Six weeks ago, my 86 year old mother, Elizabeth, was out walking her rather large dog. Suddenly the animal bolted, which caused her to fall and fracture her hip. She was taken by ambulance to the Emergency Room. The next day a pin was surgically inserted to hold the bone together.

Thanks to the Renewal Program, her rate of healing has been extremely rapid. In fact, two weeks after the accident she was moving about with the help of a walker, and by one month she was able to go back to independent living. At six weeks, she no longer needs a walker. It may be a while, however, before she’ll be able to return to jogging two miles twice a week!

Most people her age with similar fractures don’t fare as well. They either never return to independent living at all or take far longer. In fact, the statistics are grim: because of accelerating health problems associated with loss of mobility, 25% die within a year after such a fracture. With attention to bone health, most of these fractures could be prevented.

Osteoporosis is a very common disease

My mom is not that different from most elderly people. An estimated 20 million Americans suffer from osteoporosis (OP). Fully one third of all people mom’s age have suffered at least one osteoporotic fracture. Though the disease affects both sexes, women are at greater risk than men. This debilitating disease causes 1.3 million fractures a year, usually of the vertebrae, hip, or wrist bones.

One third of all postmenopausal women in the United States suffer from osteoporosis. Women experience rapid loss of bone density in the first five years after menopause, which begins around age 45 when hormone production begins to decline. Virtually all women will lose 5-10% of bone mass in the first five years following menopause, unless they boost their hormone levels. After the initial sudden drop, bone loss drops off to about 1% a year, but these small amounts add up as the years go by: the cumulative effect from age 45 to 70 can amount to a 20-30% loss, or more.

Osteoporosis affects men as well, but because they do not experience the sudden decline in hormone levels, bone loss starts later in life and is more gradual.

OP can be prevented, halted, and even reversed through a program of natural therapies including natural hormone replacement therapy, calcium supplements, and the bone-building phytonutrient ipriflavone, along with a vegetarian diet and regular exercise.

Why hadn’t the Renewal program prevented Mom’s osteoporosis?

One might ask why Mom had osteoporosis at all, since she had been on the Renewal Program for over a decade. Understanding the answer to this question can be very helpful for people who want to prevent osteoporosis. When mom was younger, during her twenties, thirties, and forties, she should have been building her bone reserves in preparation for the perimenopausal bone loss that was to come. But at that time we did not have the understanding of how to prevent osteoporosis that we have now. We did not realize how important it was to build bone mass at younger ages (see how below), in preparation for the declining hormone levels and consequent loss of bone mass that occur with menopause.

Back then, we also did not know how to replace hormones safely. (Now we do: see Renewal, chapters 32 and 35). Because we knew there were serious risks associated with unnatural hormone replacement (which was all that was available at the time), I had recommended that she not take hormones at all until the cancer problem was solved. We figured the cancer risk was far greater then the osteoporosis. So she stayed off hormones and her bones weakened. Prior to her fall, the Renewal Program, with calcium supplementation, daily exercise, and natural hormones had helped her to regain much of her lost bone. But unfortunately not enough to prevent the fracture.

Who is at risk?

• Women (especially those with a family history of osteoporosis)
• Men, though the disease starts at a later age
• Smokers
• Drinkers
• Non-vegetarians
• Couch potatoes--inactivity causes loss of bone
• People who are not on a supplement program
• Women who do not take supplemental hormones

  What causes osteoporosis?

  The three factors most responsible for osteoporosis are: declining hormone levels, inadequate nutrition, and insufficient exercise. Let’s take a look at each

  Declining levels of estrogen and progesterone in women. Estrogen deficiency is the most widely publicized cause of osteoporosis. When estrogen levels decline with menopause, osteoclastic activity increases, and more bone is lost. Estrogen does not cause new bone growth. It merely prevents excessive bone loss by controlling osteoclasts--the cells that remove old bone.

  Progesterone deficiency is less widely appreciated as a cause of osteoporotic bone loss. However, it is now well established that a lack of sufficient progesterone causes understimulation of the osteoblasts, the cells that cause new bone growth.

  Declining levels of testosterone in men have been shown to be correlated with loss of bone mass. Replacement therapy with testosterone will stop the loss and encourage new bone growth. Testosterone levels can be easily obtained at any clinical laboratory. If total or free testosterone is low, a physician can prescribe replacement therapy.

  Replacement therapy with natural versions of estrogen and progesterone reverses bone loss.

