May is National Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month -- no better time to replay this deep dive into bone health with Dr. Margaret Nachtigall than right now! 

In case you haven’t been appreciative of your bone health lately, or perhaps you are beginning to suspect problems, let me sound the alarm and remind you how important bone health is at any age, especially around menopause for women. 

In this episode, Dr. Margaret Nachtigall answers your questions and gives us a run down on bone health, why it matters, and how to prevent future problems. 

Dr. Margaret is a board-certified Reproductive Endocrinologist at New York University Medical Center. She is also the Medical Director of Menopause Cheat Sheet, a free newsletter just for you that we publish together to help women navigate life before, during and after menopausal changes. 

New Vitamin D Study  

It feels irresponsible to have an entire episode dedicated to bone health without bringing up what I like to call, the little vitamin that could. You’re likely familiar with Vitamin D and all its benefits, but in this episode, we’re discussing a new study that claims it doesn’t do much to prevent fractures. 

While discussing the study that was brought to our attention by a GruffTalk listener, Dr. Margaret shares all the things this study doesn’t really address. Her review is a great example of how you too can review these medical studies and not assign more importance than appropriate. In the end, and after careful consideration, Dr. Margaret weighs in favor to continue her Vitamin D regimen for herself and her patients. 

Strong Bone Health Heading into Menopause 

If you weren’t aware of how important estrogen was to bone health before, you’ll be clear on how vital it is for bone growth and strength after this episode. Dr. Margaret explains how estrogen actually helps to lay down new bone. 

Women are most susceptible to increased bone loss within the first five years after menopause. Following the standard health advise serves best in preventing low estrogen, which ultimately translates to decreased bone loss, ample exercise, healthy dietary choices, minimize alcohol and no smoking. 

Dr. Margaret reveals who is more at risk for bone loss or osteoporosis. For every group of people at risk (vegans, menopausal women, and women that have amenorrhea due to low body weight), resistance training is a great solution and taking vitamin D is still highly recommended. 

Dr. Margaret’s Better Bone Health Take Away Reminders: 

• You will lose lots of bone during menopause 

• Get a bone density test sooner than later if you are high risk for osteoporosis 

• There are lots of low bone density treatments, but thinking preventative is the key  

In this episode, we also discuss an official statement from the North American Menopause Society (NAMS) revealing how much the benefits outweigh any risk for certain groups of women around hormonal therapy for menopause. 

“Estrogen has been shown to be an amazing agent at helping us maintain our bone.”  -Dr. Margaret Nachtigall 

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