Finding Natural Osteoporosis Treatments

It's interesting that many people assume that osteoporosis is a women's disease; it's true that this condition affects some four times as many women as men, but men too can suffer from this dangerous and even deadly condition.

Osteoporosis is a disease that attacks the integrity of the bone structure. This can lead to bone weakness and eventual fractures. Unfortunately many people don't know that they have this condition until a bone actually breaks. While this may not sound very dangerous - a broken bone is easily mended, right? In reality the fractures can typically happen in the areas of the back and hip. A hip fracture can be very dangerous and usually requires surgery with a hospital stay, and may interfere with one's ability to walk without assistance. In severe cases they can be deadly. Someone with osteoporosis needs to take this condition very seriously, and everyone else should be doing everything they can to avoid getting the disease in the first place.

Getting Tested

Doctors today can do a simple bone density test for those at risk for getting osteoporosis. This includes women approaching menopause, women with very small bone structure, and those taking medications that can cause the disease. The bone scan is not painful or invasive; it is something like a full-body x-ray.

Your doctor can also prescribe medications if you already have the disease or are at a greater risk for contracting it; but before that time, try taking a daily calcium supplement, exercising, and stopping smoking. It is best to avoid getting osteoporosis in the first place.

Natural Treatments

The bones are made up mostly of calcium; taking calcium supplements is one of the best forms of natural treatments. There are many reasons why the bones may have less calcium than they need to be strong and healthy. Many times it's simply genetics and the way a body is naturally. Some people may do certain things that leech calcium from the system, such as drinking large amounts of cola or other highly acidic beverages. Acid of course wears away calcium from the body's system. Smoking dehydrates the body and also damages calcium reserves. If taking a calcium supplement as a prevention for osteoporosis it's important to keep in mind that you need adequate amounts of vitamin D as this helps the body to absorb calcium properly. Most calcium supplements you purchase at the pharmacy also have vitamin D added; be sure to get one that does.

Believe it or not, exercise and weight lifting actually increases bone strength as well as muscle strength. Increasing your physical fitness levels and adding some weight lifting can also help prevent osteoporosis.

Other Vitamins and over the counter products you may want to consider and why are:

Calcium, Magnesium and Vitamin D supplied in high doses have shown to increase bone mass as much as 25 to 30 percent over a six month period.

Fluoride has been found to increase the bond density in older women.

Glucosamine provides cartilage nutrition for healthy joints.

Vitamin A is needed to promote healthy bones and teeth.

Vitamin E promotes the natural body healing mechanism.

Multiple Minerals are needed for healthy bones and teeth.

Boron is known as the calcium helper and assists calcium absorption and utilization in the body.

Always consult your doctor before using this information.

This Article is nutritional in nature and is not to be construed as medical advice.

Osteoporosis and Stress - Stress Can Be Bad For Your Bones

During the past decade, approximately 30% of Americans and Canadians have consistently reported negative health impacts as the result of the stress in their lives. While people often associate headaches, indigestion and insomnia with stress, research has shown that stress can lead to the development of chronic conditions within a few years and one of those conditions can be osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis and stress are often linked because sufferers forgo the weight bearing exercises that are so important for bone health. But equally important, they make nutritional choices that limit calcium intake and may even cause calcium to leach from their bones.

NUTRITIONAL CHOICES

People who feel stressed frequently seek comfort foods that lack the proper nutrition to build healthy bones. Sweet snacks and fast food meals rarely contain the calcium, magnesium and vitamin K that are essential for the prevention of osteoporosis. And a poor choice of beverages can be equally damaging. Excess soda, coffee and alcohol can be particularly harmful to bone renewal.

Sufficient vitamin D is also essential for calcium absorption but is difficult to attain even from a good diet. People with busy schedules may fail to spend time outdoors where they can get enough of the sunshine vitamin. And in northern regions, the sun lacks sufficient ultraviolet radiation to produce vitamin D during the winter months. Research shows that over 75% of Canadians and Americans are vitamin D deficient for at least part of the year.

STOMACH UPSETS

Stress affects most organs of the body and the stomach is no exception. Stress can cause diarrhea, decreased absorption of nutrients and an elevated loss of calcium and magnesium which are essential for healthy bones. Low magnesium also elevates the secretion of stress hormones and makes relaxation even more difficult.

Osteoporosis and stress are also linked through the excess secretion of stomach acids. Acid reflux is now so common in North America that prescription drugs designed to treat the problem are among the most widely-sold drugs in the world. Unfortunately, these drugs are so effective at eliminating the pain of acid reflux that people are tempted to rely on their medication rather than changing their eating habits and lifestyle. Few realize that the reduction in stomach acid severely hampers calcium absorption which is essential for bone health.

