Genetic and Environmental Determinants of Bone Health

Bone Health in Children

Bone Health

A healthy, well-balanced diet is essential for normal bone development in otherwise healthy children (Prentice et al., 2006). Sufficient consumption of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats help to build and maintain bones and supporting structures consisting of collagen, glycoproteins, and proteoglycans. The bone mineral itself consists of calcium and phosphate crystals, but magnesium and zinc are also required. A number of ions are essential, including copper, manganese, and citrate, while vitamins also play an important role, especially vitamin D, C, and K. These minerals, ions, and vitamins are required for the proper development and maintenance of healthy bone mineral and supporting structures.

Genetic studies have provided conclusive evidence of which factors play a role in bone development (Prentice et al., 2006). Naturally-occurring mutations in the vitamin D-receptor, low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 5, insulin-like growth factor, and a number of other genes encoding growth hormones, revealed how these gene products play a role in skeletal development. Children have historically been exposed to nutritional deficiencies, which together provide evidence of additional factors, aside from macronutrients, that are required for normal bone development. These include exposure to sunlight of the right frequencies, calcium, zinc, iron, copper, thiamin, folate, and vitamins A, C, D, and K. Healthy human skin is able to produce vitamin D on its own when exposed to sunlight, but this becomes increasingly difficult at more northern latitudes; therefore, vitamin D must be obtained through the diet when the proper amount of sunlight is not available. Dietary vitamin D may also be required for children growing up in cultures requiring clothing outdoors or in areas with air pollution problems.