This video explains that bone health is important for everyone, not just older people, and is more complex than just getting enough calcium. Bones are living tissues that constantly rebuild, and after age 40, people start losing bone density. The video covers how nutrition, stomach acid, hormones, stress, and movement all play a role in bone health. It also provides practical tips on how to improve bone health naturally through diet, supplements, exercise, and stress management.
Key Takeaways
1
Your bones are living tissue constantly breaking down and rebuilding, and most women reach their peak bone mass between ages 25-30, with significant loss starting around 40, especially during menopause.
2
Bone health is not just about avoiding fractures; it also impacts posture, balance, circulation, mineral regulation, energy, mood, and digestion.
3
Strong bones require more than just calcium and vitamin D; they need a wide range of nutrients like magnesium, K2, boron, silica, phosphorus, collagen, specific bone proteins, vitamin C, and zinc.
4
Strong stomach acid is crucial for absorbing bone-building nutrients, and low stomach acid (common in women over 40) can lead to poor mineral absorption and bone loss.
5
Ways to naturally support stomach acid include chewing food well, not drinking too much during meals, adding bitter foods like arugula and lemon, and trying apple cider vinegar before meals.
6
Hormones like estrogen and progesterone are key for bone building, while chronic stress and high cortisol levels can lead to bone breakdown by pulling minerals from bones and promoting inflammation.
7
A Mediterranean-style diet rich in vegetables, leafy greens, seafood (like sardines), bone broth, sesame seeds, almonds, and sources of K2 (grass-fed butter, egg yolks) can significantly improve bone health.
8
Movement, especially strength training, weight-bearing exercises, jumping, and posture training like Pilates and yoga, stimulates new bone growth and strengthens bones.
9
Prioritizing deep sleep, setting boundaries to protect inner peace, and engaging in nervous system support like prayer, journaling, and nature walks helps reduce chronic stress which is detrimental to bone health.
10
Bone loss is reversible, and a root cause approach focusing on nutrition, digestion, hormones, inflammation, and lifestyle can nourish bones, strengthen the body, and protect vitality.
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0:01
Good morning and welcome to another
0:03
edition of Today's Nutrition where we
0:05
look at whatever will help us lose
0:07
weight, feel great, or live longer
0:10
better. So today we are diving into a
0:12
topic that gets way too little attention
0:15
until it's too late. Your bones. Now
0:18
before you think this doesn't apply to
0:20
me, it's just for older people. I don't
0:23
need to worry about that yet. Stick with
0:25
me because I'm about to share something
0:28
that might completely change the way you
0:31
think about your energy, your posture,
0:34
your metabolism, and yes, even your gut
0:38
health. And I'm going to show you why
0:40
bone health is so much more than just
0:43
calcium, and why it is never too early
0:46
or too late to start strengthening your
0:50
foundation. you can get better reports
0:53
on your DEXA scan without those
0:56
injections that could be loaded with
0:58
some side effects. So, let's start with
1:01
the big question. Why should you care
1:04
about your bones right now? Even if you
1:07
feel fine? Because your bones are not
1:11
just rigid structures holding you up
1:14
like scaffolding. They're actually
1:17
living tissue constantly breaking down
1:21
and rebuilding. And here's the kicker.
1:24
Most women reach their peak bone mass.
1:27
The most you're ever going to have by
1:30
about the age 25 to 30. Whatever you
1:33
reach by then is max. And over 40,
1:37
especially in
1:39
pmenopause, we begin to lose bone
1:42
density every single year. And when you
1:45
hit menopause, you can lose 10% of your
1:49
bone mass in the first 5 years. So if
1:52
you are beyond the bone building peak
1:57
time, it's time to maximize what we're
2:00
keeping. One in two women will have a
2:03
fracture related to osteoporosis. And
2:07
unfortunately, osteoporosis is often
2:10
silent until a bone breaks. That could
2:14
be a hip, it could be a wrist, or it
2:17
could be the spine. And when that
2:20
happens, life changes fast.
2:24
Mortality, quality of life, everything
2:28
can go south. And I don't say that to
2:32
scare you, but I say it to empower you.
2:36
Because whatever you do now determines
2:40
whether you feel strong and steady at
2:43
70, that's me, or fragile and fearful.
2:48
So, let's bust a myth right out of the
2:50
gate. Bone health isn't just about
2:53
avoiding fractures. Your bones do a lot
2:57
more than you think. It's about your
3:00
posture, how tall you stand. It's about
3:04
balance, your ability to move
3:06
confidently. It's actually about
3:08
circulation and mineral regulation.
