Osteoporosis and Bone Health for Life
By Dr. Alisa Cooper, D.C., C.C.N
www.LiveAndBeWell.com
To understand what osteoporosis is, it is important to know what it is not. Firstly, it is not a disease that affects only women, although more women are affected than men. Actually, 50% of women will suffer an osteoporosis related fracture in their lifetime, as will 20% of all men. Osteoporosis is not a calcium deficiency disease, although calcium, magnesium and other minerals and vitamins are imperative for bone health. It is not an estrogen deficiency disease either, as the pharmaceutical companies might have you believe, although declining estrogen levels during the first few years of menopause can accelerate bone loss for a time. Clearly one thing osteoporosis is not is a simple, clear-cut condition to treat. Osteoporosis is more complicated than most people realize. It is tied to our genetics, diet, nutritional status, and lifestyle, as well as the digestive system, immune system, amount of inflammation in the body and the pH of the blood!
Osteoporosis is a common and potentially debilitating disorder. It can cause painful compression fractures of the spine leading to stooped posture. It can lead to severe hip fractures that rob you of your mobility and independence later in life. And it can cause significant psychological hardship. Osteoporosis costs us not only as individuals, but as a nation too; upwards of 18 billion per year, or $40,000 per hip fracture. Clearly steps must be taken to prevent and treat this disease, preferably in as natural a manner as possible.
A couple of little known facts demonstrate the complexity of our bones. First, our bones are not dry and stagnant structures but rather alive, dynamic and metabolically active. For instance, our bones actually secrete a hormone that influences how food will ultimately be broken down and used for energy! Additionally, certain bone cells are derived from the same lineage as the white blood cells, or soldiers of the immune system. That makes osteoporosis, in part, an immune system disorder. That is why it is important to take very good care of yourself, for what affects your immune system will ultimately affect your bones.
Just like everything else in the body, bone health is a matter of balance: the intricate balance between two different bone cell types: those that form new bone and those that break it down. This constant remodeling of bone keeps it healthy and strong. Just as debris must be cleared away from a construction site, old, damaged bone cells must be removed to make room for new ones. When the immune system is compromised or over-stimulated, we end up breaking down more bone than we should, and that leads to osteoporosis.
Let’s follow the line of reasoning that osteoporosis is in large part, an immune system disorder. And let’s take it at face value that 70% of your immune system cells are located in your gut, which they are. Then it suddenly makes tremendous sense to have your digestive system working at its best. That might mean getting rid of bad bacteria and taking probiotics to re-populate the gut with beneficial bacteria. It might also include taking digestive enzymes to ensure food is adequately broken down and absorbed. For many, it is also advisable to avoid gluten-containing foods that can irritate and inflame the intestines. Internal inflammation, along with an acidic blood pH, sets off reactions that end up over-stimulating the cells that break down bone. These over-stimulated cells, like sharp-toothed piranha, dig very deep pits that weaken the bone and make them susceptible to fracture. And this is just the tip of the osteoporosis iceberg; we haven’t even mentioned nutrition yet!
For bones to function optimally and remain strong throughout life, calcium, magnesium, Vit D, Vit K, and several other vitamins and minerals need to be present in adequate amounts. There are intricate hormonal balancing acts that go on behind the scenes to orchestrate the delivery and function of these nutrients. Certainly, we must go well beyond the basic instructions to “get enough calcium” in the diet in order to prevent and treat osteoporosis. We must take a whole-body approach to bone health.
We need a diet that consists of plentiful fruits and vegetables and adequate lean protein to supply these vital nutrients; the same healthy diet that will keep our blood on the slightly alkaline side. Sugar, along with other refined carbohydrates, acidifies the blood. When our blood is too acidic, calcium is readily leached from the bones in an effort to buffer that acid overload. This results in bones deficient in calcium that are simply more likely to fracture.
Not only must we maintain the proper pH of the blood, we must also be sure to eat calcium rich foods. Sardines, sesame seeds, salmon, almonds, Swiss chard, cooked spinach, bok choy, mustard greens, pinto beans and cheese are all good dietary sources. Such variety explains why most of us have no trouble eating calcium-rich foods. The challenge is in absorbing the calcium, extracting it from the food, and delivering it directly to the bones in a usable form.
One solution is to have an adequate supply of vitamin D in the body. Vitamin D makes your digestive tract more receptive to absorbing calcium. Then it mobilizes the necessary minerals and directs them to the bone. Unfortunately, as we age it becomes more difficult to absorb Vitamin D from the sun though the skin. Likewise, aging intestines are not as efficient at absorbing vitamin D from food, so it is imperative to take it as a supplement.
Magnesium is another vital component of any comprehensive bone building regimen. This mineral helps with proper calcium utilization, and without enough of it, any calcium you ingest above and beyond the body’s need will end up being deposited in the soft tissues, and even in the walls of our arteries. Since dietary intake of magnesium has gone down dramatically over the last 100 years, nearly 80% of Americans are now magnesium deficient and must take supplements to bring levels into the optimal range. Another well-researched supplement for bone health is encapsulated digestive enzymes. Taken with meals, these enzymes break foods down so the calcium can be made readily available. And finally, lactoferrin, also available as a supplement, transports the calcium directly to the bone to increase its density.
Besides eating a healthy diet and taking supplements, eating adequate protein deserves special mention. Protein deficiency causes the muscles to become weak. Muscles normally weaken with aging, and not getting enough protein just makes matters worse. Without strong muscles, the bones have no “motivation” to stay strong. Without anything to support, the bones simply begin to wither. For this reason, we have to exercise moderately and consistently, hopefully at something we enjoy, throughout our entire lives. Not only does exercise strengthen the muscles, but performed against the force of gravity, it puts healthy stress on the skeletal system leading to new bone formation.
Since our number one goal with osteoporosis is to prevent fractures, anything that mineralizes the bones and makes them strong is like putting money in a “bone bank account.” The more deposits you make into your bone bank account, the more you will have on reserve in times of stress, accident, or illness. No single preventative measure is a guarantee, but collectively they go a long way in providing a strong safety net.
In some cases, medication may be necessary to treat severe osteoporosis, but in many cases, very low dose bio-identical estrogen given for the first few years of menopause may help those at high risk. Bio-identical progesterone, available in a cream, has been shown to actually create new bone cells, and may play a significant role in the treatment, and reversal, of osteoporosis at any age. Also, as previously mentioned, it is crucial to keep inflammation at bay. Inflammation, the “silent killer” long implicated in heart disease, is now known to be a factor in osteoporosis. One of the best ways to calm the fires of inflammation is to replace trans fats and fried foods with whole foods and healthy fats such as olive oil, avocado and raw nuts, in moderation. Adding essential fatty acids in the form of a high quality fish or krill oil supplement is also advisable for reducing inflammation.
Lastly, we need to modify our thinking about genetics. We are not necessarily doomed to the same maladies as other family members. Science has shown that our genes are not formed in stone, but are actually more plastic and malleable. For instance, the science called epigenetics explains that genes interact with our diet, the environment, and even our very thoughts. Just because you have a gene for something does not mean that gene will be switched on. We can change, or at least influence, the expression of our genes! Let that fact alone motivate you to make the dietary and lifestyle changes necessary to improve your bone health.
In conclusion, it requires a comprehensive, integrated approach to tackle a disorder as complex and multifaceted as osteoporosis. Cultivating a healthy body, diet, mindset and lifestyle can play a significant role in the treatment and prevention of this common malady. You can start right now to have better bones for life!
