Osteoporosis

People with osteoporosis have brittle bones, which increases the risk of bone fracture, particularly in the hip, spine, and wrist. Although the risk of becoming osteoporotic is tied to many dietary and lifestyle issues, the true cause of this condition remains somewhat unclear.

However, the body has the capacity to rebuild healthy bone at any age.

These are the most important supplements and recommendations for bone loss.

Ten million Americans have osteoporosis, and 8 million of them are women. About 34 million more have osteopenia. This means they don't have osteoporosis yet, but have lost enough bone to make them more likely to get it. One in two women and one in eight men over age 50 will have an osteoporosis-related fracture during their lives. White and Asian women are most likely to get osteoporosis.

Other women at great risk include those who:

• have a family history of the disease,
• have not gotten enough calcium throughout their lives,
• had an early menopause,
• had surgery to remove their ovaries,
• had extended bed rest,
• used certain medicines for a long time, or
• have small body frames.

The risk of osteoporosis grows as you get older. Bone loss may begin slowly in some people when they are in their late thirties. At the time of menopause women may lose bone quickly for several years. Then the loss may continue but more slowly. As men age, they do not have the same kinds of striking hormone changes as women do in mid-life because they do not have a menopause. In men the loss of bone mass occurs more slowly. But, by age 65 or 70 men and women are losing bone at the same rate.

Conventional treatment includes drugs to suppress the breakdown of bone (e.g., alendronate [Fosomax®], calcitonin [Calcimir®, Miacalcin®], raloxifene [Evista®]), and hormone replacement therapy (e.g., estradiol [Estrace®, Estraderm®, Fempatch®], conjugated estrogens [Premarin®], conjugated estrogens with medroxyprogesterone acetate [Premphase®, Prempro®, Provera®]) for postmenopausal women. Doctors also commonly recommend adequate dietary calcium intake with supplementation if needed.

• Calcium (800-1,000 mg per day of supplemental calcium is generally added to diets that commonly provide between 500-700 mg calcium per day): Many trials have investigated the effects of calcium on bone mass. Although calcium supplements alone are insufficient to prevent osteoporosis, they can help. Though some of the research remains controversial, the protective effect of calcium on bone mass is one of very few health claims permitted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. A review of the research shows that calcium supplementation plus hormone replacement therapy is much more effective than hormone replacement therapy without calcium.
• Ipriflavone (200 mg three times daily:) Ipriflavone is a synthetic flavonoid derived from the soy compound daidzein. Ipriflavone promotes the incorporation of calcium into bone. It also inhibits bone breakdown. Many clinical studies, including numerous double-blind studies, clearly show long-term treatment with ipriflavone is both safe and effective in halting bone loss in post-menopausal women or women who have had their ovaries removed. Ipriflavone improves bone density in cases of osteoporosis, especially when combined with 1,000 mg per day supplemental calcium.
• Vitamin D: 400-800 IU per day, depending upon dietary intake and exposure to sunlight.

• Magnesium: 250-350 mg per day.
• Vitamin K: Vitamin K1, also known as phylloquinone or phytonadione, 100-1,000 mcg per day.
• Copper: 2-3 mg per day.
• Fish oil and evening primrose oil: 6 grams per day of a combination containing 60% linoleic acid, 8% gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), 4% eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and 3% docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), plus 600 mg per day of calcium supplement, daily for 18 to 36 months has shown a beneficial effect.
• Soy: 40 grams of soy protein powder per day (containing 90 mg of isoflavones per day).

• Black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa)*: Black cohosh has been shown to improve bone mineral density in animals but it has not yet been studied in humans.
• Horsetail (Equisetum arvense)*: Horsetail is a rich source of silicon, and preliminary research suggests that this trace mineral may help maintain bone mass.

• Stop smoking: Smoking leads to increased bone loss.
• Exercise: Exercise is known to help protect against bone loss. Walking is a good weight-bearing exercise for premenopausal women. However, exercise so intense (such as long-distance running) that it leads to cessation of the menstrual cycle actually contributes to osteoporosis.
• Avoid unnecessary weight loss: People on weight loss regimes experience bone loss.

• Eat vegetarian? Consumption of large amounts of animal protein (meat, poultry, and dairy) is associated with an increased risk of osteoporotic fractures. Early research suggested that vegetarians may have more bone strength (measured as bone mineral density, or BMD) than do non-vegetarians. However, more recent studies have found that the BMD of vegetarians is similar to that of non-vegetarians. And a recent study found that vegetarians have consistently lower BMD at the hip, the main site of osteoporotic fractures. Until more is known, broad dietary changes (e.g., a change to vegetarianism) cannot be recommended without qualification.
• Restrict salt intake: Short-term increases in dietary salt result in increased urinary calcium loss, which suggests that over time, salt intake may cause significant bone loss. Researchers have shown that increasing dietary salt increases markers of bone loss in postmenopausal, but not menopausal, women.
• Avoid caffeine: Caffeine has been linked to fracture of the hip. Like salt, caffeine increases urinary loss of calcium. Caffeine sources include coffee, black tea, cola drinks, and some prescription and over-the-counter medications.
• Avoid soft drinks: The relationship between soft drinks and bone mass is controversial. The adverse effect of soft drinks, if there is one, may be due to phosphoric acid, a substance found in many soft drinks. Avoiding drinks filled with sugar and phosphoric acid may reduce urinary loss of calcium.
• Eat soy: Soy foods, such as tofu, soy milk, roasted soy beans and soy extract powders, may be beneficial in preventing osteoporosis.

Smoking

Exercise

Excess weight loss