  Inadequate nutrition. This can manifest in many ways. The Standard American Diet (aptly acronymed SAD) is responsible for an epidemic of OP. The processed foods, soft drinks, excessive sugar, high protein, and high fat consumption all work together to weaken bones. Consumption of caffeinated beverages (including colas and cappuccinos) causes increased calcium excretion. Sugar disturbs mineral balance and cause calcium loss. Most soft drinks contain phosphates, which draw calcium out of the bones. Sugar, soft drinks, processed foods, animal foods, dairy products, coffee, alcohol, and fried foods all have an acidifying effect on the body, and this draws calcium out of the bones (to neutralize the excess acid). Consuming a diet containing protein animal foods overloads the body with amino acids, and the excess acid is neutralized using calcium leeched from bones. (One study showed double the bone loss in carnivores as compared to vegetarians). Last but not least, insufficient dietary calcium blocks formation of strong bones.

  Inadequate nutrition also encompasses supplementation. We all know calcium is crucial, but many other nutrients are also necessary for bone health. Vitamin D, and the mineral boron, for example are nutrients that enhance calcium absorption. Magnesium, zinc, copper, and manganese are often deficient minerals necessary for strong bones.

  Insufficient exercise. For bones to be healthy they must be used.

  Testing for osteoporosis

  The earliest symptom of OP is height loss-due to vertebrae shrinking. A height loss of 1/2 inch is significant. You do not want to wait until this happens.

  All women should obtain a baseline bone mineral density test in their early forties, followed by a repeat test 6-12 months later. Men who are at risk, smokers, sedentary people, and anyone who consumes fast food on a regular basis should also get a baseline measurement in their forties.

  Regular X-rays and CATScans are useless, as they are not sensitive enough to detect bone loss early enough. DEXA (dual energy X-ray absorptiometry) is the most commonly used method, and the best. DEXA is 95-98% accurate, and can detect a 3-5% bone mass change. DEXA has largely replaced DPA (dual photon absorptiometry) which has an unacceptably high error rate. Bones of the lumbar spine should be included in the examination. If loss of bone mass is detected, repeat exams at 6 and 12 months will reveal whether a bone rebuilding treatment program is working.

  Treating osteoporosis

  These methods are safe and effective. They work synergistically, and thus must be done together. Exercise alone (or just taking calcium supplements, or eating right, or just doing hormone therapy) will not prevent or cure this disease.

  Natural hormone replacement therapy

  For women, a decrease in hormones is the key factor causing osteoporosis. Therefore, hormone replacement is the cornerstone of any treatment or prevention program. But side effects and toxic reactions can result when the replacement hormones don’t look and act like the original ones. So be sure to make it Natural Hormone Replacement Therapy (NHRT).

  "Natural," which means replacing the exact molecule the body makes, and in exactly the same quantity the body makes. The replacement hormone must be structurally identical (or "bioidentical") to that which the body makes. Further, it is supplied in the same quantities that the body would make (a "physiologic dose").

  Note that Premarin, Provera, and other synthetic hormone analogs do not meet these criteria, which is why they cause unwanted side effects and adverse reactions...like cancer. With molecular structures very different from human hormones, these synthetic drugs are the antithesis of natural. These animal derived or synthetic molecular lookalikes bombard hormone receptor sites, overstimulating them in a way that can eventually cause cancer. The use of bioidentical hormones removes the cancer risk from hormone replacement therapy. (For a complete discussion of the difference between natural and unnatural hormone replacement therapy, see chapter 32 of my book, Renewal: The Anti-Aging Revolution.)

  When to begin Progesterone and estrogen levels begin to decline well before menopause, and it is best to begin replacement therapy with natural hormones as soon as this decline begins. Therefore, I recommend testing levels of these hormones beginning at the earliest sign of menopause, and initiating replacement therapy with natural hormones if the results indicate that levels are declining.

  Testosterone levels often decline in men as they reach their late forties and fifties. Testing and replacement if low will arrest bone loss. (Men with lower libido from declining testosterone may also experience an improvement with testosterone replacement.)

  The role of estrogen

  Since estrogen serves to suppress excessive activity of the osteoclasts (which destroy bone) declining estrogen levels means that the balance between new bone growth and old bone resorption will be shifted toward increased absorption--thus bone loss. Estrogen replacement only serves to slow bone resorption, however; it does not stimulate new bone growth. For that we need progesterone.

  The role of progesterone

  The lower levels of progesterone that come with menopause means there will be less stimulation of osteoblasts and therefore less new bone growth. Replacement therapy with natural progesterone stimulates osteoblasts, causing new bone to be laid down. This means osteoporotic bones can heal.

