​Distortion of the cervical spine causes symptoms like stiff neck and shoulders, headache, ringing in ears, insomnia, etc. and distortion of the lumber spine causes symptoms like low back pain, constipation, tingling sensation in the leg, etc.
 
3 major factors causing distortion of the spine
 
(1) Bad posture
(2) Decline of the muscle
(3) Osteoporosis
 
Especially distortion of the spine caused by osteoporosis is very dangerous. Osteoporosis causes a fracture without any impact and subjective symptoms. According to a research, 63 % of women with the age of 60 and over whose spines are distorted have had a fracture.
 
The bone with osteoporosis can’t resist the weight of the body and is crushed. When one bone (vertebrae) is crushed, the bone directly under it is crushed and then the next bone is crushed as shown in the above, because distortion of the spine becomes greater and more weight is applied on the bone. This is called chain fracture. If chain fracture is progressed, a bent back can’t be restored.
 
The peak of bone density is at the age of 20s to 30s and after that, it gradually goes down. Women’s osteoporosis patients are 3 times as many as men’s patients because around age of 50, women’s bone density suddenly goes down due to the decrease of estrogen caused by menopause.
 
Eating a red food and a white food together helps absorption of calcium
 
The main cause of osteoporosis is lack of calcium.
 
The calcium absorption ratio at the age of 10s is about 45 %, but it becomes 30 % at the age of 30s and becomes the half at the age of 70s. So even if the same amount of calcium is taken, absorbed calcium deceases with age.
 
The red food is Umeboshi plum (Fig. 1) containing citric acid that raises the absorption ratio of calcium. Calcium is difficult to be absorbed in the body. The calcium absorption ratio of milk which is considered absorbing calcium very well is only about 40 %. 60 % of calcium is discharged from the body. Fish’s ratio is about 30 % and vegetable’s ratio is about 20 %. But citric acid raises the absorption ratio of calcium.
 
The white food is Shirasu, which is the young of sardine, herring or eel, containing 5 times as much as milk (520 mg/100 g).
 
Eating Umeboshi Plum and Shirasu together raises calcium absorption ratio by about 1.5 times.
 
Shirasu also contains vitamin D a lot which raises the absorption of calcium.
 
The amount of calcium required for a day is the same as 600 ml of milk, which is equal to a cup of rice in soup with Umeboshi plum and Shirasu (Fig. 2).
 
Japanese stock without salt is good enough because Umeboshi plum contains salt, or you can spread bonito flakes before pouring hot water into rice with Umeboshi plum and Shirasu.
 
Another red and white food is Umeboshi plum and mayonnaise which is made of eggs rich in vitamin D. The recipe is mix Umeboshi and mayonnaise 1 to 2 ratio. You can dip some food in it. (Fig. 4)

​Other effects of Umeboshi plum
 
Mumefural contained in plum flesh extract makes the blood flow smooth and vanillin contained in plum flesh extract has an effect on burning fat.

It is reported that 40 % of people become unable to walk after femoral neck fracture.
 
The number of people who have a femoral neck fracture is increasing every year.
 
The biggest cause is osteoporosis, which causes bones to become weak and brittle. Because of brittle bones, a fall or even a small stress can cause a fracture.
 
So it is important not to decrease bone density.
 
But what are you doing to prevent osteoporosis?
 
Are you taking a lot of calcium?
 
According to a recent research, it has turned out that there are people whose bone density decreases even if they take sufficient nutrition to strengthen bones.
 
There is a substance that makes us not to create bones, called Sclerostin.
 
If Sclerostin is secreted a lot, bone density becomes lower and it becomes easy to have a fracture.
 
Bones repeat destruction and creation by metabolism and all the bones in the body are replaced within 3-5 years. Sclerostin is a substance that orders not to make bones, so if it is secreted too much, the power to make bones becomes weak and the destruction of bones is progressed.
 
The amount of sclerostin secretion is related to exercise.
 
Bone density is affected more by exercise than by what you eat.
 
The impact to the bone is important. Exercises such as tennis, fast walking or jogging transmit the impact to hip joints when a foot touches the ground.
 
According to a recent research, it has turned out that the bigger the impact, the less the secretion of sclerostin.
 
Exercise you can do at home and increase bone density
 
The rise of bone density with medication is about 4 %, but the rise of bone density with medication and the exercise is about 6 %.
 
Heel Dropping Exercise:
(1) Stand on the floor as hard as possible.
(2) Lift up your heels.
(3) Drop your heels.
 
If you engage your mind to your hip joints, it is more effective.
 
It is recommended to do this exercise 30 times a set for 3 sets a day.
 
Impact for reference:
Tennis: 224 Kg
Heel Dropping Exercise: 204 Kg
Jogging: 124 Kg
Fast walking: 76 Kg

​Aging of a blood vessel is
(1) A blood vessel is clogged.
(2) A blood vessel is hardened.
 
Nattokinase is nutrition contained only in natto and dissolves blood clots which are formed in a blood vessel to stop blood flow and causes life-threatening condition like stroke and heart attack.
 
