A generation
ago, osteoporosis was only diagnosed after an elderly patient had either developed a dowagers hump or broken a bone
due to a minor fall. Prior to 1974, surveys showed that 77 percent of Americans had never heard of osteoporosis. In 1992 in an
effort to reduce the incidence of osteoporosis fractures, The World Health Organization (WHO) held an international conference.
Aided by new bone testing technology experts at the conference (which just happened to be sponsored by two large pharmaceutical
companies and a drug-company foundation) were charged with determining the normal bone density mass. Yes, this sounds like a classic
case of letting the foxes run loose inside the hen house!
The researchers turned to an analysis of women in Rochester, Minnesota, which showed that 16 percent of post-menopausal women
in that city would sustain a hip
fracture in their lifetime. Looking at years of bone density scores, the WHO found that 16 percent of post-menopausal women had
bone density readings of -2.5 or worse. So, under the new definition, anyone with a spinal fracture or a -2.5 T-score (bone
density score), or worse, had osteoporosis. The committee went further and 'presto'....when the smoke had cleared .... they decided
that scores between -1 and -2.5 were the boundaries of a new condition which would hereby be known as osteopenia, or low bone mass.
Thus in a single conference, one disease, OSTEOPOROSIS, had been expanded from the rare elderly person with a fracture to anyone
with a -2.5 T score. And another condition, OSTEOPENIA, was created, virtually out of thin air. Critics for the criteria for the
diagnosis of osteoporosis began to emerge almost immediately. One rationally minded expert disagreed with the idea that randomized
numbers could determine who did and who didn’t have a disease. Dr. Steven Cummings one of the world’s leading osteoporosis experts
declared, “What patients had were measurements, not disease.” This is analogous to the idea that everyone with elevated cholesterol
has heart disease.
Many have continued to argue that the concept of peak bone mass has been oversimplified. Peak bone mass can vary as much as 100% in
women of the same age from different cultures. And peak bone mass seems to have minimal affect on fracture risk: for instance,
Asian women have a lower bone mass than Western women but a lower fracture rate. Differences in ethnicity, diet, exercise, onset
of puberty, and lifestyle make peak bone mass a very individual characteristic, hard to quantify — and not a good measure of bone
health.
Nevertheless, once considered a rare disease associated with old ladies with a spinal hump, osteoporosis has now become an
epidemic with “experts” warning that half of all post-menopausal women are at risk.
A dirty 5 letter word!
How did osteoporosis go from a rare but serious disease to an epidemic that strikes fear into every middle-aged woman in America? One
word, Merck.
Pharmaceutical giant Merck shrewdly launched an aggressive campaign to 'educate' the public (and their doctors of course) that osteoporosis
and the new disease known as osteopenia were now treatable with their new drug, Fosamax. Merck promoted portable bone-measuring
devices that doctors could use in their offices. When Merck started, there were 750 dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA or DEXA)
bone-measuring devices in the United States. Four years later, there were over 10,000 machines, which tested over 3.5 million
people a year! THE GOAL WASN'T TO SELL THE DRUG TO THE ELDERLY WHO ACTUALLY HAD OSTEOPOROSIS, BUT TO MAKE IT A PRIMARY CARE DRUG
FOR THE 40,000,000 POST-MENOPAUSAL WOMEN! With sales of bisphosphonates approaching 5 billion dollars a year, the propaganda for
these drugs have paid huge dividends! In fact they now rival another once over-hyped drug for osteoporosis prevention, Premarin.
Yes, these artificial 'hormone replacement' drugs including Premarin were the number one prescribed drug therapy in America in 2001. Of course the results of The Women’s Health Initiative
of 2002, which showed that while estrogen did reduce bone loss, it also increased the risk of breast cancer, blood clots, heart
attack, and stroke .... sort of put a damper on estrogen therapy, to say the least. That same year there was an initial 80 percent drop
in hormone therapy drug sales!
