PRESCRIPTION DRUGS CAN’T IMPROVE YOUR BONE DENSITY BUT THESE CAN
PRESCRIPTION DRUGS CAN’T IMPROVE YOUR BONE DENSITY BUT THESE CAN
All throughout your bones are two main cells: The OSTEOBLAST (‘blast’) and the OSTEOCLAST (‘clast’). The osteoblast creates the bone matrix by combining collagen with minerals such as calcium, magnesium, manganese, boron, strontium, zinc, silicon and vanadium. The osteoclast dissolves your bones by secreting enzymes that break down the bone matrix. Every day our bones go through a process called “remodeling” where the osteoclast dissolves the bone and the osteoblast rebuilds the bone. Obviously, it is important that the activity of the clast not outperform that of the blast, or the result is a loss of bone density.
HOW BONE IS MADE (summary):
The blast is ‘turned on’ by hormones such as thyroid hormone, testosterone, estrogen, progesterone, DHEA and human growth hormone. The process of creating bone is facilitated by vitamin A, vitamin D3 and vitamin K2 which help usher the above minerals into the blast to create the bone matrix. Vitamin D3 sits on the membrane of the blast opening the door for mineral entry. Vitamin K2 helps mobilize calcium through the body and into the blast and Vitamin A is involved in the synthesis of growth factors and receptors for the blast. The clast is stimulated by parathyroid hormone which is why bone may be lost in parathyroid disease.
WHAT ARE THE RISK FACTORS FOR BONE LOSS?
Many factors have been identified for promoting bone loss. These include lack of weight bearing exercise (sedentary lifestyle); phosphoric acid found in cola soft drinks; fluoridated water (fluoride should not be taken internally as it displaces calcium in bone); excessive carbonated beverages; excessive red meat consumption; lack of minerals in the diet; inadequate digestion ability especially the ability to make stomach acid; the use of acid blockers such as Tums, proton pump inhibitors; diets high in sugar, alcohol or coffee; long term use of steroids such as prednisone; smoking; high impact sports; stress and insomnia.
CAN BONE LOSS BE PREVENTED? YES!
We can maintain healthy bone density by getting adequate weight bearing exercise, consuming the right blend of nutrients, consuming a balanced diet, and achieving hormone optimization. It is important to reduce the dietary factors that lead to bone loss such as too much red meat, sodas, sugar, excessive alcohol and too much coffee. We also want to increase the dietary factors that promote bone density such as mineral dense foods, soy products, green and black tea.
An interesting study compared the bone density of British women who drank coffee, black tea or neither. The women who drank coffee had lower bone density thatn those who drank neither, while the women who drank black tea had higher bone density than those that drank neither. So, caffeine is not the issue. We find that acids in coffee leach minerals from bone while the tannins and antioxidants in green or black tea help bone cells to absorb more minerals. I recommend if you want to drink coffee limit it to one cup and have all the tea you want!
CAN BONE LOSS BE REVERSED? YES!
We can recoup the lost bone matrix by making sure our Blast cells get everything they need to create new healthy bone. This includes an adequate intake of vitamins A, D3 and K2. We want to make sure our hormones are not too low and are in the “optimal” parts of the reference range, usually between the 50th and 80th percentile. We also need a healthy gut and properly working digestive system. Avoid drugs and agents that promote bone loss such as colas, fluoride taken internally, prednisone and corticosteroids.
WHAT ARE THE RIGHT AMOUNTS OF NUTIRENTS NEEDED DAILY FOR HEALTHY BONES?
The following are the daily nutrient requirements that should be taken from food and supplements:
Calcium: 1,000 – 1500 mg (if we are treating bone loss consume 1,500 me daily preferably as Calcium Citrate)
Magnesium: 500 – 700 mg (preferably as Magnesium citrate)
Manganese: 10 – 50 mg
Boron: 2-3 mg (studies have shown supplementation with 3 mg daily of boron improves bone density, it’s super important!)
Zinc: 15 mg
Copper: 1 mg
Strontium: 0.6mg per kilogram (about 400 mg for a 150 lb person)
Vanadium: about 50 mg
Vitamin D3: on average 5,000 IU daily especially if you live in the PNW or above the 37th latitude
Vitamin K2: 150 – 200 mcg (in the forms of menaquinone 4 and menaquinone 7)
Vitamin A: 10,000 IU (as B-Carotene or Palmitate, or hydroxyapatite)
Collagen: 10 grams of a good multicollagen product (I’ll cover this in the next newsletter)
Seaweed (kelp, Nuri) is the highest containing calcium food on the planet! It contains 1,000 mg per ounce. Other foods high in calcium include almonds, salmon, dairy products, soy products (preferably soy nuts or edamame), whole grains and dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale, chard and collard greens. Kale is the highest containing calcium dark green leafy vegetable. (Unfortunately, my wife hates kale, but I chop it finely and sneak it into soups etc. LOL)
Certain drugs and antacids interfere with mineral absorption leading to bone loss. Calcium is not well absorbed from raw greens as it is bound to an acid called Oxalic acid. Steaming or sautéing the greens breaks the bond, releasing the calcium for absorption.
Over the years I have examined dozens of nutritional supplements to help my patients improve their bone density. Two of my favorites are “Bone Maximizer III” by MRM labs, and “Bone Up” by Jarrow. The reason I prefer these products is because they have the right amount of the mineral boron which is so critical to recouping lost bone. Even though these products contain some Vitamin D3 and K2, you will still need an additional capsule to receive 5,000 IU vitamin D3 and one capsule of a vitamin K2 which contains both menaquinone 4 and 7.
SHOULD OSTEOPOROSIS DRUGS BE USED TO STOP BONE LOSS? NO!
Bisphosphonates such as Fosamax and Boniva stop further bone loss by killing the Osteoclast cells which dissolve bone. Sound good right? Unfortunately, this prevents the remodeling process and prevents the formation of new healthy bones. The individual using these drugs is then stuck with their old, brittle bones. These drugs also include Reclast, Actonel and others.
In addition to preventing the formation of new bone, studies also show that when these osteoporosis drugs are discontinued after one year of use, the process of bone loss is accelerated.
I have found that when men and women follow my above listed protocol of weight bearing (resistance) exercise, proper diet, adequate digestion, consumption of the right amount of nutrients and hormone optimization, they successfully regrow the bone they lost. Hormone optimization is crucial however if you are a women more than 10 years into menopause, I would not recommend beginning estrogen replacement. However, a little testosterone, progesterone and DHEA can improve bone density. I also like to do blood tests for Human Growth Hormone and Thyroid hormones. I have many patients that have reversed their osteoporosis and osteopenia and have seen their T and Z score become less negative!
There is a blood test that can be done to see if you are actively losing your bone density. It is called C-telopeptide. I order it through LabCorp but I’m sure other labs offer this test as well.
FULLSCRIPT
Fullscript is a nutrient/ supplement supplier, used by many practitioners. Here, I have picked many high-grade, low-cost formulas to help you and your family.
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