Nattokinase separates blood cells sticking together and also prevents blood clots from being formed.
 
Lecithin prevents the hardening of blood vessels
 
LDL cholesterol which is increased by disordered dietary life and others pushes cholesterol into the inside of blood vessels, forming something like a lump. Blood vessels are originally soft and elastic, but the blood vessel thickened by the accumulation of cholesterol gradually becomes hard.
 
Lecithin contained in the soy part of natto removes LDL cholesterol and prevents the accumulation of cholesterol.
 
Lecithin is the combination of phosphorus and fat which is the same as the main component of brain cells. Acetylcholine which is a neurotransmitter related to the abilities to memorize, think and focus is made of lecithin, so Lecithin contained in natto is also good for the health of brain.
 
Isoflavone contained in natto strengthens blood vessels
 
 
How to eat Natto to maximize Nattokinase
 
Q1. Which maximizes nattokinase that keeps blood vessels young?
(A) Mixing natto well before eating
(B) Not mixing natto very much
 
A1. (A) Mixing natto well before eating
Mixing natto well increases sticky substance and the sticky substance prevents nattokinase from being lost by stomach acid. The amount of nattokinase is not increased by mixing well, but mixing well increases glycoprotein that protects nattokinase from stomach acid.
 
The proper number of mixing is about 50 times or until threads appear.
 
The sticky substance also protects mucus membranes, so it can be effective to prevent seasonal allergies and a common cold.
 
Q2. Which maximizes nattokinase?
(A) Pouring the source for natto before mixing it
(B) Pouring the source for natto after mixing it
 
A2. (B) Pouring the source for natto after mixing it
If the source for natto is poured before mixing, natto doesn’t become so sticky as when the source for natto is poured after mixing. The taste of natto also gets better by pouring the source after mixing.
 
Q3. Which maximizes nattokinase?
(A) Pouring natto on cooled rice
(B) Pouring natto on hot rice
 
A3. (A) Pouring natto on cooled rice
Nattokinase is weak to heat. Nattokinase becomes inactive at 50 degrees C (122 degrees F) and all the function of nattokinase is lost at 70 degrees C (158 degrees F).
 
Q4. Which is more effective to maximize the effect of nattokinase?
(A) Eating natto for breakfast
(B) Eating natto for dinner
 
A4. (B) Eating natto for dinner
Blood clots that are the natural enemy of blood vessels tend to be formed while sleeping. That is because we can’t supply water even if we sweat while we are sleeping, so the water in blood decreases, making blood sticky.
 
Nattokinase is strong bacteria. Over eating of natto can kill other bacteria. Eating 3 packs of natto a day is too much.
 
Q5. Which can increase nattokinase and lecithin?
(A) Eating natto right after taking it out from the refrigerator
(B) Eating natto after leaving natto for a while after taking it out from the refrigerator
 
A5. (B) Eating natto after leaving natto for a while after taking it out from the refrigerator
Since natto is fermented food, if natto is left at a normal room temperature, fermentation is progressed and nattokinase increases. 20 to 30 minutes is appropriate.
 
A raw egg should not be mixed with natto
Natto contains Biotin that is good for the skin. The white of an egg prevents the absorption of Biotin. If you want to use a raw egg to mix with natto, using only the yolk of an egg is better.
 
Scallion and cheese are recommended as toppings for natto
Scallion contains Allicin that has the effect to prevent blood clots.
Cheese contains Lacto tripeptide that is effective to make blood vessels elastic.
 
Vitamin K2 contained in Natto produces high quality and healthy bones
 
Bones are replaced by new bones every 3 months to 6 months. All the bones in our body are replaced by new bones every 5 years.
 
To deposit calcium in a bone, Osteocalcin that is a type of bone protein is necessary. Vitamin K2 activates Osteocalcin and calcium is firmly deposit in a bone.
 
Recommended intake of vitamin K is 250-300 μg per day. A pack of natto (about 50 g) contains 300 μg of vitamin K.
 
Crushed natto (Hikiwari natto) contain 1.5 times more vitamin K2 than uncrushed natto. Crushed natto has more surface area because it is crushed, so more natto bacteria are attached to it including vitamin K2 (Fig. 1).

The fracture that elderly people has to be careful most is Femoral Neck Fracture. It is said that 40 % of people who had femoral neck fracture become unable to walk.
 
That is why it is important to maintain strong bones in order to have healthy life even if getting older.
 
Hormone preventing the aging of the bone
 
There are more than 100 kinds of hormone produced in the body. Secreting those hormones normally harmonizes the condition of the body. According to recent research all over the world, it has turned out that the more a certain hormone is, the lower the risk of fracture is.
 
According to a research in 2015 reported by Aahrus University Hospital in Demark, when administrating a hormone to 20 women whose ages are more than 50 for 1 year, the bone density of the femoral neck increased by average 2.3 %.
 
The biggest cause of fracture is osteoporosis which is condition that the inside of bones becomes hollow and weak. The quantity of the bone is the most with the age of 20 to 40, and after that it decreases gradually. The dangerous thing in osteoporosis is that there are almost no subjective symptoms.
 
