Dr. Adrienne Bitar has a PhD working on food studies scholarship and is the co-founder — along with pharmacist Dr. Jenny Han — of Seen Nutrition, a food-first bone health company born out of two very personal experiences with osteoporosis. Dr Bitar brings a deep understanding of how diet culture, food history, and the stories we tell about women’s bodies have shaped everything from how we supplement to when we get screened.
We covered a lot of ground here — the calcium confusion that leaves so many of us unsure, why most supplements on shelves aren’t worth your money (or your gut), and the cardiovascular risk debate that scared a generation of women away from calcium in the first place. We also get into the real story on DEXA scans, the connection between estrogen decline and bone loss, and why hormone therapy is good and it isn’t a magic bullet.
This conversation will change how you think about your skeleton.
Highlights
03:42 – Deconstructing the narrative of inevitable bone decline
05:40 – How personal osteoporosis stories built Seen
08:22 – The calcium confusion: what’s actually going on
11:45 – Why dietary calcium beats supplemental calcium
12:30 – Types of calcium — what to look for, what to skip
13:40 – The “food matrix effect” explained
15:13 – Are there calcium supplements you shouldn’t take?
18:00 – The cardiovascular risk debate, debunked
28:42 – Strength training and bone health: the LIFTMOR study 27:50 – Balance and fall prevention — the other half of fracture risk
30:27 – How menopause accelerates bone loss
35:17 – Why waiting until 65 for a DEXA is too late
38:12 – Common bone health myths
39:45 – Why third-party testing should be non-negotiable
44:45 – Why so much of the supplement market is gross and hard to trust
49:32 – DCE: three things to do for your bones this week
“The bones you’re born with are not the bones you die with. The bones that you had five years ago are not the bones you have today.”
— Dr. Adrienne Bitar, co-founder of Seen Nutrition
Citations
Geertz, Clifford. “Notes on the Balinese Cockfight” in The Interpretation of Cultures, Basic Books, 1973.
The problematic cardiovascular studies discussed:
Bolland MJ, Avenell A, Baron JA, Grey A, MacLennan GS, Gamble GD & Reid IR (2010), “Effect of calcium supplements on risk of myocardial infarction and cardiovascular events: meta-analysis,” BMJ 341: c3691. → PubMed
Bolland MJ, Grey A, Avenell A, Gamble GD & Reid IR (2011), “Calcium supplements with or without vitamin D and risk of cardiovascular events: reanalysis of the Women’s Health Initiative limited access dataset and meta-analysis,” BMJ342: d2040. → PubMed
Kopecky SL, Bauer DC, Gulati M, Nieves JW, Singer AJ, Toth PP, Underberg JA, Wallace TC & Weaver CM (2016), “Lack of evidence linking calcium with or without vitamin D supplementation to cardiovascular disease in generally healthy adults: a clinical guideline from the National Osteoporosis Foundation and the American Society for Preventive Cardiology,” Annals of Internal Medicine 165(12): 867. → Annals of Internal Medicine
Wallace TC & Weaver CM (2020), “Calcium supplementation and coronary artery disease: a methodological confound?” Journal of the American College of Nutrition 39(5): 383–387. → Journal of the American College of Nutrition
Beyene Y & Martin C (2001), “Menopausal experiences and bone density of Mayan women in Yucatan,” American Journal of Human Biology 13(4): 505–511. → PubMed
Watson SL, Weeks BK, Weis LJ, Harding AT, Horan SA & Beck BR (2018), “High-intensity resistance and impact training improves bone mineral density and physical function in postmenopausal women with osteopenia and osteoporosis: the LIFTMOR randomized controlled trial,” Journal of Bone and Mineral Research 33(2): 211–220. → Journal of Bone and Mineral Research
Bone Health & Osteoporosis Foundation (n.d.), “General facts: what women need to know.” → bonehealthandosteoporosis.org
Chapurlat RD, Arlot M, Bauer DC, Cummings SR, Roux JP, Boivin G & Meunier PJ (2003), “Bone turnover and bone loss after withdrawal of hormone replacement therapy: the OFELY study,” Bone 33(2): 159–166. → PubMed
Diem SJ, Ruppert K, Cauley JA, Lian Y, Abell J, Stefanick ML & Ensrud KE (2023), “Discontinuation of hormone therapy and bone mineral density: does physical activity modify that relationship?” Menopause 30(12): 1196–1203. → PMC
Connect with Dr. Adrienne Bitar & Seen Nutrition
Website: www.seennutrition.com
Instagram / TikTok: https://www.instagram.com/thecalciumqueens / https://www.tiktok.com/@thecalciumqueens
Facebook Group: Osteoporosis Nutrition and Supplementation
Phone: 607-216-8722
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Disclaimer
This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice. Always speak with a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your treatment, supplements, or lifestyle.
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