3:11
Yeah, your bones help control calcium
3:14
and phosphorus and
3:17
vitality. Weak bones mean weak energy,
3:20
weak mood, and hunched
3:23
over, which can lead to weak digestion.
3:28
So, if you want to feel strong, vibrant,
3:30
and in control of your health as you
3:32
age, your bones need to be part of the
3:35
conversation. And I promise there's a
3:37
lot more to it than drinking milk like
3:40
the American Dairy Council would like
3:42
you to think. Boy oh boy, has that been
3:44
a strong lobby. Or it's so much more
3:47
than just taking a calcium pill with
3:49
vitamin D. Your bones are constantly
3:53
remodeling. There are two types of cells
3:55
that are at work. Osteoblast for
3:58
building and osteoclass for breaking
4:00
down. These cells function and they need
4:04
to be balanced in their function. You
4:06
don't want to be breaking down more than
4:08
you're building up. And that remodeling
4:12
process is regulated by things we have
4:15
control over. Nutrients, hormones,
4:19
inflammation, movement, and even your
4:23
digestion.
4:24
So, let's start with the building
4:26
blocks. Nutrition, my favorite
4:28
wheelhouse. You know about calcium, but
4:31
we need way more than that when it comes
4:34
to nutrition. Your bone health dream
4:37
team also has magnesium, has of course
4:40
vitamin D3 that helps calcium
4:43
absorption, but how about K2? Because
4:46
that tells the calcium to go into the
4:50
bone and away from the arteries.
4:52
Cardiologists would agree. Then it takes
4:55
boron and silica and phosphorus. It
4:58
takes collagen. It takes specific bone
5:01
proteins. Your bones are 50% protein by
5:05
volume. And of course, vitamin C and
5:07
zinc and boron. You just need to be
5:10
wellnourished. And here's the key. You
5:13
don't build strong bones with
5:15
supplements alone or with food alone.
5:19
Your body has to digest and absorb those
5:23
nutrients. So, that brings me to a
5:26
really overlooked essential for bone
5:29
health, the stomach acid. Maybe not the
5:33
sexiest topic, but stay with me because
5:35
this could be your game changer. Maybe
5:39
you've heard that stomach acid is bad.
5:41
It causes heartburn and gird, but the
5:44
truth is you need stomach acid. You need
5:46
strong stomach acid. And it's crucial
5:49
for health doing so many important
5:52
things including absorbing bone building
5:56
nutrients. Low stomach acid which is
5:59
very common in women over 40 leads to
6:03
poor calcium and mineral absorption,
6:06
incomplete protein digestion, zinc, B12
6:10
and iron deficiency, parasites,
6:13
bloating, gas, and yes, even bone loss.
6:18
And if you don't break down the food,
6:21
you can't extract and absorb the
6:23
nutrients your bones need to build. How
6:26
do you know if you've got low stomach
6:28
acid? Here are some common symptoms. You
6:31
feel full or heavy after meals. You feel
6:35
bloated and gassy often. You burp a lot
6:38
after eating. Undigested food in your
6:43
stool. or you've been on PPIs, those
6:46
proton pump inhibitors or ant acids for
6:50
a long time, longer than 6
6:53
weeks, or you already know you have
6:57
osteoporosis despite eating well. So, if
7:00
that sounds like you, your gut may not
7:03
be broken, it's just underpowered. So,
7:06
the good news is we can support that
7:10
naturally. Here are some of my favorite
7:12
ways to help rebuild stomach acid so you
7:15
absorb nutrients like a champ. And you
7:18
still may be thinking, "Oh, I don't
7:20
think I'm supposed to have strong
7:21
stomach acid." Oh, yes, you are. And
7:24
your stomach lining is designed to be
7:29
protected against that stomach acid. It
7:31
is always supposed to be very acid.
7:34
Okay. All right. So, number one, you've
7:37
got to chew your food well. digestion
7:40
actually starts in the mouth. Got lots
7:42
of factors in that saliva that will
7:44
actually tag those nutrients for better
7:47
absorption. Number two, don't drink too
7:50
much during meals because that could
7:52
dilute stomach acid. Sip a little bit,
7:55
just don't chuck. Number three, add
7:58
bitter foods. This is my favorite. Start
8:00
with a salad. Arugula, dandelion greens,
8:02
radicio, lemon. They all help trigger
8:06
stomach acid release, but also that's
8:10
going to tone up the digestive juices
8:12
for the liver, gallbladder, and
8:14
pancreas. Number four, try apple cider
8:18
vinegar right before your meal. Little
8:21
bit in water 10 minutes before eating
8:23
can make a big difference. And this will
8:26
also lower postmeal blood sugar spikes.
