Vitamins That Heal Broken Bones

Charlotte Gerson, woman of 90 and daughter of the founder of dietary approach for treating cancer — Dr. Max Gerson — fell down and broke her pelvis. She thought it would be a death sentence, bearing in mind that most old people die soon after they break their hips. But she decided not to give up. She drank eight to ten freshly squeezed carrot juices blended with apple daily. Do we need to say — it worked.

Vitamin C And Proteins

According to physicians, the first stage in mending a broken bone is to get some extra energy. We get the energy by taking appropriate amounts of food (meeting our daily caloric needs). Since our bodies are now doing more hard work, we need more energy too. The amount of food varies between the usual amount of calories and three times more than usual for severe fractures like femur or pelvic fracture. Body needs extra protein to start rebuilding the bone, so make sure you eat plenty. Food rich in proteins is very good in rebuilding the tissue. Protein rich foods include dairy products, meat and tofu — and yogurt, cottage cheese and peanut butter as vegetarian options.

Vitamin B6

Vitamin B6 deficiency can result in slower healing and more frequent fractures. It also regulates vitamin K effects on bones. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine in 2004 published a research where random people were given a placebo or a supplement that consisted of vitamins B6 and C, proline, and lisine. Fractures in the group taking the vitamin supplement healed in 14 weeks, three weeks sooner than the placebo group healed. The study involved 131 patients suffering from tibial shaft (shin-bone) fracture.

Vitamin D And Calcium

Vitamin D is important for many bodily functions, but it's absolutely necessary to maintain a good bone health. It helps the digestive organs to absorb calcium, a mineral needed to form a new bone. It can directly stimulate cells responsible for making the bone. Some good sources of vitamin D are fortified dairy products, eggs, fish, and liver.

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Foods high in calcium are dark and leafy greens, fortified juices and dairy. Calcium is absorbed with the help of D vitamin. Medical Center of the Ohio State University and many other scientists and researchers suggest getting vitamin D through sunshine. Twenty minutes of direct sunshine per day is enough for our bodies to absorb enough ultraviolet rays and transform them to vitamin D, but they recommend more exposure in case of broken bones. Sardines and salmon are also high in D vitamin. Most people don't get enough sunshine and don't eat enough fish. Supplementing your diet with vitamin D and calcium is essential for faster healing.

Vitamin K

Vitamin K has a big effect on collagen and bone tissues. It's crucial in biochemical processes binding calcium to the bone. It is also essential for proper formation of bone protein called osteocalcin. It reduces the loss of calcium in urine.