Healthy Food For Bone Health

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Muryal_Braun

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We keep hearing of new theor1es about osteopenia and osteoporosis causes. Are you afraid of developing osteopenia or osteoporosis?

As an estimated 90% of women over 75 have experienced a bone fracture many studies are being conducted.

Osteopenia Caused by Cellular Age

The recent work of a research team at the University of Arkansas reveals that aging causes
osteoporosis – not reduction of estrogen as was formerly believed.

That would make sense when we consider that an increasing number of men are developing osteoporosis. It was formerly thought to be the disease of older women. Consider the term “dowager’s hump” to describe the disfigurement of osteoporosis. That truly was a term that referred only to women.

So, let me share the case of Betty who had multiple symptoms of aging while still in her 40’s.  Usually people associate aging with the fact of getting more years on the calendar. But more years and aging are not the same. The real causes of aging are in the cells in every part of your body.

1. Cells need oxygen

2. Cells need thyroid

3. Cells need healthy food.

Dr. Frank Schellenberger, in his health letter, Real Cures, explains how he was able to help Betty reverse her symptoms of aging to those of a person 20 years younger even though she was actually gaining in years. He has developed a system for measuring how well your cells use oxygen.

Have you heard of cellular energy?  Every cell needs energy for the constant process of regeneration. When the energy in your cells is low it affects every organ. For more information on this process you can see videos online at http://www.antiagingmedicine.com. And you can find doctors who offer testing for this at http://www.bioenergytesting.com

A low level of thyroid in in your cells is another cause of low cellular energy. (The standard blood test does not acurately reveal that.)  A simple thermometer is much better for determining low thyroid.  One of the symptoms of low thyroid is fatigue. This is very well explained in, The Riddle of Illness, by Dr. Stephen Langer.

Or you may be eating more processed carbohydrates than your body is able to process well.

All of the above contribute to the aging process for you – more than the number of years on your calendar.

That is good news!! We can all take the above steps to help prevent biological aging.  It is not inevitable that you will develop osteopenia or osteoporosis.  You may become a 90 year old youth in terms of your cellular energy and general health.  Way to go!!

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Section Through Head of Femur

Do you know why a DEXA Scan
is not reliable for osteopenia?

I have often been asked if I get
bone density scans.

My answer is always that a DEXA
bone density scan for osteopenia ia
not reliable.

In fact, you may be worried
that you are in serious
trouble with weak and less than
normal bones, when your test is not at all trustworthy.  There are
several problems with DEXA scans.  A few of them are:

1. You usually don’t learn anything about the condition of your bones
until 1 or 2 years after the first  scan

2. The scan may be referencing the wrong spot for  the second scan

3. Looking at a picture does not tell you what is happening inside
the bone.

The test scans a spot now and then takes another scan at a
later date to compare with the first one to see if there is any
change.  During that interval you just have to wait for the
report

It is difficult to aim the scanner to  the exact same spot that
was scanned the first time, so it may not even be a true
comparison.

Most researchers believe that women especially have the best
bone density at 30 years of age, before the bones begin to
deteriorate. This is true because after menopause the decrease
in the amount of hormones has a direct effect upon the bones.

Another problem with the DEXA test is that the second picture
must be taken from the exact same spot and angle –very hard
to do when the pictures are taken 2 years apart.

The most important problem is that in the scan results, your
doctor can only see how thick the bone looks.  But this never
tells the inner strength of the bone.

Your bone tissue is constantly changing like any other living
tissues in your body. A remodeling process causes the bone to
slough off the  old tissue and rebuild it with new tissue.

If your bone is unhealthy or you have been taking certain meds,
the bone may not be getting rid of the old tissue.  So it may
look thicker while it is actually just storing the old calcium
and becoming more brittle every day.

