Dr. Vonda Wright

And it makes so much sense because we have bone everywhere in our bodies. Why wouldn't our bodies use it like that?

And it makes so much sense because we have bone everywhere in our bodies. Why wouldn't our bodies use it like that?

Well, and it is a frame, right? What's muscle without bone? Just a heap of metabolic tissue, right? It makes us, gives us our statue, but it's a master communicator. The framework is almost a secondary job, in my opinion.

Well, and it is a frame, right? What's muscle without bone? Just a heap of metabolic tissue, right? It makes us, gives us our statue, but it's a master communicator. The framework is almost a secondary job, in my opinion.

So we've talked about the bone being structural, right? It holds you up. It gives you your stature. We've talked about bone being a master communicator. Another job of the bone is as your body's storehouse. Two really, really important, maybe if we just talk about one of them, calcium. Calcium is a critical mineral in our body.

So we've talked about the bone being structural, right? It holds you up. It gives you your stature. We've talked about bone being a master communicator. Another job of the bone is as your body's storehouse. Two really, really important, maybe if we just talk about one of them, calcium. Calcium is a critical mineral in our body.

We need it for muscle contraction, for pushing molecules across cell membranes. but we've got to store it somewhere. So when we eat food, our intestines pull it out of the food we eat and stores it in our bones. And so our body is always sensing how much calcium, how much phosphorus do we have? What do we need? When our body senses that we need more, It goes to the bone.

We need it for muscle contraction, for pushing molecules across cell membranes. but we've got to store it somewhere. So when we eat food, our intestines pull it out of the food we eat and stores it in our bones. And so our body is always sensing how much calcium, how much phosphorus do we have? What do we need? When our body senses that we need more, It goes to the bone.

It tickles the osteoclast and say, osteoclast, we need some more calcium. The osteoclast breaks down some bone, releases calcium, and it goes into the body for use. And then the body has enough to use. The body does not just keep piling it in because hypercalcemia causes heart arrhythmias. It's bad, right? The body is perfectly in homeostasis, in balance. So when the bone has released enough,

It tickles the osteoclast and say, osteoclast, we need some more calcium. The osteoclast breaks down some bone, releases calcium, and it goes into the body for use. And then the body has enough to use. The body does not just keep piling it in because hypercalcemia causes heart arrhythmias. It's bad, right? The body is perfectly in homeostasis, in balance. So when the bone has released enough,

It sits back and keeps storing it, right? The calcium your body doesn't need, if the bone is full, it's excreted through the kidneys. And this is a really fine balance between building bone, releasing the storehouse of minerals into the bloodstream, or saying, oh, we've got enough. Let's send it out in our urine. The body is such a miracle like that.

It sits back and keeps storing it, right? The calcium your body doesn't need, if the bone is full, it's excreted through the kidneys. And this is a really fine balance between building bone, releasing the storehouse of minerals into the bloodstream, or saying, oh, we've got enough. Let's send it out in our urine. The body is such a miracle like that.

So, you know, there are lots of things that go into bone fragility or osteopenia, and one of them is not laying down enough bone in our youth. You asked me earlier about changes across a lifespan. When it comes to bone... What's interesting is that I get very, very young women in my clinic, 25, 28, whom for various reasons I do a bone density test on, and they already have brittle bone.

So, you know, there are lots of things that go into bone fragility or osteopenia, and one of them is not laying down enough bone in our youth. You asked me earlier about changes across a lifespan. When it comes to bone... What's interesting is that I get very, very young women in my clinic, 25, 28, whom for various reasons I do a bone density test on, and they already have brittle bone.

I know, it's shocking. Well, I think that happens for a number of reasons. Number one, we didn't build enough bone. There is still a myth in this country that women have to be teeny tiny, that we have to starve ourselves. And when that happens, many women do not have consistent menstrual cycles and estrogen, which then helps us lay down bone. So that's number one.

I know, it's shocking. Well, I think that happens for a number of reasons. Number one, we didn't build enough bone. There is still a myth in this country that women have to be teeny tiny, that we have to starve ourselves. And when that happens, many women do not have consistent menstrual cycles and estrogen, which then helps us lay down bone. So that's number one.

Yes, it does. Critical role. So we're not laying down enough. Or maybe... We're athletes. Title IX, which is the law that equalized sport for women in college, is 53 years old. So maybe young women are not laying down enough bone because they're expending so much energy, 10,000 calories a day, and then they're not refeeding in the way. So they're always living in a state of energy deficit.

Yes, it does. Critical role. So we're not laying down enough. Or maybe... We're athletes. Title IX, which is the law that equalized sport for women in college, is 53 years old. So maybe young women are not laying down enough bone because they're expending so much energy, 10,000 calories a day, and then they're not refeeding in the way. So they're always living in a state of energy deficit.

and not laying down enough bone. Or maybe young women are coming to my office with not enough bone because we're raising an entire generation of sedentary children who are sitting around in their basements playing games, building brains, but not building bodies. That is borne out by looking out of the University of Wisconsin. Orthopedic researchers there studied which women's sports

and not laying down enough bone. Or maybe young women are coming to my office with not enough bone because we're raising an entire generation of sedentary children who are sitting around in their basements playing games, building brains, but not building bodies. That is borne out by looking out of the University of Wisconsin. Orthopedic researchers there studied which women's sports