8:30
Lots of research on that one.
8:32
Number five, you might need to consider
8:34
digestive enzymes with hydrochloric acid
8:37
and pepsin. This supplement mimics
8:40
natural stomach acid, but please only do
8:43
that under the guidance of a
8:44
practitioner, especially if you have a
8:46
history of ulcers or gird. And we don't
8:49
want to forget chronic
8:52
inflammation, especially leaky
8:55
gut, food sensitivities, hidden
8:57
infections trigger bone breakdown
9:00
because your body will pull calcium from
9:03
the bones to buffer acidity and calm
9:06
that inflammation. So if your gut's
9:08
inflamed, your bones may be silently
9:12
suffering, too. Okay, how about hormones
9:15
in your bones? shift in gears just a
9:17
little bit, but hormones are one of the
9:20
biggest drivers of bone breakdown or
9:23
bone building, especially after 40. So,
9:26
let's talk about the big players. Of
9:28
course,
9:29
estrogen, we know it helps slow down
9:33
bone resorption. That's the breakdown
9:36
process. So, when estrogen drops during
9:40
menopause, women lose a lot of bone
9:42
density in just a short period of time.
9:45
So, you know, when you hit 50, oh my
9:47
gosh, suddenly you can be diagnosed with
9:50
osteopenia, which is just mineral loss.
9:53
Progesterone is another hormone that is
9:56
supporting bone
9:58
building. And guess what? Chronic stress
10:02
steals progesterone, which leads to the
10:05
next hormone, cortisol. I talk a lot
10:09
about this one in my book, Get Out of
10:11
Hormone Health: Six Heavenly Steps to
10:13
Lose Weight, Feel Great, and Live
10:14
Longer, Better. Stress management is a
10:16
big key. And I find that
10:21
overwhelmingly people are uptight,
10:24
stressed, and feeling trapped like a
10:27
hamster wheel kind of mentality. You got
10:30
to get this under control because
10:32
cortisol
10:33
will tell your body it's in survival
10:36
mode. And it forgets about bone
10:39
building. We need to survive today.
10:42
Literally short-term survival. Nothing
10:45
for longevity. And inflammation and
10:48
cortisol go hand in hand. Both are going
10:50
to pull minerals from your bones. When
10:53
your body's inflamed, it's in defense
10:55
mode. With poor healing, weakened bones,
10:59
increased risk of fracture. Cortisol
11:03
literally pulls minerals from the bones
11:07
to keep blood levels stable when you're
11:09
under pressure. So if you're constantly
11:12
in that fight or flight, your bones are
11:14
going to be paying a silent price. And
11:17
then we have to think about the thyroid.
11:19
Either over or underactive can affect
11:22
that. Let's pause and bring it all
11:24
together. Your bones aren't isolated.
11:27
They are deeply connected to the whole
11:29
body. And it's not just about one
11:31
supplement. It's about the whole
11:33
symphony working together. So, if you've
11:36
been taking calcium for years and not
11:38
seeing results, you might be missing the
11:41
root cause of bone depletion. But the
11:44
good news is never too late to take
11:46
action. And let's talk about what you
11:48
can do starting today to protect and
11:51
rebuild those bones naturally. And
11:54
here's where I want to pause and remind
11:56
you of the blue zones all around the
11:58
world, especially Acha, Italy, where 30%
12:02
of the population is over 100. No heart
12:05
disease, no cataracts, no broken
12:09
bones. And most importantly, they are
12:12
not genetically different from us. They
12:14
just eat differently and live
12:16
differently. So, how can we bring those
12:19
tips from Acharoli, Italy into our life?
