfr163.

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What is vitamin K?

You may have heard of vitamin K as the nutrient in charge of normal blood clotting.  But that’s old news.

Recent research highlights vitamin K’s other role: putting calcium where it belongs – in your bones – and keeping it out of your organs and blood vessels.

What kind of vitamin K do your bones need?

Like the vitamin B family, there are various forms of vitamin K and each has its own specialty.

The two main forms are:

• K1 known as phylloquinone; and
• K2 which also comes in several different forms referred to as menaquinones.

Vitamin K1 is the blood clotting agent but K2 is where the action is for your bones.

How does vitamin K2 build bones?

Here’s how it works.  Vitamin K2 is like a tow truck that hooks onto osteocalcin, a protein that helps anchor calcium in the bones.  It drags osteocalcin to the bone so calcium can deposit there and stick and do its work.

If there’s a vitamin K deficiency, what happens?  Osteocalcin hangs out in the blood stream and doesn’t get to the bones which then can’t hold on to calcium.  Not only do the bones become porous, but calcium collects in the arteries or organs and hardens there.  Yikes.

The dance of vitamin K and vitamin D

Vitamin K2 strengthens bones in another way.  It joins with vitamin D3 to increase production of osteocalcin in the cells that build bones (osteoblasts), but it also inhibits production of cells that break down bone (osteoclasts).

The combination of K2 and vitamin D3 is more effective in preventing bone loss than either vitamin alone.

In one study of 92 postmenopausal women, those taking only calcium suffered a loss of bone mineral density in their lower spine, while those given either D3 or K2 had a slight increase.  However, those taking both D3 and K2 fared best with an increase in bone density of 1.35%.

Vitamin K prevents fractures

Human studies have shown repeatedly that osteoporotic fractures are related to low vitamin K levels.  One 1984 study found that osteoporosis patients with fractures had vitamin K levels 70% lower than people of the same age.  Another study found that those with the lowest vitamin K levels had a 65% greater risk of fracturing a hip than those with the highest levels.

Many other studies have shown that vitamin K2 is particularly effective at preventing bone loss and reduced the risk of vertebral fractures by 60%, hip fractures by 77%, and all non-vertebral fractures by 81%.

How do we get vitamin K from food?

Almost everyone gets enough vitamin K1to clot their blood by eating green leafy vegetables. The highest levels of K1 are found in cabbage family members such as kale, spinach, collards, broccoli, brussels sprouts, mustard greens and Swiss chard.

We can get vitamin K2 several different ways.  It can be produced by bacteria in cultured or fermented foods.  In fact, the richest dietary source of K2 is natto** (naturally fermented soybeans).  Another good source is miso.

We can also convert K1 to K2 in our intestines through the operation of our own gut bacteria.  However, if you’ve been taking antibiotics, your gut flora may be out of balance and not up to the job of converting vitamin K.

Another way to get K2 in your diet is eating animal products because, just as we convert K1 to K2 in our own intestines, so do animals.  Grass-fed cows and other ruminants are good sources, and vitamin K2 shows up in animal fats found in products like liver, milk, butter, cottage cheese and cheese.

Why is grass-fed important?  Just like us, animals need leafy greens get the K1 to convert to K2.  If they are grain fed, animals won’t be getting their greens.

Now that the secret is out about one of the best ways to build strong bones and prevent osteoporosis, leave me a comment and let me know how you’re getting your vitamin K2.

And thanks for sharing my blog with the easy share buttons below!

From my bones to yours.....

Irma

Sources:

https://www.smart-publications.com/articles/vitamin-k-keeps-calcium-out-of-your-arteries-and-in-your-bones/

“The Whole Foods Guide to Strong Bones” by AnneMarie Colbin, Ph.D.

“Vitamin K2 and the Calcium Paradox: How a Little-Known Vitamin Could Save Your Life” by Dr. Kate Rheaume-Bleue, ND

** Where to buy Natto~ https://meguminatto.com/order.html

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