The ‘med’ that can keep your bones from breaking
What does CHMP, the scientific arm of the European food and drug authority, know that our FDA doesn’t?
It must be something… because it just gave a big “thumbs-down” to the approval of an osteoporosis med that was greenlit by the FDA last year.
That drug, sold under the brand name Tymlos in the U.S., is just too dangerous, the CHMP committee members said. And its benefits don’t outweigh its risks.
The FDA, on the other hand, was apparently looking the other way when it came to the vertigo, nausea, heart palpitations, too-low blood pressure, dangerous levels of blood calcium, and the not-so-little matter of bone cancer that were all warned about on the Tymlos packaging.
But Tymlos is only one of several extremely dicey drugs now available to treat osteoporosis. Put together, these meds make up a smorgasbord of horrific side effects.
Meanwhile, researchers in Brazil are looking at other ways to prevent this condition. And the only “side effects” that I can see from their approach involve dropping a few pounds, preventing diabetes, slowing down the aging process, and keeping your brain sharp as a tack.
Oh, and strengthening your bones!
Good to the bone
Osteoporosis is, to be sure, a frightening prospect. After a certain age, suffering a bad break can be life-altering.
But that worry doesn’t go away if you decide to try one of Big Pharma’s “solutions.”
Because top sellers such as Boniva, Fosamax, and Reclast are all linked to increased risk of bone fractures, including “unusual” breaks in the femur, or thighbone, which just so happens to be the longest and strongest bone in your body.
How’s that for irony?
Meanwhile, executives at Radius Health, which makes Tymlos, aren’t going to let that European setback worry them, as they plan to “remain focused” on building sales for the drug in the U.S.
Yikes!
Even if the loss of sales across the pond doesn’t rock their billion-dollar bone boat, however, it’s likely that the Brazilian findings will.
Because according to this new research, what can help women keep their bones strong after menopause is none other than the Mediterranean diet!
In fact, the researchers went so far as to call this way of eating a “non-medical strategy” in preventing osteoporosis.
We’ve told you a lot of good news about the Mediterranean diet in past eAlerts, but this is the first time that the diet has been studied to find out if it can do what all of those risky meds claim to do (that is, if they don’t cause your bones to break first!) — increase bone density.
Specifically, the Brazilian scientists found that this “Med” can significantly increase both spine bone-mineral density and muscle mass
HSI panel member Dr. Mark Stengler is one of the Mediterranean diet’s biggest fans, and he’s called it the “miracle ‘drug’ the world’s been waiting for.” It’s can help add years to your life, he says, as well as prevent diabetes, slow aging, and keep your brain sharp.
Hopefully, using extra-virgin olive oil – one of the hallmarks of the Mediterranean diet — is an established part of your kitchen routine, but to get all of the benefits this approach to eating has to offer, you’ll also need to do two things:
- Add more fruits and veggies, beans, and lentils to your diet. Plus, try to up servings of fish (at least four times a week) and nuts, which you should use in your cooking and snack on during the day.
- Subtract processed foods and Frankenfood oils such as canola, corn, and soy, and cut down on sugar, red meat, and dairy.
And if you have any more doubts about making the switch to this way of eating, you’ll be pleased to know that having a glass of wine with dinner is a Mediterranean-diet staple!
“Benefits of Mediterranean diet extend to bone health” Kristen Monaco, March 19, 2018, Medpage Today, medpagetoday.com
