Bone Density Decline Before 50? Collagen for Bone Health

Do you have osteopenia or osteoporosis? 

If you think that osteopenia and osteoporosis are exclusively the concern of post-menopausal women, this reveiw from 2019 might surprise you.

The researchers looked at a healthy group of both men and women between 35-50 years of age. They found that 28% of the men, and 26% of the women already had osteopenia at the femoral neck (the vulnerable hip fracture site). Osteoporosis was found in the lumbar spine of 6% of the men and 2% of the women. Remember, this was a healthy group of people, not an at-risk group. The participants were excluded if they were postmenopausal or if they took medications that we know reduce BMD (antidepressants, glucocorticoids, proton pump inhibitors).

The participants, 173 people, all had DEXA scans to evaluate their bone mineral density (BMD). One interesting finding in this study was that the participants were actually more active exercisers than the national average. One could argue that this group may have actually had better BMD than a sample that reflected an average exercise level.

Takeaway - Bone loss is more prevalent than you think, in both men and women, and earlier.  Take steps now to prevent any more bone loss. If you have risk factors, or take one of the medications listed above, you may want to push for that DEXA scan before age 65, the current recommended age.

Do you use a collagen supplement?

Maybe you should.

A group of scientists out of Germany conducted a randomized controlled study including 131 post-menopausal women with low bone mineral density (BMD) at either their femoral neck or spine. Half of the women dissolved 5g of collagen peptides in water before breakfast for 12 months, and the control group got a placebo to dissolve in water before breakfast. 

At 12 months, repeat DEXA scans found that the collagen supplement group had increased their BMD by almost 3.0% in the spine and 6.7% in the femoral neck. For the control group, BMD decreased by −1.3% for the spine and −1.0% in the femoral neck. 

Takeaway - Collagen supplements may be worth considering if you have low bone mineral density. 

Want to know more about collagen supplements? You can purchase the recorded masterclass here for just $7.
>>>Masterclass: Collagen, What's All the Hype? <<<

I presented this 36-minute masterclass to my Strong Women Strong Bones Members in October 2022 and the response was overwhelmingly positive. Save yourself both time and money by getting all the facts before buying your collagen supplement.

In health,

Andrea Trombley PT, DPT

References:
Bass MA, Sharma A, Nahar VK, Chelf S, Zeller B, Pham L, Allison Ford M. Bone Mineral Density Among Men and Women Aged 35 to 50 Years. J Am Osteopath Assoc. 2019 Jun 1;119(6):357-363. doi: 10.7556/jaoa.2019.064. PMID: 31135863.

König, D., Oesser, S., Scharla, S., Zdzieblik, D., & Gollhofer, A. (2018). Specific Collagen Peptides Improve Bone Mineral Density and Bone Markers in Postmenopausal Women -A Randomized Controlled Study. Nutrients, 10(1), 97. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10010097