Osteoporosis
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Overview
Osteoporosis literally means thinning of the bones. It occurs in
25% of the women over age 65 in affluent societies. By the time
of diagnosis, 50 to 75% of the original bone material has already
been lost. Osteoporosis affects tens of millions of people worldwide
and is responsible for as many as 75% of all fractures in people
over age 45. In the United States there are at least 25 million
people who suffer from osteoporosis. Costly and disabling fractures
of the spine, hip, wrist, and other bones can be preceded by
years of undetected bone loss. What's more, as many as 20% of
those who suffer osteoporosis-related hip fractures die within
six months.
Women are at four times greater risk of developing osteoporosis
than men with postmenopausal women particularly vulnerable. At
least 1.2 million American women over age 45 suffer bone fractures
due to osteoporosis each year. About 8% of men develop osteoporosis
which can be severe, usually after the age of 70. Medical costs
for osteoporosis treatment exceed 10 billion dollars annually in
the U.S. and because of the increasing elderly population, the
number is only expected to rise. The incidence of these bone fractures
has doubled in the last 30 years, due mainly to nutritional and
environmental factors.
Conventional medicine traditionally has viewed osteoporosis as
an irreversible process associated with aging and menopause. The
emphasis has been placed on slowing down the rate of bone loss
by prescribing synthetic estrogen replacement therapy, as well
as high doses of calcium supplementation, increased amounts of
dairy and regular exercise. While these therapies do slow the rate
of bone loss in some, the best treatment is prevention. Osteoporosis
is totally preventable and if you do already have osteoporosis,
the good news is that it is completely reversible without the use
of drugs.
DIET
Observations of various populations worldwide show that the higher
the protein intake, the more common is osteoporosis. Because of
this observation, scientists posed this question: Is osteoporosis
due to calcium deficiency or excess protein? A study published
in the journal Nutrition in 1974, found that eating the low protein
diet led to a positive calcium change of +31 and a high protein
diet led to a negative calcium change of a -120. This means that
at the end of the day, after taking 500 mg of calcium, the low
protein diet group was shown to have increased its calcium level
by 31%. On the other hand, taking 500 mg of calcium while eating
a high protein diet actually lowered the level of calcium in the
bloodstream by a minus 120%.
Epidemiological studies from around the world have shown that
in countries like Thailand and in South Africa where the natives
there generally eat no dairy at all and very little meat, get about
400 mg of calcium per day from their diet, have no osteoporosis;
it's virtually unheard of in their country. However, if you look
on the other extreme, Eskimos who daily consume about 2200 mg of
calcium from fish bones, have the highest incidence of osteoporosis
of any population in the world, even though they're getting 2200
mg of calcium daily. The difference is that they also daily consume
250 to 400 grams of protein in fish, walrus, or whale meats. That
high protein content is the principal cause of osteoporosis. It's
not simply a deficiency of calcium. It's the excessive amount of
protein that stimulates a hormonal change in the body that causes
the body to excrete calcium through the kidneys in the urine.
The average American consumes as much as 75 to
100 grams of protein per day and that amount stimulates the
parathyroid gland
to release
a hormone called parathormone that pulls calcium out of the bones
to be excreted in the urine. The most important consideration
in the prevention of Osteoporosis is not overdoing protein. This
can
be accomplished by following the Department of Agriculture’s
new food pyramid guide. Start at the bottom: eat 6-11 servings
of whole grains, 3-5 servings of fresh, steamed, or microwaved
vegetables, and 2-3 servings of fresh fruits daily. Meats and
dairy should be eaten sparingly in smaller portions than the
former foods
that are lower in the pyramid. For optimal health you only need
a maximum of 40-50 grams of protein daily.
MINERAL AND VITAMIN COFACTORS
Calcium is the major mineral in bones. However, you want to be
careful to not overdo calcium. Although calcium is essential to
prevent or cure osteoporosis, you can get too much of a good thing.
If you're eating a high protein diet, even 2200 mg of calcium a
day won't help you. Too much calcium inhibits magnesium, which
is essential to the production of the hormone calcitonin. This
hormone helps tone down the calcium excretion and keep calcium
in the bones. Magnesium is also essential for the conversion of
the active form of vitamin D, which is required for calcium absorption
and its deposit into bone. Taking too much calcium actually blocks
magnesium and therefore blocks the production of vitamin D in its
active form which prevents calcium from getting into the bone.
