I thought this might be of interest, from Miriam Nelson, author of Strong Bones, Strong Bones. Also, interesting info on flax
STRENGTH TRAINING AND FRACTURES
To date there have been no strength training studies that
have looked at fractures as an outcome. Finally, scientists
from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota have
published a study showing a reduction in fractures with
strength training. What is interesting about the study is
that the benefits showed up many years after the main
study stopped.
Let me give you more detail. Over a decade ago, the
scientists took a group of 50 women (aged 58-75) and
randomized them into two different groups. One group
performed muscle strengthening exercises of the back
muscles for two years and the other group served as
controls. At the end of two years the women who had
been strength training had stronger back muscles but
there was no difference between groups in bone density.
Then a full eight years later, the scientists brought the
women back into the laboratory to test them to see if any
differences still remained. What they saw was dramatic.
The women who had originally been strength training
still had stronger back muscles and their bone density
was better than the controls. Most importantly, the
women in the control group had had experienced almost
three times as many vertebral fractures (fractures of the
bones in the spine) than the women who were originally
in the strength training group. The controls had had 14
crush fractures; whereas the strength trainers had had only
6 crush fractures. This was a highly significant difference
between groups. It is unknown whether the women in
the strength training group continued training over the
eight year follow-up period, but they certainly were more
active overall than the control women.
I am thrilled that we are seeing reductions in fractures
with such a simple strength training protocol. I am
confident that more and more research is going to be
published over the next few years on the importance of
exercise, and strength training in particular, on
reducing fractures in older women.
More power to you,
Miriam E. Nelson, PhD
(Reference: M. Sinaki, et al., Stronger back muscles
reduce the incidence of vertebral fractures: a prospective
10 year follow-up of postmenopausal women.
Bone 30:836-841, 2002)
As we outlined in our newest book on arthritis, flaxseeds
and flaxseed oil are a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids,
which have potent anti-inflammatory effects in the body. The
limited research to date shows us that flaxseeds contain
phytoestrogens, which have been shown to reduce risk of breast
and uterine cancer. The confusion lies in the concern that since
phytoestrogens have some estrogenic effect, could they in
fact be harmful? Right now the preponderance of the evidence
suggests that they are still protective because they dilute the
stronger estrogens that are in the body. We will need more
research to investigate all the effects of phytoestrogens - but
until then, we see no harm in taking flaxseed or flaxseed oil.
The phytoestrogens in flaxseed oil come from lignans in the
seeds, most of these are removed in the processing of the oil.
However you can buy high lignan flax seed oil which
contains a significant amount of lignans. (If you really want
to be safe, make sure your flaxseed oil does not say high
lignan.) In terms of the heart, the research would suggest
that adding flaxseed to the diet might actually help to improve
cholesterol profile and reduce risk of heart attack. We could
find no reference in the literature regarding flaxseeds being
harmful to the heart. But because flaxseed oil is highly
unsaturated, it is possible that it may lengthen blood-clotting
time. Therefore, if you have any problems with blood
clotting, we caution you not to eat any extra flaxseed oil
before talking with your doctor.
STRENGTH TRAINING AND FRACTURES
To date there have been no strength training studies that
have looked at fractures as an outcome. Finally, scientists
from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota have
published a study showing a reduction in fractures with
strength training. What is interesting about the study is
that the benefits showed up many years after the main
study stopped.
Let me give you more detail. Over a decade ago, the
scientists took a group of 50 women (aged 58-75) and
randomized them into two different groups. One group
performed muscle strengthening exercises of the back
muscles for two years and the other group served as
controls. At the end of two years the women who had
been strength training had stronger back muscles but
there was no difference between groups in bone density.
Then a full eight years later, the scientists brought the
women back into the laboratory to test them to see if any
differences still remained. What they saw was dramatic.
The women who had originally been strength training
still had stronger back muscles and their bone density
was better than the controls. Most importantly, the
women in the control group had had experienced almost
three times as many vertebral fractures (fractures of the
bones in the spine) than the women who were originally
in the strength training group. The controls had had 14
crush fractures; whereas the strength trainers had had only
6 crush fractures. This was a highly significant difference
between groups. It is unknown whether the women in
the strength training group continued training over the
eight year follow-up period, but they certainly were more
active overall than the control women.
I am thrilled that we are seeing reductions in fractures
with such a simple strength training protocol. I am
confident that more and more research is going to be
published over the next few years on the importance of
exercise, and strength training in particular, on
reducing fractures in older women.
More power to you,
Miriam E. Nelson, PhD
(Reference: M. Sinaki, et al., Stronger back muscles
reduce the incidence of vertebral fractures: a prospective
10 year follow-up of postmenopausal women.
Bone 30:836-841, 2002)
As we outlined in our newest book on arthritis, flaxseeds
and flaxseed oil are a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids,
which have potent anti-inflammatory effects in the body. The
limited research to date shows us that flaxseeds contain
phytoestrogens, which have been shown to reduce risk of breast
and uterine cancer. The confusion lies in the concern that since
phytoestrogens have some estrogenic effect, could they in
fact be harmful? Right now the preponderance of the evidence
suggests that they are still protective because they dilute the
stronger estrogens that are in the body. We will need more
research to investigate all the effects of phytoestrogens - but
until then, we see no harm in taking flaxseed or flaxseed oil.
The phytoestrogens in flaxseed oil come from lignans in the
seeds, most of these are removed in the processing of the oil.
However you can buy high lignan flax seed oil which
contains a significant amount of lignans. (If you really want
to be safe, make sure your flaxseed oil does not say high
lignan.) In terms of the heart, the research would suggest
that adding flaxseed to the diet might actually help to improve
cholesterol profile and reduce risk of heart attack. We could
find no reference in the literature regarding flaxseeds being
harmful to the heart. But because flaxseed oil is highly
unsaturated, it is possible that it may lengthen blood-clotting
time. Therefore, if you have any problems with blood
clotting, we caution you not to eat any extra flaxseed oil
before talking with your doctor.