Sales of Fosamax and other bisphosphonates (Actonel and Boniva) increased 32 percent after the WHI study came out. These drugs do
increase bone mass. However, they are also associated with numerous side effects including upper gastrointestinal pain and erosion,
esophagitis, ulcers, skin rash, diffuse bone pain, and osteonecrosis (actual bone death and destruction) of the jaw.
Previously, bisphosphonates had been used in laundry soaps, fertilizer, and anticorrosives for the textile and oil industries. A
1993 report discovered that a small percentage of bisphosphonates users experienced serious eye problems that could lead to
blindness. Merck’s clinical trial showed that as many as 33 percent of the participants reported blurred vision. Even more
troubling, another study quoted on April 4, 2006, by United Press International, found more than 2,400 patients who were taking
the injected form of bisphosphonates had suffered bone damage to their jaws since 2001. In addition to the 2,400 patients who were
taking the injected form, the study found 120 patients taking the oral form of the drug who had been stricken with such
incapacitating bone, joint, or muscle pain that some became bedridden and others required walkers, crutches or wheelchairs.
We've uncovered about 1,000 patients (with jaw necrosis) in the past six to nine months alone, so the magnitude of the problem is
just starting to be recognized," Kenneth Hargreaves, of the University of Texas, reported to the Los Angeles Times. And we need to
consider that the FDA estimates that only 10 percent of adverse drug events are ever reported. Rats given high doses developed
thyroid and adrenal tumors. Fosamax also causes deficiencies of calcium, magnesium and vitamin D, all essential for the
bone-building process.
Another commonly prescribed osteoporosis drug, Evista, is a selective estrogen receptor modulator. It is promoted as a safe way to
increase estrogen without any of the side effects of hormone replacement therapy. But, of course there are side effects, which
include hot flashes, leg cramps, flu-like symptoms, blood clots (heart attack and stroke), and peripheral edema.
Fractures are caused by FALLS!
The osteoporosis propaganda campaign has caused women to believe that they must take a drug to prevent being bent over with spinal
fractures or succumbing to a life-threatening hip fracture. No doubt, the prospect of having a broken bone due to osteoporosis is
quite frightening. However the average age of hip fractures for a woman is 79. The lifetime risk of hip fracture for a white
American female age 50 or older is 17.5 percent. Over a lifetime the risk for a vertebral fracture for this same group is estimated
at 15 percent. Certainly these percentages should make us pause and take note. However, leading bone expert, and author of "Better
Bones, Better Body", Susan E. Brown, PhD, states: "Osteoporosis by itself does not cause bone fractures. This is documented simply
by the fact that half of the population with thin osteoporitic bones in fact never fracture." It is important to know that over 90
percent of hip fractures occur from falls, not weak bones. Falls cause fractures, not weak and crumbling osteoporitic bones.
In a 1989 edition of The Journal of the American Medical Association it was reported that the use of anti-anxiety drugs known as
benzodiazepines (Klonopin, Ativan, Valium, Xanax and other tranquilizers) increased the risk for hip fracture by 70 percent.
Bone does not fracture due to thinness alone. A 1995 edition of the New England Journal of Medicine reported that in 65-year-old
women with no previous history of a hip fracture, a number of other factors were more significant than bone density in predicting
fractures, such as tranquilizer and sleeping pill use, poor coordination, poor vision and depth perception, low blood pressure, and
lack of muscle strength.
Dr. Mark Helfand, a member of the U.S. National Institute of Health osteoporosis consensus panel comments: “I think even people who
agree that osteoporosis is a serious health problem can still say it is being hyped. It is hyped. Most of what you can do to
prevent osteoporosis later in life has nothing to do with getting a test or taking a drug.”
Drug therapy may be appropriate for those
with advanced bone loss, especially since 20 percent of those age seventy or older with hip fractures never recover. But before
starting on potentially dangerous drug therapy at the first sign of bone loss, patients need to be educated on the role nutrition
plays in ensuring optimal bone health. There are at least 18 key bone-building nutrients essential for optimal bone health. Vitamins
D, E, C, B12, K, folic acid, and minerals including boron, calcium, magnesium, copper, and zinc are needed for proper bone
production and restoration. All of these nutrients have been shown to reduce and in some cases restore optimal bone mass.
