By W. Jean Rohrer
Reprinted from Nature’s Field
Of all the structures in the body, the one least likely to be thought of as living tissue is bone. When we look at the only “solid” tissues we should consider factors such as, food choices, activity level and frequency and severity of weight-loss efforts; use of allopathic medications and/or presence of other systemic diseases; gender, body build, race, age and heredity.
High protein intake causes the body to excrete calcium; meat protein causes the greatest bone depletion. Studies comparing bone loss in women eating all foods except meats, and those eating everything (omnivores) are stunning: Omnivorous women exhibited more bone loss (almost twice the amount) at each decade past 50, and the problem grew worse with time.
Even more discouraging is the fact that an intake of large amounts of calcium supplements does not improve bone density/mass in the presence of high-protein foods and starches.
A woman age 45 will lose 1.2% of calcium in her bones each year.
The power of calcium & progesterone combined with exercise is phenomenal.
Program - Products Suggested
HerbalsHorsetail - highest herb in silica
Phyto-Soy - research shows Japan women have 50% less osteoporosis.
Thyroid Activator 6-8 daily - The Parathyroid needs iodine to work properly.
Flash Ease for estrogen replacement
Resolve Wild Yam Emolient (progesterone)
KB-C Chinese remedy for bones and calcium
Vitamins & Minerals
Skeletal Strength - 6 daily - made especially for Osteoporosis
PDA - digestion important for all minerals
Flax Seed Oil - keeps Calcium from being brittle & slows Calcium loss from urine.
Diet
No red meat, soft drinks, acid fruits, coffee.
Plenty of green vegetables, sunshine, nuts, seeds, salmon. (Scientist at Stanford Univ. found hormones in salmon that may slow osteoporosis.)
Exercise daily and don't smoke.
250 mg of magnesium & calcium needed for each 2 cups of coffee - add broccoli, kale & turnip greens to your diet.
Drugs such as L-thyroxine substantially affect calcium loss. Lasix (furosemide), a diuretic; Heparin, a blood thinner; steroids, and some anticonvulsants are also guilty of increasing calcium excretion.
Alcohol, caffeine and a sedentary life-style certainly contribute to the risk of developing osteoporosis; the presence of other illnesses, such as diabetes, lung diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, Cushing’s syndrome and gastrointestinal disorders increase susceptibility to osteoporosis.
Age and heredity complete the list.
Age is relevant because the disease doesn’t usually rear its ugly head until late middle age. And, if you have a family history of cardiovascular disease then your chances of getting the disease increases.
Women start out with less bone mass than men, and loss of bone starts earlier. Although some loss may occur earlier, after the age of 35 loss of bone becomes increasingly greater than what the body produces.
From roughly age 45 or right around menopause, the rate of bone degeneration accelerates, with five to ten percent of bone mass lost the first five years after menopause. However, after menopause, the rate of bone density loss decreases, continuing at a slower rate of about 1 percent per year.
While estrogen has been considered the primary hormone responsible for bone stabilization (and the reason your MD insists you take estrogen replacement), it appears to be progesterone deficiency after menopause which has more effect on bone loss, since progesterone stimulates osteoblasts to build new bones. That would explain why men have little or no problem with the disease until they reach old age; their testosterone levels remain high throughout most of their lives.
The most commonly seen osteoporotic fractures are those of vertebrae, wrist and hip. The elderly lady with the humped back suffers from disintegrating spinal bones, with the result being inability to maintain body posture in the correct position. Wrist fractures accompany near-miss falls, or even attempting to lift something heavy; books, groceries, grandchildren.
Hip fractures, contrary to popular opinion, precede the fall to which they are generally attributed. The fracture occurs and the body falls. Osteoporosis-related fractures appear to be more related to bone density, than to age.
Symptoms
Osteoporosis is often called the "silent disease" because bone loss occurs without symptoms. People may not know that they have osteoporosis until their bones become so weak that a sudden strain, bump, or fall causes a fracture or a vertebra to collapse. Collapsed vertebrae may initially be felt or seen in the form of severe back pain, loss of height, or spinal deformities such as kyphosis (stooped posture).
Risk Factors
Certain people are more likely to develop osteoporosis than others. Factors that increase the likelihood of developing osteoporosis are called "risk factors." The following risk factors have been identified:
- Being female
- Thin and/or small frame
- Advanced age
- A family history of osteoporosis
- Postmenopause, including early or surgically induced menopause
- Abnormal absence of menstrual periods (amenorrhea)
- Anorexia nervosa
- A diet low in calcium
- Use of certain medications, such as corticosteroids and anticonvulsants
- Low testosterone levels in men
- An inactive lifestyle
- Cigarette smoking
- Excessive use of alcohol
- Being Caucasian or Asian, although African Americans and Hispanic Americans are at significant risk as well
Prevention
By about age 20, the average woman has acquired 98 % of her skeletal mass. Building strong bones during childhood and adolescence can be the best defense against developing osteoporosis later. There are four steps to prevent osteoporosis. No one step alone is enough to prevent osteoporosis but all four may prevent the condition. They are:
- A balanced diet rich in calcium and vitamin D
- Weight-bearing exercise
- A healthy lifestyle with no smoking or excessive alcohol intake, and
- Bone density testing and medication, when appropriate.
Sources
“Prescription for Nutritional Healing” 2nd Edition by James F. Balch, MD and Phyllis A. Balch, CNC (Garden City Park, NY: Avery Publishing Group, 1997).
“McDougall’s Medicine: A Challenging Second Opinion” by John A. McDougall, MD (Piscataway, NJ: New Century Publishers, Inc., 1985).
“An Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine” by Michael T. Murray, ND and Joseph E. Pizzorno, ND (Rocklin, CA: Prima Publishing, 1990).
“Alternative Medicine” James Stohecker, Executive Editor (Puyallup, WA: Future Medicine Publishing, Inc., 1994).
Osteoporosis Handout from Osteoporosis Centre, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital Woodville, South Australia, 5011(http://www.sapmea.asn.au/ qeh/ost_main.htm#Mid).
“Dr. Wright’s Guide to Healing with Nutrition” by Jonathan V. Wright (New Canaan, CN: Keats Publishing, Inc., 1990).
“Prevention Magazine’s Complete Book of Vitamins and Minerals” (New York, NY: Wings Books, 1992).
“The Complete Home Health Advisor” by Rita Elkins (Pleasant Grove, UT: Woodland Health Books, 1995).
Fosamax Handout Osteoporosis Online from Southeast Texas (http://www.ih2000.net/osteoporosisWhatsNew.htm).
Osteoporosis: Some Basic Facts Handout from State University of New York at Stony Brook, NY (http://www.informatics.sunysb.edu/internalmed/osteo/osteo.html#fs).