There is now a much more reliable test called Pyrilinks-D. This
test tells exactly what is happening inside your bone. When your
bone breaks down, it produces Dpd in your urine. The amount of
Dpd in the urine tells if your bone is rebuilding as fast as it
is breaking down or if the rebuilding is slower.

For the Pyrilinks-D test, you use strips with chemicals on them
that react with your urine, similar to the strips you may have
used to test urine for the Ph-alkaline- acid testing.  There are
several labs now that offer this test, so I urge you to ask
your doctor about this, rather than allow the DEXA scan.

You can repeat the Pyrilinks-D test as often as you wish to
monitor your progress in eliminating osteopenia.

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Slow Burn Fitness Revolution

Carole was desperate to discover
the best exercises for osteopenia.
A recent bone test had revealed that
she had Osteopenia.  Her doctor had
encouraged her to take Fosamax.

As Carole was a firm believer
in natural treatment rather than
chemicals, she was hesitant to
start what sounded to her like a
long term relationship with the
drug. And after she learned the
cost of the drug, she was even
more determined not to take it.

Carole sought my advice and I
immediately encouraged her
to read my free report about the dangers of such medications.
That totally convinced her not to take the drug.  But she
felt her current condition showed that she needed to make
some changes in her life-style in order to defeat osteopenia.

After reading 7 Secrets to Reverse Osteopenia and
Osteoporosis, she realized that her main dietary deficiency
had been magnesium, so she immediately updated the amount
she was taking and added a few other recommendations to her
diet.

However, the thing that surprised her the most was that she could
strengthen her bones by exercising.  She said she had known how
beneficial exercise is for keeping muscles well toned, but was not
aware that the bones needed exercise also.

Carole’s desire to begin using the best exercises for osteopenia
led her to try the Slow Burn Fitness Revolution.  By faithfully
following this easy plan just 30-40 minutes per week, for several
months, she now has no more worry about osteoporosis.

It did to me too, as I am always hesitant to
promote any product that may become
additive and cause other problems for the
user. So when I saw that headline from the
United Press International, I immediately
checked out the article.

I learned  that  it was researchers at the University of
California, Davis,  who found that beer might help
prevent osteoporosis.  The  results of the study using
commercial beer production, were taken from Charles
Bamforth, the lead author in the study.

The researchers already knew that silicon is important for
increasing bone mineral density.  They were  interested in
determining the relationship between beer production methods
and the resulting silicon content in the beer.

Silicon in the beer is in the form of soluble orthosilicic acid
which may be important for growth and  development of bone
and connective tissue.  Because it is soluble, it is easily
absorbed.

The study concluded that beer is a major contributor to the
orthosilicic acid in the Western diet.

They found that beers containing high levels of malted barley
and hops are richer in silicon than  wheat.

Their  findings were published in the Journal of the Science
of Food and Agriculture.

Does this mean that we should  recommend drinking
beer because it may help prevent osteoporosis? With
several natural products already on the market that contain
hops to provide this silicon, I hope no one will latch on to
that idea.

I can only imagine the result of a greater segment of our
population using this study as an excuse to begin  a self-
destructive habit that might endanger their lives and
the lives of others.

You can develop strong bones easily by applying some
basic nutritional and other secrets found in
7 Secrets to Reverse Osteoporosis and Osteopenia

Source: Copyright United Press International 2010

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If your first thought when osteoporosis is mentioned is calcium,  the “drink milk” ads have really accomplished their purpose.
In fact, it may be hard to convince you that
your bones are in danger if you drink milk or
take calcium supplements every day.

I understand that very well, as I was  confident
that I would never have any broken bones because I took 1500
milligrams of calcium every day. That was before I broke my
hip the first time.

Since then, after studying more recent research I have learned that
there is something better than calcium for osteoporosis and for
healthy bones.

The truth is that if you take a lot of calcium without the added
nutrients that are involved in assimilating the calcium into your
bones, you are throwing away your money.

