Osteoporosis is bone scurvy, not calcium deficiency

It saddens me to see older women diagnosed with “osteopenia” or “osteoporosis” listening to their doctors and taking calcium supplements and even problematic drugs called bisphosphonates. These are irrational, dogmatic and harmful approaches to the problem of bone breakdown as we age.

In my practice of nephrology and internal medicine, I have seen many patients with vascular disease while taking the recommended doses of calcium. X-rays revealed perfect outlines of calcified blood vessels and calcified heart valves.

Pictured is a calcified mammary artery, often seen in women being treated for hypertension. The main drug used in high blood pressure, a thiazide diuretic, causes the body to retain calcium and lose magnesium and potassium. We also note these types of calcifications in the large arteries of the whole body, not just the breasts. I think these problems are preventable.

The bone matrix will incorporate calcium and nutrients where they belong as long as the proper hormones and nutrients are present. Needless to say, gravitational force in the form of weight-bearing exercises is essential and should be the foundation of a healthy skeleton. Don’t be afraid to exercise with a weight in a backpack if you don’t have disc disease or low back pain.

You should always look at what you can do nutritionally and in relationships to help your body heal itself. Supplements are not a substitute for good nutrition. After all, scientists are constantly discovering new things about food and its interaction with the body that we don’t know.

The first thing to do is search Google or your reference books for foods that contain vitamin C, vitamin K2, magnesium, and minor minerals such as boron and silica. Silica is also important for bones. Also, remember that depression has many causes. Sometimes the cause can be nutritional deficiencies and sometimes depression can result from being locked into unhealthy family dynamics. Controversially, I would also argue that depression can also have spiritual origins.

But if time is of the essence, then supplementation is one avenue that could be taken. While the medical profession supplements with calcium and fosomax, in my opinion a more constructive supplementation regimen could include vitamin C, vitamin K2, vitamin D3 (in winter, sunshine in summer) and boron, silica and magnesium. These are all far more important in preventing fractures and maintaining bone health than calcium.

The calcium will eventually land in the heart muscles, heart valves, and blood vessels, leading to cardiovascular disease. However, if you get enough vitamin C, D3, and K2, your body will direct the calcium you ingest from your diet where it belongs, and not into your heart and blood vessels.

Vitamin C does several things to strengthen bones

1. It mineralizes bone and stimulates the growth of bone-forming cells.
2. Prevents too much bone breakdown by inhibiting bone absorptive cells.
3. Alleviates oxidative stress, which is what aging is.
4. Is vital in the synthesis of collagen.

When vitamin C is low, the exact opposite happens. Bone cells that break down bone called octeoclasts proliferate and bone cells that deposit minerals and new bone called osteoblasts do not form.

Studies have shown that elderly patients who have fractured their bones have significantly lower blood levels of vitamin C than those who have not suffered a fracture.[1] Bone mineral density – the thing the tests measure – is higher in those who take a vitamin C supplement, regardless of estrogen level.[2],[3]

Vitamin K2 is well known to holistic practitioners for its importance in cardiovascular and bone health. Supplementing this is also a good idea if bone or heart problems are a concern. Learn more here.

And of course, good old vitamin D3 with a level of around 50-70 mg/ml will help maintain a well functioning immune system and strong bones.

That may seem like a lot of supplementation, but to me it’s a worthwhile effort that will keep more than just bones strong. These days, getting enough vitamin C isn’t so easy with diet alone. With the toxic load we all have, even on the purest diets, we need more vitamin C internally than our ancestors. Adults would do well to take 2-5 grams per day of sodium ascorbate as a general supplement. If you have active kidney stones or kidney disease, please consult your doctor first.

Humans, monkeys and guinea pigs do not make vitamin C. This leaves us alone to meet our needs. Cats weighing only about 10 to 15 pounds, synthesize more than 15 times the RDA of vitamin C recommended for humans. Goats are about the size of an adult human, and without stress they synthesize 13 G per day. Under stress, it can go up to 100G. Don’t be afraid to take vitamin C. It’s one of the most non-toxic and safest supplements known. Use liposomal vitamin C, sodium ascorbate or ascorbic acid, never Ester-C or calcium ascorbate. If you prefer a natural plant-based source, camu-camu is very high in C. However, harvesting it threatens the rainforest.

Republished from GreenMedInfo.com

References

[1] Fach. 1998. “Low serum ascorbic acid levels in elderly patients with hip fracture.” Scand J Clin Lab Invest. May 58(3): 225-8

[2] Morton D. 2001. “Vitamin C supplement use and bone mineral density in postmenopausal women” J Bone and Min Res. 16(1), 135-140

[3] Leveille, 1997. “Dietary vitamin C and bone mineral density in postmenopausal women in Washington State, USA” J Epid and Comm Health. 51(5):479-485.