The vast majority of patients would be better served by using prevention and optimal nutrition instead of taking a bone-eating
prescription drug.
While I'm not on board with the veritable plethora of propaganda disguised as 'education' that's associated with osteoporosis,
especially that every perimenopausal and postmenopausal woman needs to be taking bisphosphanates (Fosamax, Actonel, Boniva),
osteoporosis is an all-too-common condition that can be life-threatening for many elderly Americans. However, the majority of
osteoporosis cases could have been prevented. This disease is similar in nature to so many other “Western diseases,” all associated
with poor nutrition and unhealthy lifestyle choices. Bone is a living tissue that is constantly being broken down and rebuilt.
Bone health is dependent on routine weight-bearing exercise, healthy habits (no smoking, no more than moderate alcohol, caffeine,
and sugar consumption, etc.) and an intricate interplay of a dozen and a half nutrients.
Children raised on a diet of donuts, Lucky Charms, “Lunchables,” Pepsi and “Happy Meals” don’t get anywhere near the
essential nutrients needed for optimal health. Few 12 to 19 year-olds consume the recommended amounts of certain nutrients.
Adolescent girls consume only 14% of the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for calcium, 31% of vitamin A, and only 18% of the
RDA for magnesium. Adolescent boys aren’t much better. Children consuming a typical nutrient-deficient Western diet are setting
the stage for the onset of osteoporosis.
Soft drinks now make up one third of an adolescent’s daily beverage intake. This depletes bone-building calcium. Ninth and tenth
grade girls who drink sodas have three times the risk of bone fractures compared with those who don’t drink carbonated beverages.
Fifty-six percent of 8 year olds down soft drinks daily, and a third of teenage boys consume three or more cans of soda a day. The
average teenager is getting 20 teaspoons of sugar/day from soft drinks alone. Teenage boys get 44% of their 34 teaspoons of sugar/day
from soft drinks. Teenage girls get 40% of their 24 teaspoons of sugar/day from soft drinks. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
recommends that people eating 2,200 calories a day not eat more than 12 teaspoons a day of refined sugar/day. Sugar consumption upsets
the natural homeostasis of calcium and phosphorus in the blood. Normally, these minerals exist in a precise ratio of 10:4. The
excess serum calcium, which comes from the bones and teeth, cannot be fully utilized because phosphorus levels are too low.
Calcium is excreted in the urine or stored in abnormal deposits such as kidney stones and gallstones. High fructose corn syrup,
which is the predominate sugar in soft drinks, inhibits copper metabolism. A deficiency in copper leads to bone fragility, as well
as many other unwanted health conditions. Other research suggests that high fructose corn syrup, which has climbed from zero
consumption in 1966 to 62.6 pounds per person in 2001, alters the magnesium balance in the body, which in turn accelerates bone
loss. An optimal level of magnesium, which helps with calcium absorption, is essential for bone formation. Studies have found that
magnesium deficiency is associated with osteoporosis and bone fragility. An adequate magnesium intake results in increased bone
mineral density.
The latest government study shows a staggering 68% of Americans do not consume the recommended daily intake of magnesium. Even more
frightening are data from this study showing that 19% of Americans do not consume even half of the government’s recommended daily
intake of magnesium.
In stark contrast to the normal nutrient-depleted “Standard American Diet” (aka S.A.D.), research shows that consumption of fruits
and vegetables, especially dark green leafy vegetables, offer considerable protection from osteoporosis. These foods are a rich
source of bone-building vitamins and minerals that include calcium, magnesium, boron, and vitamin K. Vitamin K helps facilitate
the production of osteocalcin, the major non-collagan protein in bone. Osteocalcin keeps calcium molecules anchored within bone.
Boron supplementation has been shown to reduce urinary calcium excretion by 44 percent. It’s also required to activate certain
important bone building hormones like vitamin D and 17-beta-estradiol, the most active form of estrogen.