Calcium should not be taken in excessive amounts.
There are several other nutrients that are very important in prevention
and cure of osteoporosis. Three B-vitamins, vitamin B6,
folic acid, and vitamin B12 are essential. These three
vitamins are important in the conversion of the amino acid methionine
into cysteine. If they are deficient, homocysteine increases. As
homocysteine increases in the body it interferes with collagen
cross-linking, leading to defective bone matrix. That means, if
you don't have these vitamins, then the bones can't hold calcium
in place in their normal meshwork. Therefore, even though you may
be consuming enough calcium, it won't be held in the bone.
Another vitamin that is often overlooked in the prevention and
treatment of osteoporosis is vitamin K. This hormone-like vitamin
is necessary for the production of the active form of osteocalcin
which is the major noncollagen protein in the bone. Without sufficient
vitamin K and its production of active osteocalcin, calcium will
not be held within the bone in its place. Vitamin K is found in
deep green leafy vegetables and is one of the most commonly deficient
vitamins missing from our diet.
The trace mineral Boron also appears to be an essential factor
in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. A study of postmenopausal
women given 3 mg of boron daily was shown to reduce their urinary
calcium loss by 44% and dramatically increased their level of estrogen.
Apparently, boron is required to activate certain hormones including
estrogen and vitamin D. Fruits and vegetables are the main sources
of boron and diets that are deficient in these foods may also be
deficient in boron.
HERBS
Certain bioflavonoids found in fruits have been shown to be very
important in the prevention of osteoporosis. Procyanidin bioflavonoids,
especially those extracted from grape seeds, has been shown to
stabilize collagen structures. Since collagen is the major protein
structure in bone, stabilization of the integrity of the bone structure
or the collagen will help to prevent calcium loss and osteoporosis.
For optimal insurance against osteoporosis, I recommend taking
the Advanced Antioxidant Complex which contains the bioflavonoid
Procyanidin.
NATURAL SUPPLEMENTS
Osteoporosis is preventable and it is reversible. You can take
charge of your own health. For optimal results you need to eat
more vegetables and grains and less meat and dairy products. The
greatest threat to your bones is the high protein diet consumed
in the United States. The average American consumes 90 grams of
protein daily. You need to cut that amount in half. Additionally,
you need a good multi-vitamin and mineral formula, like Peak Advantage
that provides the right amount of minerals, vitamins and plant
cofactors to prevent or reverse osteoporosis.
KEY BONE BUILDING NUTRIENTS
Peak Advantage High Potency Multi-Vita/Min provides the
perfect mixture of nutrients to help prevent or reverse Osteoporosis:
- Calcium Citrate: Calcium is the major mineral in bones.
Calcium Citrate is 400% better absorbed than Calcium Carbonate,
even in individuals with low stomach acid.
- Magnesium Aspartate: Magnesium is the determining factor
of bone strength. 80-85% American women consume less than the
RDA. Necessary for the formation of new calcium crystals and
the active form of Vitamin D. Magnesium Aspartate is the most
useable form.
- Boron: Necessary for the production of natural estrogen
and testosterone. Significantly reduces loss of calcium and magnesium.
- Vitamin K: Required for the attraction of calcium to
bones. Individuals with Osteoporosis have been found to have
35% less Vitamin K than age matched controls. Overuse of antibiotics
kills healthful intestinal flora that produce Vitamin K. Supplementation
reduces calcium loss by as much as 18-50%.
- Folic Acid: Decreases homocysteine levels which can
cause osteoporosis. Alcohol and Birth Control Pills cause a deficiency.
Pregnancy creates a higher demand.
- Silica: Found in high concentrations at calcification
sites in growing bones.
- Betaine HCl: Source of hydrochloric acid that is essential
for the absorption and assimilation of minerals.
- DigeZyme: Plant enzymes that digests phytates, found
in grains, that commonly bind to minerals and significantly reduce
their availability for absorption.
For more information on Peak Advantage click here.
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