In an earlier post, I mentioned trying to cut down or eliminate white sugar from my diet to reduce inflammation. Learning that other types of sugar also can cause inflammation, I wanted to know whether blackstrap molasses is in that same category. 

Most of the articles I read stated that the minerals and other benefits of blackstrap molasses balance the sugar contained in it. Here's an article naming 15 health benefits of blackstrap molasses.  Still, it's best to limit the amount of blackstrap molasses in your diet, and given its strong taste and dark color, there aren't that many foods you'd want to sweeten with it.

Reading more about sugar, inflammation and osteoporosis, it seems that there is a connection.  In the article, The Relationship between Sugar and Inflammation, the author points out that eating too much sugar can interfere with the body's use of enzymes and minerals, which could affect bone formation/regeneration. Another article mentions sugar as one of the foods that are "bad for your bones."

I'm learning that blueberries with a little milk can be just as satisfying as a chocolate chip cookie.  Fruit has its own sugar, but combined with the fiber and nutrients of the fruit, in moderation, it won't fuel the fires of inflammation. Fruit juice is another story; it's best to eat the whole fruit instead. 

I'm excited to read another success story with the BStrong4Life system. Here's the link to the blog post:  Increased Bone Density by 5.1% in One Year using BStrong4Life!
This is the program I'm participating in, and it's been six months already. 

Here's an interesting blog post from Ultimate ChiroCare about the types of sports and activities that are most helpful for strengthening bones during our peak bone-building years:  late teens and early 20s.
"Building Bone Tissue in Children: Preventing Osteoporosis."
In short, make sure your kids engage in some weight bearing exercise, such as running, basketball, tennis or soccer. Swimming and bicycling need to be balanced with weight bearing activities.

As I mentioned in the previous post, I visited a doctor who practices integrative medicine, including applied kinesiology/nutrition response testing. He  recommended that I eliminate white sugar from my diet.

 For the most part, I can live without sugary treats, but I definitely miss dark chocolate (which has white sugar in it).  Dark chocolate has some health benefits and is, of course, delicious.  

So I tried a new kind of hot chocolate that I  made with Hershey's cocoa powder (100% cocoa), milk, and blackstrap molasses (shown in photo).  I have to admit, the molasses is strong and kind of overwhelms the chocolate.  But I still liked it.  Blackstrap molasses has 115 mg. of calcium in one tablespoon! It also has magnesium and other nutrients.  So my 8 oz. of hot chocolate had about 200 calories,  415 mg of calcium, 3 g. of fat and 8 g. of protein.  Here's the recipe:  
Place 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder in a mug. Add a few tablespoons of hot water and stir to make a syrup. Add 1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses. Then add 8 oz. of hot milk and stir.  

When I first started trying to build my bone density (almost 20 years ago), the recommended amount of Vitamin D was 400 iu/day.  Ten years later, a chiropractor specializing in nutrition tested my Vitamin D levels and advised a daily dose of 5,000 iu of Vitamin D.  Since then, I've read and heard more doctors recommend between 2,000 and 5,000 ius per day, depending on the level as tested in the blood. Vitamin D deficiency is common in the U.S.

Does Vitamin D alone build bones?  No, but it is essential for calcium absorption. Common forms of Vitamin D are D2, added to milk, D3 supplements, and the D that our bodies manufacture with sunshine on bare skin.  Dr. Mercola, author of a popular health blog, recommends 15-20 minutes of sunshine as a superior means of obtaining Vitamin D or taking D3 supplements.  His article covers the role of other supplements, diet, and lifestyle on osteoporosis. 

Here's an informative article about the role of Vitamin D and Vitamin K  in building bone density through calcium absorption.

I visited a new doctor a couple of weeks ago, who practices integrative medicine in the south Chicago suburbs.  When I mentioned that I am looking for ways to increase bone density he suggested that I do a Google search on PEMF, or Pulsed Electro-Magnetic Fields. Now this is something new to me!  However, according to articles I read on Google Scholar, it is not a brand new treatment.  In fact, a review article about its effects on osteoporosis included over 100 studies/articles about it.  PEMF has been used for years to treat bone pain in osteoporosis patients, but researchers have found that it also enhances bone formation in younger people with "secondary osteoporosis" but there were mixed results with older patients.  Another article showed a positive effect of PEMF on bone density of rats. I've only read these few articles, so will continue looking for more conclusive studies.