EXCESS CORTISOL

When we feel stressed, our adrenal glands increase the production of cortisol which in excessive amounts can also cause a loss of bone density. While Cushings Disease is known to cause bone loss as a result of excess cortisol production, few health practitioners have linked osteoporosis and stress as a risk from too much cortisol. As bone loss occurs very slowly, the toll of a stressful lifestyle may not be felt until we enter middle age when it is more difficult to increase bone density.

STRESS MANAGEMENT

In addition to conducting a lifestyle assessment, there is broad agreement on steps that can be taken to reduce our stress. These include:

1. Spending more time in quiet places...sitting quietly or meditating
   


2. Exercising outdoors. (walking, jogging, cycling and swimming)
   


3. Practicing yoga or tai chi
   


4. Feeding our passions. Doing something each day that we absolutely love to do.
   


5. Listening to beautiful, relaxing music

Relaxation and meditation CDs and MP3s are widely available to help us reduce our stress. And the producers of holographic recordings claim that (with the help of a good headset) the special rhythms and tones of their recordings can bring the listener from Beta (high activity/stress) to Alpha (the relaxation response) and even to Theta (an even slower wave length attained during meditation.)

Osteoporosis and stress do not have to be linked together if we exercise, eat well and take time for ourselves. Our bones can remain strong throughout our long lives... if we live a life of joy and of balance.

For information on inexpensive vitamins that address osteoporosis and stress....visit http://osteoporosis-vitamins.com/osteoporosis-treatment-guidelines.html

Bone Loss and You - How to Handle Osteoporosis

If you have been diagnosed with osteoporosis, you're certainly not alone. Ten million Americans currently suffer from this disease, and 80% of those are women. It's something that one out of every two women will have to deal with in her lifetime. Just imagine a group of ten of your friends and know that the odds are that five of them will have osteoporosis.

There is a great deal of information available on osteoporosis, and new product development and research are being done to help prevent this disease. So what does that mean for you?

One of the most important steps you can take in living with osteoporosis is to be informed. Osteoporosis can take women by surprise, because there are very few symptoms in the early years. You can go decades without knowing that you have osteoporosis. In many cases, a diagnosis isn't made until a serious fracture occurs, which can be devastating.

As with most diseases, early detection is a key factor to managing osteoporosis. Bone density scans can be ordered by your doctor on a regular schedule. This way, you know if your bones are weakening over the years. If a loss of bone density is revealed, there are steps you can take to improve your condition.

There are many steps you can take to prevent osteoporosis from worsening. Simple changes in diet and nutrition can help slow or stop bone loss. Adding a calcium supplement as well as vitamin D daily is an important step.

Additionally, talk to your doctor about adding weight bearing exercise, as well as general fitness activities like walking or bike riding to your routine. If you have already suffered a fracture, you may benefit from physical therapy to improve your bone health.

If you smoke or drink excessively, you should consider the health risks involved in these activities. These both decrease the absorption of calcium, which can weaken bones.

There is a wide variety of treatment options for osteoporosis. These range from hormone replacement therapy, which is very effective for women who are menopausal, to other medications that can help slow or stop bone loss. Some medications are taken daily, while the newest types of drugs can be administered once a month or even once a year. There are certainly a number of choices to discuss with your health provider. Be sure to talk about the benefits of each, as well as possible side effects.

You can start tackling osteoporosis even before it starts. It's never too early to build strong bones and start living a healthy lifestyle. Knowing how to prevent and treat osteoporosis will help you maintain an active lifestyle and avoid life threatening falls and fractures later in life.

Know the Cause of Osteoporosis and How to Cure Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a disease that affects a lot of people every year. It is a disease that affects the bone density, it makes your bone density lesser and it will make your bone more easy to have a fractures. A lot of people don't know when or how do they get osteoporosis, they knew when they have osteoporosis when they check their health in hospital. There are reasons why people are having osteoporosis, and some of them are really dangerous.

Osteoporosis happens when an imbalance between the new bones and when the body is trying to absorb the old bone. And then If your body does not produce enough new bone, you will get osteoporosis. If your body does not absorb old bone quickly enough, you will still get osteoporosis. At young age, the body makes new bones from calcium and phosphate. And by the time we are old enough, your body will not the same when you are young, the way the body absorb the calcium and phosphate are different.

Women are more easily to have osteoporosis than men due to menopause. When women arrive in menopause phase, their estrogen levels decrease significantly, because that will increasing the chance for having osteoporosis. That is why for women, it is suggested to take calcium supplement when in menopause phase, to cover the bone loss. Eating disorders like anorexia or bulimia also have a big chance having osteoporosis. These diseases makes your bone more fragile over time, because calcium and phosphate in the body is not in a proper amount, because it doesn't allow the vitamins to enter your body.

