Now, osteoporosis and fracture prevention tips abound for La Grande women (pre- and post-menopausal), men and kids. Get your kids to do the rights things to build bone mass while they’re young. (Don’t we wish we’d heeded that advice when we were young?) Eat well. Exercise. Prevent falls. Don’t smoke. Take calcium, vitamin D, phosphorous, and magnesium. Eat omega 3 acid rich food and milk/dairy products like yogurt. Limit alcohol consumption. Improve testosterone levels with testosterone replacement in men. Watch vitamin B levels. Eat enough but not too much protein. (1, 2, 3) Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC notes that these last two suggestions have been appearing more and more in the research literature and finds them of value to share with our La Grande chiropractic families.

So, once men reach a certain age and women get past menopause, osteoporosis demands a bit more attention to these osteoporosis-prevention ideas, particularly when it comes to protein intake.  That’s where a vitamin B deficiency – and its relation to protein metabolism - comes into play.

First, how do you and Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC know if you have a vitamin B deficiency? We can check the methylmalonic acid (MMA) level. What’s that and why? Well, MMA reacts with vitamin B12 to produce coenzyme A (CoA) which is important for normal cell function. When vitamin B12 is lacking, MMA levels rise. If there is a slight rise, the B12 deficiency is just starting. If it’s a larger rise… You get the picture.  (4) Pretty interesting!

Next, let’s connect elevated MMA and total homocysteine (tHcy). They are related to an increased risk of lumbar spine osteoporosis. (3) Homocysteine levels rise when the body doesn’t have enough vitamin B12 and folate to metabolize protein. Elevated homocysteine leads to some unpleasant health conditions itself like deep vein thrombosis, coronary artery disease and stroke, too. (3) It may behoove La Grande chiropractic and other folks to be sure their tHcy is checked. So, bottomline, protein metabolism relies in part on the presence of adequate vitamin B which relates to the MMA level and thus the ability to metabolize protein properly.

So how can Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC be of help to our La Grande osteoporosis patients? Order a MMA blood test. Order a tHcy test. Re-order them in the future, and monitor their results. Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC  is also a willing partner to discuss nutrition and lifestyle habits that will boost your bone health and prevent osteoporosis-related issues. Contact Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC today to make your La Grande chiropractic appointment.