Bone Strengthening Supplements
What to Take and Why?

Bone problems and diseases

L'osteopenia and osteoporosis are major bone diseases that affect - for 95% of cases - predominantly Caucasian women in menopause, postmenopausal and old age.

These pathologies are due to the reduction of bone mass and the deterioration of the architecture of the bone tissue, which determine the increase in fragility and the predisposition to fractures, especially in the case of:

• hip,
• vertebral column,
• wrist.

Bone problems develop progressively, in a "silent" way, without inducing the occurrence of particular symptoms or signs. This is why, after a certain age, women are increasingly advised to undergo a diagnostic study (such as MOC , Computerized Bone Mineralometry). Bone depletion begins after the age of thirty but in women it undergoes a particular acceleration after menopause due to endocrine alterations. Also not to be underestimated is the same problem on humans entering andropause .

The role of collagen

We know that collagen plays a very important role among the structural Protein of our body as it has the function of connecting, supporting and nourishing tissues and organs and has the ability to continuously renew itself. Collagen contributes to the health and elasticity of:

• tendons,
• skin,
• muscles,
• vascular tissues,
• bone,

Collagen is an essential element for maintaining the physiological flexibility and elasticity of the bones . Think that bones are composed of a mixture of mineral crystals contained in an organic matrix of collagen which, without its role of scaffolding, would be extremely fragile and prone to breaking. Put simply, bone is a very dynamic tissue, with building elements, which create new bone matrix (osteoblasts) and other disintegrators of the old matrix (osteoclasts), so as to guarantee a renewal of the bone material over time.

Why do bones become brittle?

When bone density is lost , it is because the destructive elements work more than the builders. This happens due to an imbalance that is accentuated with age, especially when, after menopause, estrogens , which are the female bone-friendly hormones, are lacking.

In order for the trend towards building to continue and for bone density to be recovered, it is necessary to:

• provide all the different types of nutrients necessary for the construction of the skeletal scaffold;

• perform regular physical movement, to help strengthen collagen structures.

Furthermore, doing sport favors the transport of calcium into the bones , which will thus be deposited in an optimal way, leading to an increase in bone density, resistance to trauma but also greater elasticity and locomotor efficiency.

Food supplements to strengthen bones

As we have seen, collagen is essential for bone mineralization because it reduces the "destructive" activity of osteoclasts and the production of protease, a proteolytic enzyme. This results in a significant improvement in collagen synthesis at the bone matrix level.

Collagen peptides

Thanks to the bioactive collagen peptides , which can be taken as a supplement, we can help provide the material needed to create an ideal preventive support environment for the bone matrix, stimulating osteoblasts to synthesize:

• collagen,
• elastin,
• proteoglycan type II (PG-II or decorin ).

These will favor a stronger and more flexible bone structure , of sure benefit for all those who have to counteract the degradation phenomena of the bone tissue.

FORTIBONE®: scientific evidence

There are food supplements on the market for bone support composed of a specific patented blend of peptides ( FORTIBONE® * ) which stimulates osteoblasts to increase collagen synthesis to counterbalance the tendency to degrade this precious glue at the level of the extracellular bone matrix.

In an important scientific study , the regular use of the FORTIBONE® patent has shown a significant improvement in bone density in favor of the degradation of the same tissue by osteoclasts, with a significant increase in the so-called "BMD" (bone mineral density) in women. suffering from osteopenia or osteoporosis . The data that emerged suggest that the use of these precious bioactive peptides derived from collagen could play a noteworthy role in bone metabolism also to help counteract the "downward spiral" that often initiates fractures and which makes the locomotor component even more difficult. .

* FORTIBONE® was voted Ingredient of the Year by winning the Nutra Ingredients Award 2018 at the Vitafoods Europe fair, distinguishing itself for its solid scientific background and long-term results, which have proved very promising in the field of support in the contrast of osteopenia and osteoporosis .

References

• Specific Collagen Peptides Improve Bone Mineral Density and Bone Markers in Postmenopausal Women-A Randomized Controlled Study by Daniel König ^1,*, Steffen Oesser ², Stephan Scharla ³, Denise Zdzieblik ¹ and Albert Gollhofer ¹ Department for Nutrition, Institute for Sports and Sports Science, University of Freiburg, Schwarzwaldstr. 175, 79117 Freiburg, Germany

• An overview of the beneficial effects of hydrolysed collagen intake on joint and bone health and on skin ageing. Figueres Juher T, Basés Pérez E.Nutr Hosp. 2015 Jul 18;32 Suppl 1:62-6. doi: 10.3305/nh.2015.32.sup1.9482.PMID: 26267777 Free article. Review. Spanish.

• Nutrients 2018, 10(1), 97; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10010097 Received: 4 December 2017 / Revised: 9 January 2018 / Accepted: 9 January 2018 / Published: 16 January 2018