Save Our Bones Bulletin: Milk Consumption Declines; Study Reveals High Fracture Hospitalization Rates; Research Confirms Big Impact Of Short Exercise Sessions

Vivian Goldschmidt, MA Exercise News Nutrition

Evidence-Based
6 min Read
save our bones bulletin

In this month’s Bulletin, you’ll learn about the changing state of the dairy industry, a major bankruptcy filing, and their impact on your bone health.

Then we'll look at a study on hospitalization rates and osteoporosis that examines several intersecting statistics about fractures, bone health, and hospital visits.

We'll end on a high note. A new study has determined that you can improve your bone health with as little as one minute of exercise per day. We'll look at the data and consider the implications.

Decline In Milk Consumption Bankrupts Biggest Dairy Producer

The largest milk producer in the United States, Dean Foods, has filed for bankruptcy, citing declining demand for their products.

As more people learn about the negative health effects of milk, and as alternatives become more readily available, it seems Americans are cutting back dramatically.

Relevant Excerpt:

“Since 1975, the amount of liquid milk consumed per capita in the U.S. has tumbled more than 40%. Americans drank around 24 gallons a year in 1996, according to government data. That dropped to 17 gallons in 2018.

An increasing variety of beverages, including teas and sodas, has hurt milk consumption. So have protein bars, yogurts, and other on-the-go breakfasts, which take the place of a morning bowl of cereal.

More recently, health and animal-welfare concerns have also contributed, as more shoppers seek out non-dairy alternatives.

Oat milk, for example, saw U.S. sales rise 636% to more than $52 million over the past year, according to Nielsen data. Sales of cow’s milk dropped 2.4% in that same time frame”1

Americans will be healthier as a result of consuming less dairy. Studies have linked milk consumption with a number of health problems2— and despite what the dairy industry advertises, milk isn't good for your bones.3

Nowadays it's easy to substitute a milk alternative in your beverages and anywhere else you would use dairy milk.

If you haven't made the switch yet, now's the perfect time to follow this health-improving trend.

Synopsis

Milk sales have rapidly declined over the past decades, leading Dean Foods to file for bankruptcy, and milk alternatives have flourished as Americans change their habits over health and animal welfare concerns.

Osteoporosis-Related Fractures Are Leading Cause Of Hospitalization

A new study of Medicare beneficiaries has shown that more hospitalizations occur because of osteoporotic fractures than because of breast cancer, heart attacks, and strokes combined.

This study also found that only 70% of Medicare beneficiaries who experienced a hip fracture survived the following year. This is a sobering reminder that in some cases, poor bone health can be deadly.

Relevant Excerpt:

“A new report released by the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF; Arlington, VA, USA) analyses the economic and clinical impact of bone fractures suffered by American citizens registered in the Medicare program. An independent estimate based on the analysis found that despite proven preventive measures, around two million Americans on Medicare suffered over 2.3 million osteoporosis-related bone fractures during 2015.

The report also focused on “new” osteoporotic fractures, by excluding beneficiaries who had another osteoporotic fracture in the prior 6- to 12- months. The results revealed that about 15% of those who experienced a new osteoporotic fracture had one or more subsequent fractures within 12 months of the initial fracture.”4

These statistics underline the significance of pursuing a bone-healthy lifestyle as a measure to prevent fracture. The next study in today's bulletin provides exciting evidence that this goal is firmly within reach.

Synopsis

A study of Medicare beneficiaries found that osteoporotic fractures accounted for more hospitalizations than breast cancer, heart attacks, and strokes combined– making clear that bone health should be a major health priority.

Study Finds That Even 1 Minute Of Exercise Improves Bone Health

A study conducted in the UK compared the activity levels of 2,500 women with an analysis of their bone health to determine the efficacy of exercise for maintaining strong, healthy bones.

Researchers at the University of Exeter equipped participants with wrist-worn monitors and evaluated their bone health using ultrasound scans.

Relevant Excerpt:

“The researchers found that those who completed 60 to 120 seconds a day of high-intensity, weight-bearing activity — i.e., a medium-paced run for pre-menopausal females, or a slow jog for post-menopausal women — reaped the rewards of at least 4% better bone health than those who didn’t do such exercise.

“We don’t yet know whether it’s better to accumulate this small amount of exercise in bits throughout each day or all at once, and also whether a slightly longer bout of exercise on one or two days per week is just as good as 1-2 minutes a day,” says lead author Dr. Victoria Stiles in a press release.

There is, however, “a clear link between this kind of high-intensity, weight-bearing exercise and better bone health in women,” Stiles elaborates.”5

This means that your efforts are effective, even on the days when you don't have much time to spend on exercise.

And the study also found that the more time women spent exercising, the more their bone health improved. For example, women whose daily exercise routines were longer than two minutes saw at least a 6% improvement in bone health.

Synopsis

A British study concluded that as little as one minute of exercise per day results in an improvement in bone health, and that bone health increases further with increased exercise time.

Harness The Power Of Physical Activity

As the studies above show, it's critical that you get the exercise your body needs to maintain healthy bones and avoid fractures. The Save Institute has developed a new revolutionary platform to make it easier than ever to achieve your fitness goals while targeting bone health — SaveTrainer.

SaveTrainer provides on-demand video-guided anti-aging workouts with certified trainers, a progress tracker, personalized workout plans, and a variety of options so you can pick the type of workout that works best for you.

Watch this video to learn more:

Learn More and Get Access »

If you haven’t yet tried SaveTrainer, now is the perfect time to take your health into the 21st century with a digital platform to help you maximize your bone quality and fitness with ease and efficiency.

References

1 https://apnews.com/5eb1173f5e2b4994927bc921f5b49f0e

2 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1291895

3 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18065599?dopt=Citation

4 https://www.hospimedica.com/surgical-techniques/articles/294779491/osteoporosis-related-fractures-lead-reasons-for-hospitalization.html

5 https://www.studyfinds.org/minute-exercise-bone-health-women/