It is better if you go to your doctor, and check your bone density to know are you having an osteoporosis or not. By knowing it, you could prevent it or cure osteoporosis. Now days, for osteoporosis there are already a way to prevent or maybe to cure that. By taking the right supplement for your body, it will increase your bone density, makes you more stronger than before.

Strontium For Osteoporosis Treatment? Calcium and Vitamin D Are Essential For Success

Strontium is a dual-action agent that both reduces bone resorption and increases high quality bone formation. One pharmaceutical company claims that it could fundamentally change the treatment paradigm of patients with osteoporosis.

WHAT IS STRONTIUM?

Strontium is one of the most abundant elements on our planet. There is a higher percentage of strontium in the earth's crust than carbon... and it is the most abundant trace element in our oceans. Of special interest to people concerned about osteoporosis is that the human body contains approximately 320 mg. of strontium-most of which can be found in the bones and connective tissue.

Unlike the radioactive strontium-90 that contaminated our food and water after nuclear weapon testing in the 50s, natural strontium has been used for osteoporosis treatment long before the pharmaceutical industry took an interest in bone health.

WHAT DOES THE RESEARCH SAY?

Research has shown that strontium can make a significant contribution to bone health without any apparent side effects. From 2002 to 2007, the French pharmaceutical company Servier conducted a study on 1,649 women with osteoporosis over a three year period and found an increase of 14.4 percent in lumbar bone mineral density and 8.3 percent increase in the femoral neck. A later study conducted over five years on 5,000 women with osteoporosis found a 9.8% improvement in total hip density.

CALCIUM AND VITAMIN D ARE ESSENTIAL

While strontium is clearly an outstanding form of osteoporosis treatment, it only improves bone health when combined with 1,500 mg of calcium and 800 IUs of vitamin D daily. To complicate things further, calcium supplements are best absorbed in 500 mg. increments and when taken with meals. Strontium, on the other hand, is most effective when taken on an empty stomach (2-3 hours after a calcium supplement or meal) and before going to bed.

Many people find this regime too demanding. In recognition of this, pharmaceutical companies have developed drugs that can be taken once a week and are now searching for a pill or injection that can be taken annually in a doctor's office. These solutions, however, are often accompanied by significant side effects.

For those who have the discipline and determination to take three pills a day....strontium is an invaluable alternative for osteoporosis treatment. It is also an affordable treatment, as a program of strontium citrate, calcium, vitamin D, magnesium and vitamin K can be purchased for less than $200 a year.

Backed by Science, Rhythmic Bioidentical Hormones Reverse Osteoporosis

A condition in which bones become thin and porous as a result of calcium loss, osteoporosis affects women eight times more than men. A bone scan can determine if one has this condition. Statistics say that one in two women over age fifty, or a woman in menopause, will suffer at least one lifetime fracture from osteoporosis. There is recent evidence that biomimetic rhythmic bioidentical hormone therapy can prevent osteoporosis.

Research studies have also shown that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) lowers the risk of osteoporosis-related hip fractures and other fractures in postmenopausal women. When we run out of estrogen and progesterone hormones, our bones begin to die very quickly. Bones have their own life cycle or metabolism, a rhythm of growth and death governed by estrogen and progesterone. The fall off of estrogen during perimenopause means no peak of estrogen activity to make progesterone receptors which would build bone. This is the beginning of osteoporosis.

Estrogen controls osteoclast activity. Osteoclasts are bone cells that "eat up" old bone for disposal. Progesterone controls osteoblastic activity. Osteoblasts are bone cells that build fresh new bone. In this case progesterone grows bone, and estrogen takes it away so that new bone can grow again next month. Without this balanced interplay, one of two things can happen: Without estrogen, bone would overgrow into a cancer- like state, or without progesterone, unopposed estrogen would make bones thin, fragile, and porous - osteoporotic.

Women in menopause who take rhythmic hormones are seeing reversal of bone loss, and the end of osteoporosis. Why? Because it is rhythmic biomimetic bioidentical hormone replacement that helps slow bone thinning or loss and causes an increase in bone thickness. Estrogen replacement alone, because it takes away bone, should be bad for osteoporosis and seems to be so in conventional low doses. Estrogen replacement helps for a little while because it does prevent apoptosis in the bone-building cells, the osteoblasts; but, unless progesterone comes in to stimulate osteoblasts, not much bone grows from estrogen replacement alone.

Newer drugs on the market act to stimulate osteoblasts in an artificial way. But it can't be good. Living on drugs that exacerbates bone growth is the epitome of "moving a marble." Increasing supplemental calcium is really pretty useless. No claims have ever been made by the medical establishment that increasing calcium can really prevent or cure osteoporosis.