Of course, most kids won’t go near a green leafy vegetable. And many adults aren’t much better. Less than 10 percent of Americans
eat the minimum recommendation of three fruits and vegetables a day. And even worse, only 51 percent eat at least one vegetable/day.
So unfortunately, most folks are setting themselves up for trouble.
Calcium intake is the cornerstone for osteoporosis prevention.
Several studies have shown that calcium can reduce bone loss and suppress bone turnover. Calcium supplementation alone doesn’t
halt bone loss completely but does reduce calcium excretion by between 30 and 50 percent. One study shows that postmenopausal women taking one
gram of elemental calcium were 4.5 times less likely to suffer a fracture than those taking a placebo.
The absorption of calcium is dependant on stomach acid for ionization. Because gastric acid facilitates the absorption of
insoluble ingested calcium, stomach acid reducing drugs including Tums, Zantac, Nexium, Pepcid, Prilosec, and Tagament increase
the risk of bone loss.
The hypochlorhydria (low stomach acid) brought on by these drugs leads to decreased calcium absorption, thereby increasing bone
loss and fracture risk. Similarly, proton pump inhibiting drugs (PPI's), like Prevacid, increase the risk of a hip fracture.
Studies show the risk of hip fracture is directly related to the duration of PPI use, ranging from 22% for 1 year of use up to an alarming 59%
for 4 years of use, relative to nonuse of a PPI.
It should also be pointed out that corticosteroids, and most diuretics (Lasix, Dyazide, Maxzide, and others) also deplete calcium.
Until recently, hormone replacement therapy was considered the best way to prevent bone loss and osteoporosis. And true, several
studies have shown that estrogen replacement therapy can reduce bone loss and reduce the risk of fracture. However, the benefits
have to be weighed against recent evidence linking conventional estrogen replacement therapy to increased risk of breast cancer,
stroke, heart attack, and blood clots.
Another much safer option is to use phytoestrogens. Phytoestrogens are estrogen-like compounds found in certain foods including
fennel, celery, soy, nuts, whole grains, apples, and alfalfa. A semi-synthetic isoflavanoid, known as ipriflavone, is similar in
structure to soy and has been approved for osteoporosis prevention in Japan, Hungary, and Italy. Studies show that ipriflavone,
now available as a supplement in the U.S., increases bone density in individuals with osteoporosis.
Several studies show that progesterone stimulates proliferation of bone building osteoblast cells. But, like synthetic estrogen,
progestins (synthetic progesterone) are associated with numerous potentially dangerous side effects.
A natural over-the-counter form of progesterone can be made from wild yams. Based on the pioneering work of John Lee, M.D.,
compounded progesterone cream has been safely used by thousands of women to reduce or prevent menopausal symptoms - and to reverse
osteoporosis.
Vitamin D, a hormone-like substance, is crucial for the absorption of calcium. The skin makes Vitamin D after exposure to sunlight
or ultraviolet radiation, and vitamin D deficiency is widespread throughout the United States. In the winter, vitamin D levels often
plummet. Less than 10% of adults between the ages of 50 & 70, and only about 2% of people over 70, are getting the recommended
amounts of vitamin D from food. Even when supplements were added into consideration, still only about 30% of people aged 50 to 70,
and 10% of those over 70 are reaching the recommended vitamin D intake.
Individuals who wish to avoid osteoporosis would be wise eat more fruits and vegetables, maintain a consistent exercise program,
avoid sodas, avoid health-robbing habits (such as smoking, excess alcohol and high sugar and high fructose corn syrup consumption),
and take a good optimal daily allowance (ODA) multivitamin. Those females who want to reverse bone loss should take in addition
to their multivitamin, extra calcium, magnesium, vitamin D, and one or more of ancillary treatments mentioned above (ipriflavone
and natural progesterone).
But, we need to realize good health doesn’t come from a pill bottle, but from daily dietary choices made over a lifetime. I think
I’ll have a green leafy salad with dinner tonight, how about you?
