Osteoporosis has no signs or symptoms until a fracture occurs – this is why it is often called a ‘silent disease’. Osteoporosis affects all bones in the body however fractures occur most frequently in the vertebrae (spine), wrist and hip.
Up until about age 30, a woman’s body naturally builds more bone than they lose. After age 35, bone breakdown happens faster than your body can replace it, which causes a gradual loss of bone mass.
A woman’s chance of having an osteoporosis-related fracture today is 10 times greater than being diagnosed with breast cancer and 5 times more likely than having a heart attack. If you plan on living to at least 85, your chance of having a hip fracture is about 30 percent.
Osteoporosis is a disease of progressive bone loss associated with an increased risk of fractures. The term osteoporosis literally means porous bone. The body repairs bones by constantly absorbing and replacing bone tissue. This process is carried on by bone cells called osteoclasts and osteoblasts.
The osteoclasts function to dissolve older bone and leave tiny unfilled spaces behind. Think of them like Pacman that searches around to gobble up old bone and leave a small space like a little pond. The osteoblasts are supposed to move into these spaces and produce new healthy thicker bone. With Osteoporosis new bone creation doesn’t keep up with old bone removal and bones become thinner or less dense.
Numerous studies show osteoporosis doesn’t have to be permanent.
However, millions of women have been falsely led to believe that there is a correlation between osteoporosis and the inadequate intake of calcium and dairy products. Bone health is much more than just calcium, although it is an important component, women don’t need as much of it as most doctor’s think. The current United States daily calcium recommendation is 1200 to 1500 milligrams for postmenopausal women, which is too much.
Too much calcium—along with fat, cholesterol, and other substances—is a component of plaque, a material that can build up in the artery walls, anywhere in the body. This includes the vital organs like the brain, heart, liver and kidneys causing blockages that can cause high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, liver and kidney damage. Too much calcium in the blood stream can also lead to weaker brittle bones (more likely to fracture), kidney stones, digestive problems (nausea, constipation), muscle weakness and spasms, fatigue, poor memory, and frequent urination.
Endocrinologist Dr. Susan Williams, M.D. states, “Hypercalcemia caused by supplements and antacids usually reverses quickly when you stop taking them. Untreated, though, long-term hypercalcemia can be serious — even life-threatening.”
There is a non-invasive test to check on calcium buildup in arteries called Calcium-score CT scan. This can help determine your risk of coronary artery disease and heart attack. This test is generally performed on people without symptoms or known plaque, to assess their future risk of suffering a heart attack from coronary artery disease within the next five years.
Too much calcium can affect the eyes. According to the results of a study published online in the April 9th 2015 Journal American Medical Association Ophthalmology, individuals who take more than 800 mg of calcium daily are almost twice as likely to be diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration, as those who did not.
The association was strongest with older people, particularly for those aged 68 years and older. The average age of participants with age-related macular degeneration in this study was 67 years compared with 55 years for those without. The study relied only on reports of calcium supplement and antacid intake and did not account for dietary calcium.
Bones need more than just calcium and vitamin D to stay healthy. Bones are about 50% protein, and amino acids from protein are required for bone repair. The recommended daily protein intake is 0.8 grams per 2.2 pounds of body weight.
Older adults are often deficient in magnesium. Magnesium is a building block for bones and helps with the absorption of calcium and vitamin D. Magnesium can also be found in foods like spinach, bananas, nuts, seeds, avocado, and chickpeas. Magnesium glycinate or magnesium gluconate at the best absorbed and are less likely to have the laxative effect that occurs with magnesium oxide or magnesium citrate.
Vitamin K2 activates proteins that help build and maintain bones. It also prevents calcium from building up in blood vessel walls by directing calcium to the bones and away from soft tissue. In one study, postmenopausal women who took 90 micrograms of vitamin K2 per day had significantly lower bone loss in the femoral neck than those who took a placebo. Vitamin K2 sources include egg yolks, organ meats and natto (a type of fermented soybean).
Researchers have found those who have a healthy diet rich in natural foods such as vegetables, beans, nuts, and seeds have denser bones. These foods contain calcium and essential nutrients for bone health and because they are alkaline, not acid-producing, they do not induce urinary calcium loss. Dark leafy greens such as Bok choy, Chinese cabbage, kale, collard greens, and turnip greens. One cup of cooked turnip greens has about 200 milligrams of calcium (20% of your daily goal). On top of that, dark greens also have vitamin K.
Nine out of ten hip fractures result from falls and an individual’s risk of falls is better indicated by strength and balance skills rather than bone density score. Just as muscles build with regular exercise, the bone strengthens and increases its density too, right along with muscle.
Hip fractures are the most devastating fracture in terms of morbidity and mortality, as 20% of those who suffer a hip fracture die within 6 months after the fracture.
Mild and moderate vertebral fractures (spine) are frequently not recognized or reported in the patient’s medical record, leading to under-diagnosis and under treatment One in five women with a vertebral fracture will sustain another one within twelve months, called the fracture cascade. Vertebral fractures lead to severe spinal deformity, back pain, loss of height, immobility, depression, increased number of bed days, reduced pulmonary function and premature death. As the number of spinal fractures frequency increases, so do the mortality rates.
Many people have no symptoms until they have a painful bone fracture. Risk factors for osteoporosis include aging, being female, low body weight, low sex hormones or menopause, smoking, and some medications.