Natural transdermal, bioidentical hormone replacement prescribed in a normal rhythmic cycle can do what none of those approaches can do: revive your bones. Biomimetic hormone restoration therapy is accurate, it's biomimetic and mimics the up and down rhythms of hormone blood levels in a normal menstrual cycle.

Patients on rhythmic bioidentical hormones and their doctors are raving about the turnaround in bone density scans, saying that it is a remarkable benefits from taking rhythmic bioidentical hormones. A Santa Fe medical practitioner, Doctor Deb Werenko said in a YouTube interview, "Some of my patients have anxiety and depression, bone loss, hot flashes, or low libido, and all those things seem to improve dramatically when I start them on the rhythmic biomimetic hormone replacement therapy. Osteoporosis - I'm seeing reversal; libido and relationship issues seem to improve, and I have exciting, exciting results."

Osteoporosis, Heartburn And Celiac Disease: Is A Gluten-Free Diet Safer Than Prilosec For Reflux

Osteoporosis may be increased by acid reflux medications: Osteoporosis is increased by long-term use of acid blocker medications called proton pump inhibitors (PPI's), like nexium, prilosec, and prevacid according to a new study. These PPI medications consistently are at the top of the list of most commonly prescribed drugs. Prilosec OTC is also available without a prescription. When heartburn, the primary symptom of acid reflux, is chronic doctors usually prescribe PPI's like nexium.

Heartburn is a common unrecognized symptom of celiac disease:

Most doctors are unaware that heartburn is a common symptom of undiagnosed celiac disease. Most are also unaware that osteoporosis is a common complication of this disorder. As a result, medications that may cause or worsen osteoporosis are being given to or taken by people who have heartburn due to unrecognized CD. The result is that the misdiagnosis of the root cause of the problem leads to treatment that may also be causing or worsening osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis, though it increases with age, occurs earlier in bowel diseases:

The prevalence is less than 15% at age 50 but increases to almost 30% at age 60, 50% at age 70 and 70% at age 80. As a practicing gastroenterologist I have noted an increasing number of below 60-year-old women and many more men who have been diagnosed with osteoporosis who have never been screened for celiac disease or inflammatory bowel disease, both intestinal conditions commonly associated with an increase risk of osteoporosis.

Few doctors are aware that osteoporosis and heartburn are associated with celiac:

One study has highlighted the unawareness of primary care doctors that osteoporosis is associated with celiac disease. A large survey documented that less than half of doctors are aware that osteoporosis is a manifestation of celiac disease. Heartburn is also a common symptom also not commonly recognized by doctors as a manifestation of celiac disease. Gluten ingestion can impair gastric emptying resulting in more gastro-esophageal reflux. Initiation of a gluten-free diet has been shown to diminish reflux symptoms and result in the healing of esophagitis.

Reflux symptoms respond to a gluten-free diet:

Several patients I have evaluated for reflux symptoms, particularly when these symptoms were poorly controlled or the patient was considering surgery rather than take daily medications, were found to have celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity. In my experience, reflux symptoms frequently dramatically improve on a gluten free diet.

The positive effect of a gluten-free diet in relieving heartburn is not limited to celiac disease:

The beneficial effect of a gluten-free diet has been observed not only in celiac disease patients but also in those not meeting strict diagnostic criteria for CD. Prior to starting a gluten-free diet I took a daily proton pump inhibitor myself. After a GFD, I occasionally experience heartburn when I drink too much coffee or combine coffee, alcohol and chocolate in the same meal. In my opinion, everyone with significant heartburn or a diagnosis of reflux disease should be screened for gluten sensitivity and/or consider a trial of GFD.

How much does celiac disease increase the risk of osteoporosis?

How much celiac disease increases osteoporosis is debated. Studies have shown from small increases (1.5-1.8 times) to much larger (3-5 times) increases of osteoporosis in CD. Such increased risk has prompted for calls for screening all people with celiac disease for osteoporosis and all people with osteoporosis for celiac disease.

Increased risk of osteoporosis raises concern about long-term use of acid blocking medication:

With this new study raising the concern about long-term use of acid blocking medications causing an increase risk of osteoporosis and the frequently unrecognized association of heartburn with undiagnosed celiac disease the use of these medications without excluding CD and considering this side effect is dangerous. Do not blindly accept a doctor's offer to write you a prescription for acid blocker medications without looking further into the possible causes of your heartburn as well as the risks of simply treating your symptom with a medication that may actually be worsening the complication risks of an underlying undiagnosed problem that can be simply treated by diet.

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