DR. AUSTIN'S RECOMMENDED SUPPLEMENTS FOR OSTEOPOROSIS (or OSTEOPENIA):
Natural Progesterone USP cream
DYNACAL - An Extra strength natural calcium magnesium complex
BONE SUPPORT FORMULA - A great source of Calcium, Phosphorus, and Protein
Optimum Daily Allowance Multivitamin/Multimineral
Thus in a single conference, one disease, OSTEOPOROSIS, had been expanded from the rare elderly person with a fracture to anyone
with a -2.5 T score. And another condition, OSTEOPENIA, was created, virtually out of thin air. Critics for the criteria for the
diagnosis of osteoporosis began to emerge almost immediately. One rationally minded expert disagreed with the idea that randomized
numbers could determine who did and who didn’t have a disease. Dr. Steven Cummings one of the world’s leading osteoporosis experts
declared, “What patients had were measurements, not disease.” This is analogous to the idea that everyone with elevated cholesterol
has heart disease.
Many have continued to argue that the concept of peak bone mass has been oversimplified. Peak bone mass can vary as much as 100% in
women of the same age from different cultures. And peak bone mass seems to have minimal affect on fracture risk: for instance,
Asian women have a lower bone mass than Western women but a lower fracture rate. Differences in ethnicity, diet, exercise, onset
of puberty, and lifestyle make peak bone mass a very individual characteristic, hard to quantify — and not a good measure of bone
health.
Nevertheless, once considered a rare disease associated with old ladies with a spinal hump, osteoporosis has now become an
epidemic with “experts” warning that half of all post-menopausal women are at risk.
A dirty 5 letter word!
How did osteoporosis go from a rare but serious disease to an epidemic that strikes fear into every middle-aged woman in America? One
word, Merck.
Pharmaceutical giant Merck shrewdly launched an aggressive campaign to 'educate' the public (and their doctors of course) that osteoporosis
and the new disease known as osteopenia were now treatable with their new drug, Fosamax. Merck promoted portable bone-measuring
devices that doctors could use in their offices. When Merck started, there were 750 dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA or DEXA)
bone-measuring devices in the United States. Four years later, there were over 10,000 machines, which tested over 3.5 million
people a year! THE GOAL WASN'T TO SELL THE DRUG TO THE ELDERLY WHO ACTUALLY HAD OSTEOPOROSIS, BUT TO MAKE IT A PRIMARY CARE DRUG
FOR THE 40,000,000 POST-MENOPAUSAL WOMEN! With sales of bisphosphonates approaching 5 billion dollars a year, the propaganda for
these drugs have paid huge dividends! In fact they now rival another once over-hyped drug for osteoporosis prevention, Premarin.
Yes, these artificial 'hormone replacement' drugs including Premarin were the number one prescribed drug therapy in America in 2001. Of course the results of The Women’s Health Initiative
of 2002, which showed that while estrogen did reduce bone loss, it also increased the risk of breast cancer, blood clots, heart
attack, and stroke .... sort of put a damper on estrogen therapy, to say the least. That same year there was an initial 80 percent drop
in hormone therapy drug sales!
Sales of Fosamax and other bisphosphonates (Actonel and Boniva) increased 32 percent after the WHI study came out. These drugs do
increase bone mass. However, they are also associated with numerous side effects including upper gastrointestinal pain and erosion,
esophagitis, ulcers, skin rash, diffuse bone pain, and osteonecrosis (actual bone death and destruction) of the jaw.
Previously, bisphosphonates had been used in laundry soaps, fertilizer, and anticorrosives for the textile and oil industries. A
1993 report discovered that a small percentage of bisphosphonates users experienced serious eye problems that could lead to
blindness. Merck’s clinical trial showed that as many as 33 percent of the participants reported blurred vision. Even more
troubling, another study quoted on April 4, 2006, by United Press International, found more than 2,400 patients who were taking
the injected form of bisphosphonates had suffered bone damage to their jaws since 2001. In addition to the 2,400 patients who were
taking the injected form, the study found 120 patients taking the oral form of the drug who had been stricken with such
incapacitating bone, joint, or muscle pain that some became bedridden and others required walkers, crutches or wheelchairs.