Osteoporosis is a disease caused by lack of calcium or others, leading to low bone density and resulting in fragile bones. That makes the inside of bones hollow and makes the bone easy to be broken by small impact. But because there are no subjective symptoms, it becomes too late without knowing it.
 
The hormone preventing the aging of the bone is Melatonin.
 
Melatonin is a type of hormone produced in the brain and is secreted especially at night, promoting sleep.
 
Other effects of melatonin discovered recently are:
1. Anti-oxidant effect which prevents aging
2. Prevention of dementia
3. Prevention of aging of bones
 
Why can Melatonin prevent aging of bones?
 
The bone repeats a cycle that old bones are destroyed and new bones are produced. There are cells that destroy bones and cells that produce bones. 10 % of bones are replaced by new bones in a year.
 
But by aging, the balance of the cells to destroy and the cells to produce bones is lost and the cells to destroy bones become active. The activated cells to destroy bones makes bigger holes in bones and the cells to produce bones can’t fill in the holes completely. It means that if the cells to destroy bones become too active, producing new bones can’t catch up with destroying bones.
 
Melatonin suppresses the activation of the cells to destroy bones
 
The cells destroying bones usually secrete appropriate amount of liquid melting bones, which is hydrochloric acid. But if the liquid melting bones is secreted too much, bones become frayed.
 
Melatonin is expected to suppress the activated cells destroying bones.
 
When astronauts return to the earth, they can’t even walk. Under weightless condition, the cells destroying bones become active while the cells producing bones become less active. That makes bones melt within a short time.
 
In 2010, an experiment to confirm whether melatonin suppresses the activation of the cells to destroy bones was performed in the International Space Station. The experiment was performed with sales of gold fish which has similar structure to human bones. The activation level of the cells destroying bones in the space was 26 % more than normal, but the one with melatonin was almost same as normal. It proved that melatonin suppresses the activation of the cells destroying bones. (Fig. 1)
 
How to prevent aging of bones by secreting Melatonin sufficiently
 
Melatonin is secreted at night. To secrete sufficient melatonin, sun light is important.
​
(1) When to bathe in the sun
 
Bathing in the sun in the morning resets biological clock and 14 to 16 hours after that, melatonin starts to be secreted. If you go to bed at 11 pm, if you bathe in the sun between 7 and 9 am, melatonin is secreted sufficiently.
 
It is considered that the more you bathe in the sun, the more melatonin is secreted.
 
(2) How much to bathe in the sun
 
About 30 minutes under the condition of partially cloudy is good enough. It is not necessary to be sunny.
 
Experiment: Can a person whose bones have become weak improve the condition by bathing in the sun?
 
76 years old female who had lumber compression fracture before she noticed attended an experiment. Her melatonin is 6.27 (ng/mg CREA) while the average of 70s is 14.8 (ng/mg CREA). The activation of the cells destroying bones is 291 (mU/dl) while if it is more than 309 (mU/dl), the quantity of bones is decreasing.
 
She bathes in the sun only for 10 minutes in her normal life. So she has to bathe in the sun 20 minutes more to secrete sufficient melatonin.
 
She tried to bathe in the sun for 30 minutes for 5 days.
 
5 days later her melatonin became 7.99 (ng/mg CREA) from 6.27 and the activation of the cells destroying bones became 277 (mU/dl) from 291.
 
In addition to the improvement of these numbers, her sleeping was improved as well because melatonin also controls sleeping.
​

​Osteoporosis
 
Women after menopause tend to have osteoporosis due to decrease of estrogen.
But these days there are women of 20s who have osteoporosis due to excessive limitation of meals to lose weight.
 
Why does aging cause osteoporosis?
 
Aging lowers the absorption of calcium from the intestines so the shortage of calcium is supplemented by the calcium in the bone. That makes the bones weak and brittle, causing osteoporosis.
 
Bone density is peak at age of 20-40 and after that it gradually lowers down.
 
Dairy products have the best absorption ratio of calcium but the ratio is only 40%.
But a food which increases the ratio of calcium absorption and prevents osteoporosis when it is taken together has been discovered recently.
 
The bone density of 60s women usually decreases 1 % within 6 months without doing anything special. In a research, 60s women whose bone density was low took milk-based drink with the food. 3 month later their bone density increased by 2.4 % on average.
 
The food effective to increase the absorption ratio of calcium is LEMON.
 
When citric acid contained in lemon bonds to calcium, the absorption ratio of calcium from the intestines gets better.
 
Lemon contains 6000 mg of citric acid per 100 grams (Apple: 20 mg, Mandarin orange: 1000 mg).
 
Simple recipe to take lemon
 
Lemon Lassi (Fig. 1)
 
Milk: 100 cc (3.38 oz)
Drinkable yogurt: 100 cc (3.38 oz)
Lemon juice: 2 tablespoons
Honey: 1.5 tablespoons
 
Mix all the above.
​