Dr. Nan Fuchs, in her Women’s Health newsletter  and Robert
Rowen,MD, in his Second Opinion healthletter, have reported
that much research has been done lately to confirm that most
people with bone problems are deficient in magnesium.

It is an under publicized fact that you need an equal amount of
magnesium in your diet as calcium.  And you are probably
already getting more calcium from your food than
magnesium. If you have an undersupply of magnesium, your
calcium will be excreted instead of being deposited in your bones.

Magnesium has 40 different functions in the body.  Without it
your heart can’t beat.  (By the way, most people with heart
problems are also deficient in magnesium – so much so that
many emergency rooms give heart attack patients magnesium immediately.)

But magnesium is cheap, so we don’t hear about it because the
companies that do produce it in supplemental form, are not able
to afford to advertise like the drug producers.   But even if they
could afford it, our federal laws prevent any company that
produces supplements from making any health claims for their
products.  For that reason, you may have soft bones and not
even be aware of it.

Of course, there are other factors involved also, such as
vitamin D3 and vitamin C as I have mentioned in previous articles.
Without enough Vitamin D3, calcium is not able to be absorbed
into the blood stream, so it cannot be delivered to the tissues.

But when the blood carries it to the parts of the body where it is
needed, such as the bones and muscles and nerves, it just passes
through the cell and is not deposited unless you have enough
vitamin C in the tissues to make collagen.  And without collagen,
the calcium just won’t stick there.

Our Designer has truly engineered us in an amazing way.  All the
vital functions of our bodies are interrelated in perfect harmony.
All we need to do is discover how it all works.

To read more about bone health read  How To Reverse Osteopenia
andOsteoporosis

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Muryal_Braun

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor and this sight is only for the purpose of education and information. My desire is to relate the facts in laymen’s language to help anyone understand without having medical training. If you have any health problem you are responsible to seek the help of your professional health provider.

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Greek Athlete

When you hear of the need for weight lifting to increase bone density, do you imagine something like the Greek  athletes in the picture at right?

You will probably be relieved to read the following quote from  a post December 4th, 2009  on the blog of: Not Just A Man’s World–

“I originally started lifting weights to build up some bone density, so I’ve been fascinated to see that there have been several bone density studies carried out, published, or reviewed recently.  Several of these have also piqued my interest because they have focussed on studies done in older men and women, especially those in their sixties.  This is the population where osteopenia and osteoporosis start to reveal themselves.

“This is also the category that my mother fits into.  My mother has undergone two hip replacements this year and has since been focusing hard on getting her muscles and joints working again at their best so that she can get back to doing the things she enjoys and enabling her to get the most out of life with minimal further damage to her body.  We have been arming her with various mobility, stability and strength exercises recently and I am immensely proud of her determination and progress.

I have included this post to help my readers realize that weight lifting to increase bone density  does not need to wait until after hip replacement. Rather,  increasing bone density  earlier may prevent hip replacement.

You will find other necessary steps  for increasing bone density and preventing Osteopenia and Osteoporosis in

7 Secrets to Prevent and Heal Osteoporosis and Osteopenia

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“NEW YORK (Reuters) – A Manhattan
federal judge has rejected Merck & Co’s
effort to dismiss 24 cases alleging that
its Fosamax drug treatment for osteoporosis
causes jaw damage.

Drug can cause jaw damage after less than three years of
continuous use.

“In an opinion released Wednesday, U.S. District Judge John
Keenan ruled that the plaintiffs could introduce testimony by
two doctors to show that the drug can cause jaw damage after
less than three years of continuous use.

“Keenan said the evidence is sufficiently reliable to allow a
rational jury to establish such a connection.  He said individual
plaintiffs will then be allowed to present expert testimony that
Fosamax caused them to suffer such damage, and that such
testimony could by itself “make causation a genuine issue of fact
for trial.”

“The company faces a slew of lawsuits involving almost 900
cases by patients who say Fosamax caused osteonecrosis of the
jaw. A Manhattan jury is deliberating this week over the drug
company’s potential liability in one such case.