We've uncovered about 1,000 patients (with jaw necrosis) in the past six to nine months alone, so the magnitude of the problem is
just starting to be recognized," Kenneth Hargreaves, of the University of Texas, reported to the Los Angeles Times. And we need to
consider that the FDA estimates that only 10 percent of adverse drug events are ever reported. Rats given high doses developed
thyroid and adrenal tumors. Fosamax also causes deficiencies of calcium, magnesium and vitamin D, all essential for the
bone-building process.
Another commonly prescribed osteoporosis drug, Evista, is a selective estrogen receptor modulator. It is promoted as a safe way to
increase estrogen without any of the side effects of hormone replacement therapy. But, of course there are side effects, which
include hot flashes, leg cramps, flu-like symptoms, blood clots (heart attack and stroke), and peripheral edema.
Fractures are caused by FALLS!
The osteoporosis propaganda campaign has caused women to believe that they must take a drug to prevent being bent over with spinal
fractures or succumbing to a life-threatening hip fracture. No doubt, the prospect of having a broken bone due to osteoporosis is
quite frightening. However the average age of hip fractures for a woman is 79. The lifetime risk of hip fracture for a white
American female age 50 or older is 17.5 percent. Over a lifetime the risk for a vertebral fracture for this same group is estimated
at 15 percent. Certainly these percentages should make us pause and take note. However, leading bone expert, and author of "Better
Bones, Better Body", Susan E. Brown, PhD, states: "Osteoporosis by itself does not cause bone fractures. This is documented simply
by the fact that half of the population with thin osteoporitic bones in fact never fracture." It is important to know that over 90
percent of hip fractures occur from falls, not weak bones. Falls cause fractures, not weak and crumbling osteoporitic bones.
In a 1989 edition of The Journal of the American Medical Association it was reported that the use of anti-anxiety drugs known as
benzodiazepines (Klonopin, Ativan, Valium, Xanax and other tranquilizers) increased the risk for hip fracture by 70 percent.
Bone does not fracture due to thinness alone. A 1995 edition of the New England Journal of Medicine reported that in 65-year-old
women with no previous history of a hip fracture, a number of other factors were more significant than bone density in predicting
fractures, such as tranquilizer and sleeping pill use, poor coordination, poor vision and depth perception, low blood pressure, and
lack of muscle strength.
Dr. Mark Helfand, a member of the U.S. National Institute of Health osteoporosis consensus panel comments: “I think even people who
agree that osteoporosis is a serious health problem can still say it is being hyped. It is hyped. Most of what you can do to
prevent osteoporosis later in life has nothing to do with getting a test or taking a drug.”
Drug therapy may be appropriate for those
with advanced bone loss, especially since 20 percent of those age seventy or older with hip fractures never recover. But before
starting on potentially dangerous drug therapy at the first sign of bone loss, patients need to be educated on the role nutrition
plays in ensuring optimal bone health. There are at least 18 key bone-building nutrients essential for optimal bone health. Vitamins
D, E, C, B12, K, folic acid, and minerals including boron, calcium, magnesium, copper, and zinc are needed for proper bone
production and restoration. All of these nutrients have been shown to reduce and in some cases restore optimal bone mass.
The vast majority of patients would be better served by using prevention and optimal nutrition instead of taking a bone-eating
prescription drug.
While I'm not on board with the veritable plethora of propaganda disguised as 'education' that's associated with osteoporosis,
especially that every perimenopausal and postmenopausal woman needs to be taking bisphosphanates (Fosamax, Actonel, Boniva),
osteoporosis is an all-too-common condition that can be life-threatening for many elderly Americans. However, the majority of
osteoporosis cases could have been prevented. This disease is similar in nature to so many other “Western diseases,” all associated
with poor nutrition and unhealthy lifestyle choices. Bone is a living tissue that is constantly being broken down and rebuilt.
