OSTEOPOROSIS

What To Do About Osteoporosis
September 10th, 2007

A lot of HSI readers have been asking about mainstream osteoporosis drugs like Boniva, Fosamax, and Reclast – the newest once-a-year IV treatment. They’ve been concerned about potential side effects, and want to know if there are any safe, natural, effective alternatives out there. There are, and we’ll get to those in a minute.

But first let’s address the potential side effects of standard prescription drugs for osteoporosis. There are different brands of osteoporosis drugs – though most are in the same class of drugs called bisphosponates – and each comes with its own (pretty long) list of negative side effects. As you’d expect, though, there’s a lot of side effect crossover within the bisphosphonate family.
Typically, bisphosphonates (which include drugs such as Fosamax, Boniva and Actonel) require standing for at least 30 minutes (sometimes as long as 60 minutes) after you take them – no drinking or eating during that time, either. That’s because they’re hard for your body to absorb. Along with that annoyance – and, believe me, you HAVE to do it if you take these drugs – come the side effects (to keep this post from getting too long, I’ve only included about a dozen).

These may include:
· flu-like symptoms· diarrhea or constipation· bloody vomit· bone, joint, and muscle pain· back, arm and leg pain· headaches· eye pain· painful urination· blisters or peeling skin· swollen or painful gums· jawbone problems, including numbness and heaviness· death of the jawbone (yes, you read that right) Luckily, you have a lot of safe, natural choices when it comes to treating and preventing osteoporosis. Here are a couple of the most studied. For a more complete listing of alternatives, you can search through the HSI Archives.

Monitor your minerals. Most people load up on the calcium when they’re worried about osteoporosis, but that’s NOT the right thing to do. What’s even more important than getting enough calcium is absorbing and retaining enough calcium. In fact, just taking calcium mega-doses can negatively impact your overall health. Instead of increasing your calcium intake, make sure you’re getting enough of these supporting players: magnesium, manganese, potassium, Vitamin D, Vitamin C, Vitamin B-12, phosphorous, boron and plenty of essential fatty acids (like omega-3s).

Try going gluten-free. More than 1.5 million people in the U.S. may have celiac disease (CD), a condition in which gluten (a component of grains) reduces the small intestine’s ability to absorb essential nutrients, including calcium. Unfortunately, many people don’t even know they have it. But a 2005 study found a strong link between CD and osteoporosis. When newly diagnosed CD patients switched to gluten-free diets, their bone density improved.

To learn about one proven natural bone-building formula, check out this free report from the HSI research team.

Hope says: there are natural and more effective ways to treat osteoporosis. Please check them out before going the drug route!