The health of the skeleton is one of the primary factors that will dictate quality of life and independence in retirement years. Mobility and pain free movement can dramatically improve ones ability to enjoy life.
Many ailments of the skeleton advance with age. Some of these are:
It is easy for one to imagine the skeleton as a hard and unchanging thing. However this is actually far from true. In a healthy animal, the skeleton is quite dynamic. In fact, it is one of the most important organs of the body. Most identify the skeleton as providing structural support. It is not as well known, however, that the skeleton is also the powerhouse for our immune system and many other blood, endocrine and regulatory processes.
The complete structure of the skeleton is supposed to gradually and steadily turn over its bone cells continually. Old bone cells being resorbed, new bone cells taking their place. This continuing process of renewal allows the bone, and its microscopic structure, to change and morph constantly throughout life. Equal and opposite processes of bone growth and bone resorption continually cooperate to keep the skeleton fresh, supple, strong and in balance with our demands on it. Minor damage to the skeleton is normally healed rapidly and bone density and structure can adapt to changing environmental demands on a weekly and monthly basis. Unfortunately, these processes do not work very well if there is not enough magnesium and vitamin K2-MK4 present in the body.
Some of the earliest and most studied aspects of vitamin K2-MK4 in humans surround osteoporosis and bone metabolism. On the practical side, K2-MK4 and magnesium taken together have been shown clinically to significantly reduce fracture rates in post menopausal women. In the late 1990’s and early 2000’s a series of pioneering human clinical trials, mouse studies, and biochemical research clearly demonstrated the critical dependence of bone health on K2-MK4. More recent studies, in both species, have also demonstrated the mutual dependence and cooperative effect of both K2-MK4 and magnesium. In addition to the skeleton specifically, general calcium metabolism throughout the body is shown to improve as well via supplementation of these nutrients.
Surprisingly, bone density is not necessarily a good marker for gauging improvements in skeletal health. Neither should one expect bone density to be improved by MK4 and magnesium supplementation. This is because bone density is not what is primarily changed by these processes. What has been demonstrated, however, is that a long term deficiency of K2-MK4 and magnesium dramatically reduces bone flexibility and breaking strength. Furthermore, and more importantly for many, is that supplementation has also been shown to positively impact osteoporosis by helping to reverse the decline in bone health. Of primary importance to many readers, is that supplementation alone, on top of a natural baseline calcium intake from diet, can improve bone flexibility and reduce fracture rates for both post menopausal women and mice who already have diet induced osteoporosis.
The improvements to bone structure and strength demonstrated by these studies are conclusively linked to magnesium and K2-MK4 working together to improve bone turnover rates. This, in turn, eventually leads to more flexible bones that do not break as easily and heal more quickly. Bone structure is affected in specific ways when bone metabolism returns to health after a long deprivation.
The primary driver of improving bone health induced by supplementation and proper diet is the cellular micro-structure of the bone and its ratio of magnesium to calcium improving over time. The changing mineral ratio and improved microscopic structure of the bone matrix causes the entire skeleton to become lighter, stronger, more flexible, and able to turn over more rapidly. These changes allow the organ to stay in better condition as we age, and more able to repair wear over time.
Also important to note, is that a tight interplay has been demonstrated between the regulation of skeletal, cardiovascular, soft tissue and organ systems. These interdependent and newly discovered regulatory pathways surround the signalling, communication, and regulation for the cells of these tissues, as well as the specialized hormones and enzymes they produce. This is because all of these physiologies are driven by the cellular need to manufacture these biological resources over time, all of which are dependent on the fat soluble vitamins and primary minerals.
Insulin and blood sugar regulatory mechanisms are also linked to the others mentioned above. These processes share mutual enzymes, hormones and communication schemes that cause them to depend upon one another. While the fine details have not been fully unraveled yet, it has been unequivocally shown that these vital nutrients are necessary for the proper regulation and control of these processes.
In one of its primary roles, MK4 also allows cells to cooperate with each other more effectively to battle inflammation and other cellular damage throughout the body, including the skeleton. All of these processes cannot function effectively without adequate fat soluble vitamins and primary minerals. The ones discussed here are the most important for supplementation because they are the hardest to get in a modern diet. This is because these food sources are primarily based on grains, nuts, legumes, seed oils and process chemicals, which are full of anti-nutrients, cellular disrupters, endocrine disrupters, empty calories and preservatives.
One important end result for all of these processes beginning to operate more effectively again, is that the body is enabled to send larger fleets of specialized calcium binding enzymes, and their helpers, to scavenge soft tissues and cells for stray calcium. The stray calcium is then picked up and carried to the skeleton where it is handed off to other specialized bone cells. From here the calcium is combined with magnesium and other trace minerals to build the microscopic structure of the skeleton and its connective tissues. The bulk of these chemical processes cannot work effectively, however, unless all the fat soluble vitamins are present in adequate amounts.
In summary, as humans pass mid-life, their need for these vital nutrients increases significantly. If adequate stores are not available and maintained over time, then all the repair and restorative processes of the body are compromised. The newest research in nutritional physiology indicates that many forms of osteoporosis, diabetes and cardiovascular disease are just different facets of the same fundamental metabolic dysfunction. It is recognized by many that a large driver for all these linked degenerative disorders is frequently a simple lack of the fat soluble activators, vitamins K2-MK4, A and D, along with the primary mineral magnesium.
Genesis BioHealth’s product line is targeted to help you recover from the ravages of long term fat soluble nutrient deprivation, which is now recognized to be common and present in more than 80% of the western population. We hope you choose to allow us to help you reach your health goals.