Bone health is dependent on routine weight-bearing exercise, healthy habits (no smoking, no more than moderate alcohol, caffeine,
and sugar consumption, etc.) and an intricate interplay of a dozen and a half nutrients.
Children raised on a diet of donuts, Lucky Charms, “Lunchables,” Pepsi and “Happy Meals” don’t get anywhere near the
essential nutrients needed for optimal health. Few 12 to 19 year-olds consume the recommended amounts of certain nutrients.
Adolescent girls consume only 14% of the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for calcium, 31% of vitamin A, and only 18% of the
RDA for magnesium. Adolescent boys aren’t much better. Children consuming a typical nutrient-deficient Western diet are setting
the stage for the onset of osteoporosis.
Soft drinks now make up one third of an adolescent’s daily beverage intake. This depletes bone-building calcium. Ninth and tenth
grade girls who drink sodas have three times the risk of bone fractures compared with those who don’t drink carbonated beverages.
Fifty-six percent of 8 year olds down soft drinks daily, and a third of teenage boys consume three or more cans of soda a day. The
average teenager is getting 20 teaspoons of sugar/day from soft drinks alone. Teenage boys get 44% of their 34 teaspoons of sugar/day
from soft drinks. Teenage girls get 40% of their 24 teaspoons of sugar/day from soft drinks. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
recommends that people eating 2,200 calories a day not eat more than 12 teaspoons a day of refined sugar/day. Sugar consumption upsets
the natural homeostasis of calcium and phosphorus in the blood. Normally, these minerals exist in a precise ratio of 10:4. The
excess serum calcium, which comes from the bones and teeth, cannot be fully utilized because phosphorus levels are too low.
Calcium is excreted in the urine or stored in abnormal deposits such as kidney stones and gallstones. High fructose corn syrup,
which is the predominate sugar in soft drinks, inhibits copper metabolism. A deficiency in copper leads to bone fragility, as well
as many other unwanted health conditions. Other research suggests that high fructose corn syrup, which has climbed from zero
consumption in 1966 to 62.6 pounds per person in 2001, alters the magnesium balance in the body, which in turn accelerates bone
loss. An optimal level of magnesium, which helps with calcium absorption, is essential for bone formation. Studies have found that
magnesium deficiency is associated with osteoporosis and bone fragility. An adequate magnesium intake results in increased bone
mineral density.
The latest government study shows a staggering 68% of Americans do not consume the recommended daily intake of magnesium. Even more
frightening are data from this study showing that 19% of Americans do not consume even half of the government’s recommended daily
intake of magnesium.
In stark contrast to the normal nutrient-depleted “Standard American Diet” (aka S.A.D.), research shows that consumption of fruits
and vegetables, especially dark green leafy vegetables, offer considerable protection from osteoporosis. These foods are a rich
source of bone-building vitamins and minerals that include calcium, magnesium, boron, and vitamin K. Vitamin K helps facilitate
the production of osteocalcin, the major non-collagan protein in bone. Osteocalcin keeps calcium molecules anchored within bone.
Boron supplementation has been shown to reduce urinary calcium excretion by 44 percent. It’s also required to activate certain
important bone building hormones like vitamin D and 17-beta-estradiol, the most active form of estrogen.
Of course, most kids won’t go near a green leafy vegetable. And many adults aren’t much better. Less than 10 percent of Americans
eat the minimum recommendation of three fruits and vegetables a day. And even worse, only 51 percent eat at least one vegetable/day.
So unfortunately, most folks are setting themselves up for trouble.
Calcium intake is the cornerstone for osteoporosis prevention.
Several studies have shown that calcium can reduce bone loss and suppress bone turnover. Calcium supplementation alone doesn’t
halt bone loss completely but does reduce calcium excretion by between 30 and 50 percent. One study shows that postmenopausal women taking one
gram of elemental calcium were 4.5 times less likely to suffer a fracture than those taking a placebo.
