Osteoporosis – Where to turn?

Osteoporosis Question – What alternative treatments are available?

When your doctor says “osteoporosis” – what then?

An HSI member named Geraldine writes: “My bone density test shows a bone degenerative condition. I would like an alternative ‘help’ but doctor wants me to take an osteoporosis drug. Can you help me?”

Before resorting to drug use, Geraldine should be aware of two important osteoporosis guidelines: One is a key nutrient that most of us probably need more of anyway, and one is a dietary condition to avoid.

B-12 for bones

We’ll start with a quick note about calcium – the mineral on the frontline of osteoporosis defense. Most people are not aware that calcium is poorly absorbed. That problem can be alleviated with a higher intake of magnesium, which helps improve calcium absorption. But there’s still another important nutrient we can add.

In the e-Alert “Skeleton Key” (3/17/04), I told you about a three-year study that compared B-12 levels with bone mineral density (BMD) in more than 80 women over the age of 65. Researchers at the University of California found that women with the lowest levels of B-12 had a significantly higher risk of bone loss and fractures compared to women with the highest levels.

Another study used data collected from the Framingham Offspring Osteoporosis Study. When Tufts University researchers examined the association between BMD and B-12 levels in more than 2,500 men and women, they found that subjects of either gender who had B-12 concentrations of less than 148 pM, had significantly lower BMD on average compared to subjects with B-12 over 148 pM. (“pM” is a gram-fraction measurement, and “148 pM” designates the cutoff point between an adequate B-12 level and B-12 deficiency.)

The Tuft team concluded: “B-12 deficiency may be an important modifiable risk factor for osteoporosis.” For more details on vitamin B-12, see the e-Alert “Second Wind” 11/29/05, which you find at this link:
http://www1.youreletters.com/t/407369/14253014/789802/0/

Grain gets in the way

Another factor that plays a key role in osteoporosis risk is celiac disease (CD).

More than 1.5 million people in the U.S. may have celiac disease, a condition in which gluten (a component of grains) reduces the small intestine’s ability to absorb essential nutrients, such as calcium and magnesium. Unfortunately, the symptoms of celiac disease are often so subtle that many people don’t even know they have it.

A study reported in the Archives of Internal Medicine last year investigated the link between celiac disease and osteoporosis in 840 subjects (260 had osteoporosis). Blood tests revealed that CD was much more common among subjects with osteoporosis. In addition, subjects with the most severe cases of celiac disease tended to have the most severe cases of osteoporosis.

Subjects who were diagnosed with CD were asked to follow a gluten-free diet for one year. BMD (measured before and after the follow up year) was considerably improved in subjects who followed the non-gluten diet.