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Osteoporosis today affects approximately 10 million people aged over 50 years in the United States and with another 30 million or more at risk. Osteoporosis is disease of the bones that leads to an increased risk of fracture more common in women after menopause. One of the major contributing factors to osteoporosis is withdrawal of estrogen during menopause in women. However it poses a significant threat to more than 2 million men in the United States. After age 50, 6 percent of all men will experience a hip fracture and 5 percent will have a vertebral fracture as a result of osteoporosis.
Human and animal experiments have recently implicated pro-inflammatory chemicals in the body that result in accelerated bone loss at menopause including interleukin-1, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and interleukin-6. Increased production of these chemicals is associated with increased bone loss in a number of disease states including rheumatoid arthritis, periodontitis, and multiple myeloma; estrogen withdrawal is associated with increased production of these pro-inflammatory chemicals.₁
So given this knowledge, how can it be applied? There are lifestyle changes that can be made to lessen inflammation and once a hormonal imbalance has been identified there are herbal and nutritional supplements that can be used to address the specific imbalance. Eating a less pro-inflammatory diet is helpful-such as avoiding grain-fed beef and foods containing trans-fats, cutting down on grain consumption, and eating frequent small meals, to name a few. Supplementing with calcium, magnesium, Vitamin D & K may be necessary.
Drugs given for heartburn and reflux (such as Nexium and Priliosec) have been shown to increase the risk of osteoporosis.₂ These problems can often  be treated naturally through dietary changes, digestive aids and probiotics. These medications are also know to cause headache, nausea, diarrhea, abdominal pain, fatigue, dizziness and B₁₂ deficiency. Why not prevent the fire, rather than have to put it out daily with a medication?
If you think you may have osteoporosis, make an appointment today with us to evaluate why your body is so out of balance that you cannot maintain your bone strength. We will evaluate your diet, supplements, bone density tests, bone markers in your blood tests and check for any hormonal imbalance. In addition to helping your bones become stronger, you will find that your overall health and vitality will improve.
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₁ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18240539
₂ http://generalmedicine.suite101.com/article.cfm/proton_pump_inhibitors_and_osteoporosis |
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