The absorption of calcium is dependant on stomach acid for ionization. Because gastric acid facilitates the absorption of
insoluble ingested calcium, stomach acid reducing drugs including Tums, Zantac, Nexium, Pepcid, Prilosec, and Tagament increase
the risk of bone loss.
The hypochlorhydria (low stomach acid) brought on by these drugs leads to decreased calcium absorption, thereby increasing bone
loss and fracture risk. Similarly, proton pump inhibiting drugs (PPI's), like Prevacid, increase the risk of a hip fracture.
Studies show the risk of hip fracture is directly related to the duration of PPI use, ranging from 22% for 1 year of use up to an alarming 59%
for 4 years of use, relative to nonuse of a PPI.
It should also be pointed out that corticosteroids, and most diuretics (Lasix, Dyazide, Maxzide, and others) also deplete calcium.
Until recently, hormone replacement therapy was considered the best way to prevent bone loss and osteoporosis. And true, several
studies have shown that estrogen replacement therapy can reduce bone loss and reduce the risk of fracture. However, the benefits
have to be weighed against recent evidence linking conventional estrogen replacement therapy to increased risk of breast cancer,
stroke, heart attack, and blood clots.
Another much safer option is to use phytoestrogens. Phytoestrogens are estrogen-like compounds found in certain foods including
fennel, celery, soy, nuts, whole grains, apples, and alfalfa. A semi-synthetic isoflavanoid, known as ipriflavone, is similar in
structure to soy and has been approved for osteoporosis prevention in Japan, Hungary, and Italy. Studies show that ipriflavone,
now available as a supplement in the U.S., increases bone density in individuals with osteoporosis.
Several studies show that progesterone stimulates proliferation of bone building osteoblast cells. But, like synthetic estrogen,
progestins (synthetic progesterone) are associated with numerous potentially dangerous side effects.
A natural over-the-counter form of progesterone can be made from wild yams. Based on the pioneering work of John Lee, M.D.,
compounded progesterone cream has been safely used by thousands of women to reduce or prevent menopausal symptoms - and to reverse
osteoporosis.
Vitamin D, a hormone-like substance, is crucial for the absorption of calcium. The skin makes Vitamin D after exposure to sunlight
or ultraviolet radiation, and vitamin D deficiency is widespread throughout the United States. In the winter, vitamin D levels often
plummet. Less than 10% of adults between the ages of 50 & 70, and only about 2% of people over 70, are getting the recommended
amounts of vitamin D from food. Even when supplements were added into consideration, still only about 30% of people aged 50 to 70,
and 10% of those over 70 are reaching the recommended vitamin D intake.
Individuals who wish to avoid osteoporosis would be wise eat more fruits and vegetables, maintain a consistent exercise program,
avoid sodas, avoid health-robbing habits (such as smoking, excess alcohol and high sugar and high fructose corn syrup consumption),
and take a good optimal daily allowance (ODA) multivitamin. Those females who want to reverse bone loss should take in addition
to their multivitamin, extra calcium, magnesium, vitamin D, and one or more of ancillary treatments mentioned above (ipriflavone
and natural progesterone).
But, we need to realize good health doesn’t come from a pill bottle, but from daily dietary choices made over a lifetime. I think
I’ll have a green leafy salad with dinner tonight, how about you?
DR. AUSTIN'S RECOMMENDED SUPPLEMENTS FOR OSTEOPOROSIS (or OSTEOPENIA):
Natural Progesterone USP cream
DYNACAL - An Extra strength natural calcium magnesium complex
BONE SUPPORT FORMULA - A great source of Calcium, Phosphorus, and Protein
Optimum Daily Allowance Multivitamin/Multimineral
DR. AUSTIN'S RECOMMENDED SUPPLEMENTS FOR OSTEOPOROSIS (or OSTEOPENIA):
Natural Progesterone USP cream DYNACAL - An Extra strength natural calcium magnesium complex BONE SUPPORT FORMULA - A great source of Calcium, Phosphorus, and Protein Optimum Daily Allowance Multivitamin/Multimineral