Some Prescription Medications Contribute to Osteoporosis!
ACID REFLUX / HEARTBURN
Proton pump inhibitors (PPI) are now one of the most widely used classes of drugs. According to the FDA, people who take Omeprazole, Prilosec, Protonix, and other proton pump inhibitors for a year or longer are more likely to develop fractures of the spine, hips and wrists. They decrease absorption of nutrients needed for bone growth including calcium, magnesium, vitamin B12 and other vital nutrients.
ANTIDEPRESSANTS
According to a study published in the September 2012 medical journal Bone, use of antidepressant medications that act on the serotonin system has been linked to detrimental impacts on bone mineral density (BMD), and to osteoporosis. Researchers found use of SSRIs and tricyclics increases fracture risk by as much as twofold versus nonusers. They discovered the increase in risk is the greatest in the early stages of treatment, with a dramatic increase after initiation, reaching a peak within 1 month for tricyclics and 8 months for SSRIs. Treatment-associated increased risk diminishes towards baseline in the year following discontinuation. They concluded the body of evidence suggests that SSRIs should be considered in the list of medications that are risk factors for osteoporotic fractures.
ADD / ADHD DRUGS
Presented at the April 1, 2016 Endocrine Society’s annual meeting, in Boston, researchers found that young people who take stimulants such as methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta) and Adderall have lower bone density than their peers. The study suggests this could have serious consequences later in life.
CORTICOSTEROIDS
Steroids used for inflammation, pain, asthma and autoimmune disorders, etc. also hamper bone formation and increase bone resorption, which can make a fracture more likely.
Weight-bearing exercise and Natural Supplementation help prevent bone loss or strengthen already weakened bones.
EXERCISE
Not all exercises have the same effect on the density of bone tissue. Only weight-bearing exercises, such as weight training or yoga which stress both your bones and muscles, can stimulate bone formation.
A Weighted vests also aid in the fight against osteoporosis
It is advised for women to wear and exercise with a weighted vest. Weighted vests can be worn for hours each day and are the most effective prescription a doctor can order to prevent and treat osteoporosis. The weight should be felt primarily over the shoulders to stimulate bone growth in the spine.
It is advisable to start with merely 6–8 pounds in the vest and gradually increase the weight to ten percent of your body weight. Wear the vest for a few hours each day if possible, not only during exercise, but during your everyday activities around the house, especially shopping, cooking and cleaning. Wearing a weight vest has other benefits as well, such as burning more calories, increasing core strength and improving balance. It should not be used if a person has significant bone disease or structural back problems.
NATURAL REMEDIES
Just like building a house giving the proper tools and the best building materials the job gets done more efficiently and with better structural soundness.
Boneup (Jarrow Formulas) a complete bone formula containing all the nutrients for building new bone and preventing further bone loss. It provides StimuCal™ ossein MicroCrystalline HydroxyApatite (MCHA) (from free-range New Zealand calves), which includes the superior combination of the inorganic calcium lattice of MCHA within an organic protein milieu. StimuCal™ is rich in native type I collagen—the predominant protein found in bone—and has been clinically demonstrated not to disproportionately spike calcium blood levels as do other forms of calcium, such as the carbonate and citrate salt forms. StimuCal™ is combined with vitamin D3 and vitamin K2 (as MK-7 from natural fermentation [a more bioavailable form of vitamin K]) to support the proper deposition of calcium into the bone matrix, thereby maintaining skeletal integrity, as well as supporting cardiovascular and arterial health. * Potassium citrate, a systemic alkalizer, is also added for optimal osteo support.
Digestive Enzymes with HCL (hydrochloric Acid) If stomach acid is low, your body won’t be able to absorb calcium, strontium, magnesium and the other minerals critical to good bone health. As people grow older, the stomach’s capacity to secrete hydrochloric acid sometimes becomes impaired and the result is lower acid and impaired digestion. A 2010 study published in the Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology concluded that ‘malabsorption of dietary calcium is a cause of osteoporosis’.
Biosil Collagen Generator (Bio Minerals) Silica is a trace mineral, found predominantly in the connective tissues of the body such as bone, cartilage, and tendons, and used for the formation of bone tissue and helpful in the absorption of calcium. It builds collagen in the bone so the calcium can attach better and fill in those empty spaces you see on the x-ray. BioSil™ “turns on” the body’s actual collagen-generating cells, known as fibroblasts.
Natural Progesterone cream helps to stimulate the osteoblasts to make new bone. Natural estrogen only helps to slow down the osteoclast. It doesn’t do anything to the osteoblasts and does not make new bone. Although estrogen is known to decrease in menopause, progesterone levels may drop to near zero in some women. Often this is because adrenal glands utilize progesterone to manufacture the stress hormone cortisol. Continuous stress creates a constant demand for cortisol which reduces your levels of progesterone. Natural progesterone cream (applied topically) is made from a naturally occurring plant hormone found in the wild yam and is not stored. Synthetic (prescription) forms of progesterone, called progestins do not have the ability to stimulate the osteoblasts, therefore cannot stimulate bone growth, are stored in your tissues and increases the risk of heart disease, stroke and cancer.
Remember research studies show osteoporosis doesn’t have to be permanent. As long as you don’t wait too long to do something about it!
*Always check with your health practitioner when adding in new supplements.
Jane Jansen – Holistic Practitioner Tree of Life Wellness Center
Host Holistic Healthline Radio
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