12:24
Number one, start with food. The
12:26
Mediterranean diet is just loaded with
12:29
good things. So, they've got a lot of
12:31
vegetables, a lot of the leafy greens
12:33
that those bitters that really help with
12:35
absorption, the kale, the arugula, the
12:38
bok choy. They eat a lot of the seafood
12:41
for sardines and anchovies. And the
12:44
sardines have bones and little bitty
12:47
bones. So they they really are packed
12:49
with bioavailable nutrients. You can
12:51
also drink bone broth rich in collagen,
12:55
sesame seeds, almonds, tahini, great
12:58
non-dairy sources of calcium. And then
13:01
you don't want to forget that some
13:04
sources of K2 that take it into the
13:06
bone. That's going to be grass-fed
13:08
butter, egg yolks, and even that
13:10
substance called natto.
13:13
don't have to eat perfectly, but just
13:15
think about choosing things that are
13:17
nutritionally dense that would build
13:19
your bones every day. So, you might even
13:22
want to think about supplements. Some
13:24
women do need supplements, especially
13:26
after age 40. And my top one is Bone
13:30
Maximizer. It contains all the goodies,
13:33
the calcium, the D3, the K2 to take it
13:36
into the bones. It has magnesium. It has
13:39
the bone protein hydroxyappatite.
13:42
It's got boron. Great trace minerals for
13:46
strengthening. One thing we really must
13:49
also think about is movement. Bones are
13:53
mechanically responsive. They get
13:56
stronger when you challenge them. And
13:59
yeah, walking is good, but strength
14:02
training,
14:04
weightbearing, resistance training
14:07
supports the hips and the spine.
14:09
jumping, bouncing, think jump roping or
14:14
rebounding, posture training like
14:17
Pilates and yoga will really be good for
14:21
not only maintaining alignment and
14:24
stability, but so good for stress
14:26
management. 20 minutes every day will
14:29
stimulate new bone growth. Start where
14:32
you are. Just start moving with purpose.
14:36
So now we want to think
14:39
resting and a little mindset work.
14:42
Resting, your bones rebuild while you
14:45
sleep. They break down under chronic
14:49
stress. So we need to prioritize deep
14:52
sleep. We need to have
14:55
boundaries. Learning to say no so you
14:58
can protect your inner peace from things
15:01
that would drain you. And then we need
15:04
nervous system support. Our body is
15:07
designed to need that prayer,
15:11
journaling, walks in nature, especially
15:14
in sunshine with that vitamin D and
15:17
saying no to the things to that drain
15:19
you, but also saying yes to the things
15:22
that restore you. Here's an interesting
15:25
concept. Your bone strength may be a
15:29
reflection of how well your body feels
15:33
supported and safe. So, here's what I
15:36
would like you to take from today's
15:38
talk. Number one, you're not too old and
15:41
you're not broken. Number two, it is
15:44
never too late. And number three, bone
15:48
loss is
15:50
reversible. You can nourish your bones,
15:53
strengthen your body, and protect your
15:56
vitality with root cause approach. So,
16:00
if this resonated with you, I'd love to
16:01
invite you to go deeper with me. I've
16:03
got my 90-day VIP program with
16:06
personalized strategies for your health,
16:09
even for bone health. We look at
16:11
digestion, hormones, inflammation,
16:13
lifestyle, everything. You get the
16:16
support to build strength from the
16:18
inside out. Your bones are just really a
16:21
mirror of your resilience. So, building
16:24
strength isn't just muscles. It's your
16:27
foundation protecting your posture, your
16:30
balance, your confidence that support
16:32
your gut, your hormones, your sleep, and
16:35
remind your body it is safe to rebuild.
16:39
Get out of that stress response because
16:42
you're not made to shrink. You're made
16:44
to stand strong, tall, grounded, and
16:47
full of life. So, thanks for listening
16:49
to another edition of Today's Nutrition.
16:52
If you would like to listen again, you
16:53
can go to my website,
16:55
debford.com, or you can go to YouTube
16:58
under Dr. Debb Ford or any place you
17:00
listen to podcast under today's
17:02
nutrition. Until then, keep nourishing
17:06
your body. It's the only one you've got
17:09
and it is worth taking care of.
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Bones and Stomach Acid? YEP!
Deb Ford DCN RDN
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Jun 2, 2025
17:14
Your bones. Now, before you think, ah this doesn’t apply to me- “That’s just for older people, I don’t need to worry about that yet...” Stick with me. Because what I’m about to share might completely change the way you think about your energy, your posture, your metabolism — and yes, even your gut health. ...and I’m going to show you why bone health is about so much more than just calcium — and why it’s never too early (or too late) to strengthen your foundation. You can get better reports on that next DEXA Scan- without those injections that could be loaded with side effects.