Health Articles

Osteoporosis is clearly a major problem in our modern world. A woman’s chance of having an osteoporosis-related fracture today is 10 times greater than being diagnosed with breast cancer and 5 times more likely than having a heart attack.

The problem today is that in the last 30 years, we have been led to believe that drugs are the answer for all of our ailments. The reality is, our diet and lifestyle determine our overall health, not drugs. Specifically regarding osteoporosis, the bisphosphonates commonly prescribed for osteoporosis are not as effective as we have been led to believe and we are finding out that they are more dangerous than we had previously thought.

Since exercise and proper nutrition are more effective than drugs, it only makes sense for people to consider medication if they have very severe osteoporosis or have suffered from an osteoporosis-related fracture. Bone has a dense outer coating, called cortical bone, and an inner sponge-like filling, called trabecular bone. Once the bone loses its trabecular bridges, drugs cannot build them back. The build-up of bone from a drug is primarily thickening of cortical bone. That may look better on a DEXA scan but it really has little effect on the bones ability to resist fracture.

We know that the size and strength of muscles and bone decrease with age. We know that certain factors can accelerate or slow this decline. The strength and density of bone over time is directly proportional to the strength of the muscle that moves that bone. Just as muscles build with regular exercise, the bone strengthens and increases its density too, right along with muscle.

Millions of women have been falsely led to believe that there is a correlation between osteoporosis and the inadequate intake of dairy foods. Contrary to popular belief, you do not need dairy products to get sufficient calcium. Every natural food contains calcium. When you eat a healthy diet, rich in natural foods such as vegetables, beans, nuts, and seeds, it is impossible not to obtain sufficient calcium. In fact, the addition of more natural plant foods to the diet has been shown to have a powerful effect on increasing bone density and bone health. Researchers found that those who eat the most fruits and vegetables have denser bones. These researchers concluded that fruits and vegetables are not only rich in potassium, magnesium, calcium and other nutrients essential for bone health, but, because they are alkaline, not acid-producing, they do not induce urinary calcium loss. Green vegetables in particular have a powerful effect on reducing hip fractures, for they are rich not only in calcium but other nutrients as well, such a vitamin K, which is crucial for bone health.

Green vegetables also have calcium absorption rates of over 50 percent, compared with about 32 percent for milk. And, since animal protein induces calcium excretion in the urine, compared to dairy, the calcium retention from vegetables is higher. All green vegetables are high in calcium.

Despite the debate surrounding milk and osteoporosis and how much calcium is ideal, one thing is clear: adequate calcium is important for reducing the risk of osteoporosis. And when women supplement their diet with extra calcium, hip fractures do decrease. A combination supplement containing 800 IU of Vitamin D along with calcium has been shown to reduce both bone loss and hip fractures. 
Calcium should not be taken in excessive doses and I recommend that, if supplemented, calcium should be in the 400 – 600 mg range, not the 1000 – 2000 mg range. In conclusion, a modest increase in calcium via supplementation is appropriate for most people, but real food should supply a good percentage of your calcium intake to achieve the right balance of supportive nutrients to maximize bone health.