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Preventing
Osteoporosis
Dr. Bradley Bongiovanni
What
is Osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis is a disease to be considered early in a
woman's life -- you can and will affect the health of your bones by the
decisions you make early in life.
You may already be familiar with osteoporosis. It is
a skeletal disease -- literally meaning "porous bones" -- that is
characterized by low bone mass and deterioration of bone tissue leading to bone
fragility and susceptibility to fracture. And it is also, sadly, one of the
most prevalent bone diseases in Western societies.
A woman's maximum bone mass is reached at 30 to 35
years old, naturally declining at a rate of about 2% per year after that. How
you live before the mid-thirties influences your maximum bone mass, and thus
it's important to consider later-life bone health at an earlier age.
Risk
Factors
The mechanics of healthy bones can be looked at as a
balance between building bone (osteoblastic activity) and loosing bone
(osteoclastic activity), and this balance can be affected in several ways. Some
habits like weight bearing exercise increases bone mass. Other habits leach
calcium out of the bone: soda, for example, contains phosphate which tends to
pull calcium out of the bone in a dose dependent fashion (Journal of Pediatrics
1995), and given that the average North American consumes up to 3-4 quarts of
soda per week; this is a cause for concern. Most sodas contain sugars that make
the situation worse, as sugar will increase the urinary excretion of calcium
(British Journal of Urology 78).
Diets too high in animal proteins tend to have acidic
breakdown products, which require calcium to be drawn out of the bone to buffer
the pH (Journal Gerontology. 1981). This is probably one of the reasons that
vegetarians tend to fair better with osteoporosis (American Journal Clin. Nutr.
97).
Many readers will be familiar with the positive
effect that estrogen has on bone health. It is one reason why many women use
hormone replacement therapy during and after menopause. And indeed it's
important to maintain a healthy estrogen balance throughout a woman's life (which
is often reflected by a normal and healthy menstrual cycle). Amenorrhea, for
example, is a condition that halts menstruation before menopause, often as a
result of low body weight. This is also a risk factor for osteoporosis, again
reinforcing the idea that all-around health is crucial to bone health.
Smoking is a risk factor for osteoporosis because
tobacco increases estrogen metabolism by the liver (i.e. estrogen is cleared
more quickly). Smokers, in fact, can have up to two and a half times the risk
of hip fractures. So quit as soon as you can.
We can stand to learn a lot about bone health if we
look to other cultures. It has long been acknowledged that women from Asian
countries have lower rates of osteoporosis, perimenopausal symptoms, heart disease,
and breast cancer when compared to women in North America. Why is this so?
Researchers believe much of it has to do with their diet.
Osteoporosis
and Nutrition
Traditional Japanese and Chinese diets tend to be
high in important medicinal compounds called phytoestrogens. They are
hormone-like (non-steroidal) compounds found in over 300 plants. There are 3
main classes of phytoestrogen compounds, the most important being the phenolic
class, which includes the isoflavones and lignans. Flaxseeds are a rich source
of lignans that have shown to help prevent breast cancer. Asian diets are
estimated to have between 50 to 150 mg of isoflavones per day.
There are other nutrients needed to maintain healthy
bones. Calcium is important, and should be bound in an easily absorbable form
such as citrate, malate or fumarate. Vitamin D is important for bone health and
helps the intestinal absorption of calcium. Not to be overlooked is zinc, which
is essential in normal bone formation. Magnesium influences the matrix of the
bone upon which the calcium can be inserted. Boron can decrease urinary
excretion of calcium, and don't forget that Vitamin C also supports bone
health.
Preventing osteoporosis throughout one's life,
starting at an early age, is the key.
But the principles are relevant in treatment of the disease also. If you
are suffering from osteoporosis, habits that lower bone mass should also be
avoided: drinks containing phosphates, smoking and alcohol. Phytoestrogens can help support the bones
with the proper nutrients. Osteoporosis
prevention is something to consider early in life. Consider minimizing habits that will lower
the maximum bone mass that you will achieve in your thirties.
Dr. Bongiovanni is a Naturopathic Doctor and the director of Wholistic
Medicine Specialists of
The Highest Level is the monthly e-mail newsletter of the
© Humber Parkerson Clinic 2006
April 2006 issue of The Highest Level
