Here is yet another example of how the conventional model of one organ/one measurement/one drug treatment completely misses the interconnectedness of the body system – what I call the metabolic matrix. Bones are made of more than calcium. The calcium in bones is laid in a matrix, a lattice-work of proteins, lipids, and other minerals. Now comes research suggesting that bone strength is not the same as bone mineral density, though they are related. To put it another way, not everyone with low bone density is susceptible to fractures and vice versa. The integrity of the bony matrix is just as important. This is why we always try to give calcium in a matrix form called micronized crystalline hydroxyl cal apatite or MCHC. And it’s why we look at hormones, inflammation, heavy metals and other toxins, and a wide array of non-calcium nutrients when faced with possible osteopenia or osteoporosis.

Bones can actually be thought of as an endocrine (hormone) organ, constantly in communication with other endocrine organs. Estrogen, testosterone, growth hormone, T3 thyroid, and the brain hormone seratonin are all factors influencing bone health. There’s a lot of overlap between the development of osteoporosis and that of auto-immune disease, chronic infections, cardiovascular illness, diabetes, and even gum disease.

So by all means have bone densities monitored and take a good source of calcium – but also pay attention to the lifestyle interventions that will restore balance among all of your organ systems.

This particular researcher gave pregnant Agouti mice a diet high in folic acid and Vitamin B12 — two nutrients critical to healthy genetic activity. The children these mice gave birth to were thinner than their parents, and had lower incidents of cancer and diabetes. Perhaps most astonishingly, they lived longer!

The essence of integrative medicine lies in the belief that one’s health improves by improving certain influential factors – nutrition, energy systems. toxicity, activity level. But this study seems to paint an even more compelling picture – that improving our own health might have positive effects on our children genetically. This is truly astounding.

I was taught in medical school that genes were like old books of conduct – static and immutable. It looks as if the actual truth is closer to the old Iroquois law, that our actions (in this case, those affecting our health) will affect the seventh generation after us.

Wow.

The New Yorker did a disturbing piece on this subject recently that focused on college-aged students’ off-label use of medications like Adderall and Ritalin to become hyper-focused and hyper-productive. What these students don’t realize, according to multiple studies cited by the article, are the unpleasant side-effects these medications carry, and their real potential to create dependency.

Clearly there’s more education to be done. I have talked to my own kids about this before, but I’ll be bringing it back up again for sure.

No supplement or fortified food is going to take the place of sunlight. There’s a range of opinion about SPF levels and sufficient protection, and of course so much depends on the fairness of your child’s complection. Your goal should be to achieve a level of adequate protection that allows for safe sun exposure ( The Vitamin D Cure covers this topic pretty well).  And here’s a no-brainer for kids old enough: if they are headed somewhere that’s safe to walk or bike to, don’t climb back in the car. Let them walk or bike in the sunshine, and get a little exercise while they’re at it.

When sunshine is scarce, it’s tough to rely on Vitamin D-rich foods – even fortified ones – to give your child enough Vitamin D. An entire quart of milk only contains 400 units, for example, and the recommended dose for a child is 1000-2000 units per day. (And plenty of kids are lactose-intolerant, which complicates things further.)  And other than fortified breakfast cereals and eggs, most of the Vitamin-D rich foods aren’t necessarily kid-friendly: cod, sardines, shrimp, salmon (even my adult staff are wrinkling their noses).

Luckily, supplements are so much easier and kid-friendly than they used to be; droppers of tasteless liquid Vitamin D can be mixed into food, and 1000 unit caplets are an easy solution for kids old enough to swallow pills. There are even topical creams on the market that are safe for children to use.