One woman out of 3 would be concerned by a less good solidity of her skeleton after 50 years because of the menopause and a fall of the estrogen rate. From the age of 35 onwards, the skeleton does not bind calcium as well and its protein structure becomes poorer. The first clinical signs are often visible in the gums… (Read more)
If a gum inflammation has already persisted for years, the loss of the bone around the teeth accelerates and can suddenly jeopardize the future of the teeth.
Osteoporosis and menopause
Menopause is a key period for the gums and the bone around the teeth, because of this natural tendency to demineralization. Osteoporosis is characterized by an imbalance between the work of osteoblasts and osteoclasts. That is, the osteoblasts that build bone work less than the osteoclasts that destroy bone because the latter are slowed down in their action by estrogens. Since menopause is linked to the cessation of estrogen secretion, it is easy to understand that osteoclasts are no longer slowed down in their bone destruction. If the periodontium (bones and gums) has already been diseased for years, in a chronic way, the arrival of the menopause will accelerate the process of bone destruction in an irreversible way, all the more so, if the hygiene of life favors mineral deficiencies.
What aggravates osteoporosis and gum retraction
At menopause, the main factors that aggravate osteoporosis and have a direct impact on the gums are
– a sedentary lifestyle,
– alcohol,
– smoking,
– lack of sunlight
– deficiencies in anti-oxidants.
Milk : a bad thing for the gums too
Paradoxically, a diet too rich in cow’s milk is contraindicated in case of periodontal disease in a person who has osteoporosis. Without going back over the controversy of the toxicity of cow milk and focusing only on the gums, we know that dairy products are clearly involved in chronic inflammatory processes of the arthritic, articular or tissue type. Periodontitis is an inflammatory disease at the beginning, which becomes infectious without treatment.
Furthermore, cow’s milk contains minerals that are not assimilated in the human body. Too much consumption of dairy products causes hypercalcemia in the blood, which is eliminated directly in the urine and does not affect the bones. This hypercalcemia causes a disturbance in the metabolism of iron which limits its integration into the hemoglobin necessary for bone regeneration. This excess of calcium also hinders the metabolism of zinc which is essential to our immunity, and the immune solicitation is very important in case of periodontal disease. Researchers, such as Dr. Oudineau, have shown that milk is a source of fermentation and intestinal putrefaction. Dairy products irritate the intestinal wall and promote porosity of the mucosa and chronic self-poisoning. This intestinal condition is closely related to periodontal disease.
Sources of assimilable calcium
During this key period, it is therefore necessary to choose a diet rich in calcium but in assimilable calcium. Menopausal women over 50 years old need 1200mg of calcium per day. The foods that contain the most calcium are seaweed (4000mg), which may explain why Japanese women are never subject to osteoporosis. Another food very rich in assimilable calcium is oyster meat powder (POP) which contains 1750mg of calcium.
Other foods to consider are: almonds, coconut milk, kidney beans, chickpeas, oranges, sesame seeds, chia seeds, herbs, nettles and alfalfa, green leafy vegetables, white beans, shellfish, dried fruits and tofu.
Dairy products can also be eaten, but mare’s milk, sheep’s milk or goat’s milk prepared in koumis or fermented.
Osteoporosis and proteins
It is also necessary to ensure a daily protein intake, fish, seafood, eggs, vegetable proteins, because the framework of the bone is of protein nature. Vegetarians can easily find themselves in protein deficiency, tissue deficiency in zinc, as soon as there is a drop in vigilance on the food associations that ensure the contribution of all the amino acids necessary for the formation of proteins.
Gingival osteoporosis and nutrition
A hypo-toxic diet without gluten or dairy products is necessary, taking care not to eat acidifying foods. Also, think about a contribution of silica in all its forms. Many laboratories make food supplements based on silica. Also monitor your vitamin D levels, as vitamin D promotes the absorption of calcium by the digestive tract. Don’t forget trace elements such as boron and fluoride (note: we are not talking about fluoride in weight), as well as phosphorus and vitamin K2. Natos (Japanese condiment) made from fermented soybean extract is an exceptional source of vitamin K2.
Our grandmothers also prevented osteoporosis by making the famous egg/lemon cure, by soaking an egg in lemon juice. The citric acid of the lemon with the calcium of the shell gives a calcium citrate which is much more assimilable, and which will also contribute to deacidify the internal environment. You can also add capsules of lithotam which is a micro alga that produces a fine shell rich in calcium. Cistus pollen, by limiting oxidative stress, harmonizing the intestinal flora and restoring the acid-base balance, limits bone resorption.
And finally, if women with osteoporosis are generally advised to do sports to make their bones denser, it is extremely important to chew food correctly, for a long time and bilaterally, in order to strengthen the bone of the gums. Good chewing increases the density of the bone around the dental roots.
There is no need to wait until menopause to put all these good tips in place, choose prevention.