  A clean diet

  Avoid or minimize processed foods, soft drinks, sugar, alcohol, caffeine, fried foods, and animal protein. Eat a vegetarian based diet consisting of foods derived from the New Four Food Groups: grains, beans, fruit, and vegetables. Nuts and seeds are excellent sources of calcium, magnesium, and zinc--all necessary for building bones. Dairy products are not necessary for building or protecting bones, and several studies indicate that because dairy products are high in protein, they actually cause a net loss of bone, despite their high calcium content.

  Pollutants in air, water, and food accelerate OP. Bone damaging heavy metal toxicity can come from a variety of sources, including tap water (aluminum, lead), air pollution, and food sources. Toxic metal contaminants are pervasive in our environment. Antacids, deodorants, soda cans and cooking pans contain aluminum. Most fish contain mercury. For more about toxins, contaminants and pollutants, see Chapter 11 in Renewal: The Anti-Aging Revolution.

  Calcium supplementation

  Best-absorbed forms are calcium citrate, aspartate, or lactate. Avoid the poorly absorbed (and cheaper) carbonate and gluconate forms of calcium. The best bone building calcium supplement products include a variety of bone health enhancing nutrients.

  Ipriflavone

  Ipriflavone is a non-drug phytonutrient that stimulates new bone production. Synthesized from the soy isoflavone daidzein, ipriflavone is a potent antioxidant. Though ipriflavone is not a hormone, it enhances estrogen’s bone-protective effect on osteoclasts. It has been proven as effective in building new bone as Fosamax and other currently prescribed drug therapies.

  More than 60 studies on ipriflavone have been done over the past decade, showing that ipriflavone:

  • Inhibits bone resorption by osteoclasts
  • Enhances bone formation by osteoblasts
  • Increases bone density
  • Decreases fracture rate and risk
  • Prevents and reverses bone loss

  Ipriflavone is a more potent bone builder than calcium or estrogen alone! It is safe and well tolerated. The incidence of side effects in large scale studies was less than placebo.

  The usual daily dose of ipriflavone is 300 mg. twice daily.

  Microcrystalline hydroxyapatite

  Microcrystalline hydroxyapatite (MCHC), is a compound containing the exact balance of components (calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, vitamin K, amino acids, glycosaminoglycans, and other bone constituents) in proportions equal to those found in bone. MCHC has been shown to halt bone loss and restore bone mass in cases of osteoporosis.Other key players in bone health

  Vitamin D

  Vitamin D is necessary for absorption of calcium from the intestinal tract.

  Boron potentiates the bone protective role of estrogen, and facilitates the conversion of vitamin D to its active form.

  Bone growth and healing require optimum availability of a broad range of nutrients, including magnesium, vitamin K (3 mg. a day), folic acid, manganese, vitamin A, vitamin C, zinc, and copper. Since even a perfect diet cannot supply optimum amounts of all of these nutrients, proper prevention requires supplementation. A good multivitamin should be taken along with a calcium/ipriflavone product. Better yet, take a packet of supplements that has been designed to supply all of the essential nutrients, along with extra calcium, bone nutrients, and ipriflavone.

  Hypothyroidism: an often overlooked cause of bone loss

  Low thyroid function can cause or accelerate bone loss, and should be corrected if present. Hypothyroidism is an often-overlooked diagnosis. Although fatigue, anemia, dry skin, cold extremities, depression, allergies, and difficulty losing weight are common symptoms of a low thyroid, it can manifest in many many other way as well. If you suspect Hypothyroidism (or even if you don't, but you just want to be rule it out), do the Basal Metabolic Temperature Test, an easy free test you can do at home. Simply take your morning armpit temperature with a mercury (not a digital) thermometer before arising (or getting out of bed for any reason, since any movement--like going to the bathroom--will raise your temperature and invalidate the test). If your temperatures are consistently below 97.8, you are hypothyroid. Be sure to shake the thermometer down the night before you go to bed, as doing this in the morning will raise your temperature and invalidate the test. For more about how to diagnose and treat hypothyroidism, see Chapter 36 of Renewal: The Anti-Aging Revolution

  Exercise|37>

  Exercise is absolutely essential for maintaining strong healthy bones. Its importance cannot be overemphasized. Weight bearing exercise strengthens bones to prevent fractures. Muscle strengthening exercises improve coordination, which reduces the risk of falls. Some beneficial forms of exercise include walking, jogging, stair climbing, dancing, and tennis. See Chapter 37 of Renewal: The Anti-Aging Revolution for more about the basics of exercise.

  Renewal Research Products for Osteoporosis prevention:

  Renewal Super Osteo Packets

  OsteoRenewal Plus Ipriflavone

  CalPlex

  Calcium Magnesium Aspartate

  Cal-Mag Plus

  Vitamin D 1000 IU