These news releases came just one day after the same  news
agency reported success using these same bisphosphonate
drugs  in treating breast cancer.  On December 11th, Reuters
reported:

“The analysis from a segment of the more than 150,000
generally healthy post-menopausal women in the WHI study
found that those taking Merck & Co’s Fosamax, or other
bisphosphonates, had 32 percent fewer cases of invasive
breast cancer than women who did not use the osteoporosis
medicines, researchers found.

“Fosamax is now available in generic form as alendronate.
Other commonly used medicines from the class include Roche’s
Boniva and Actonel, which is sold by Procter & Gamble Co.”

The article contained the following quote:
“The idea that bisphosphonates could reduce breast cancer
incidence is very exciting because there are about 30 million
prescriptions for these agents written annually in the United
States targeting bone health, and more could easily be used to
counteract both osteoporosis and breast cancer,” Dr. Rowan
Chlebowski, the study’s lead investigator and chief oncologist
from the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute, said in a
statement.

No wonder so many people are losing confidence in our health
care system. It seems that we are supposed to overlook serious
side-effects of a drug if they can find a tiny shred of evidence
that it may help another condition.

The most disturbing fact about the last post was that there are
“30 million prescriptions written each year for this drug already”
and they are hoping for many more.  I hate to think how many
of these women will suffer the excrutiating pain of a dead jaw
bone that needs replacement.

Please be cautious. Get my free report about the dangers of
these drugs by putting your email address in the upper right
corner of this blog.

Many years ago, when running became the popular fad, I heard an enthusiastic jogger say that anyone who did not run at least 5 miles a day was a “slob”.

As I resisted the idea of running at all, because I hate to sweat, I decided I would settle for “slob”.

Sedentary Lifestyle Contributes to Osteopenia

But after realizing that  a sedentary lifestyle contributes to coronary heart disease, many types of cancer, type II diabetes, osteoporosis and osteopenia, I secretly realized I needed some type of exercise.

And after suffering 2 broken hips, I began gathering all the information I could find about how to prevent bone fractures. Exercise was one thing that was absolutely necessary.

The more interested I became in health, the more anxious I was to find an exercise that I would enjoy.  I tried exercise machines that I could use at home as a gym membership was not an option, but they required a lot of time and effort.

I  wanted to find some kind of exercise that would not require hours of my time.   I agree with Benjamin Franklin who said, “Do not squander time because that is the stuff life is made of.”

Slow Burn Fitness Revolution

So, I was thrilled when I learned of the Slow Burn Fitness Revolution by Fitness Expert Fred Hahn, Dr. Michael Eades and Dr. Mary Ann Eades.This book  combines medicine, exercise science, and weight training, is the result of a collaboration between a pair of physicians with a long history in weight control and a well known fitness expert.

In their book the authors give instructions on  how and why  the system works and illustrations to show how to do the recommended routine. These exercises are being implemented in nursing homes and even helping patients that were confined to wheelchairs to develop the strength needed to escape from their chairs and begin walking again.

I have discovered that in as little as 30 minutes a week doing simple exercises at home, I have been able to increase the quality of my muscles, my bones and my life.

To quote one reviewer, “I can do this routine once a week and now have a life outside the gym.”

With millions of women over 45 developing osteoporosis and osteopenia, this is not a problem we can just ignore and hope it will go away.

Please leave your comments or questions below this article. I will appreciate the conversation.

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Dr. John Cannell, a leading authority on
Vitamin D3 has revealed some alarming
facts on his website. He has warned that
vitamin D3 deficiency is a major factor
in at least 17 varieties of cancer, plus heart
disease, stroke, high blood pressure, auto-
immune diseases, diabetes, depression, chronic
pain, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, muscle weakness,
muscle loss, birth defects, periodontal disease and more.

Each of the above has had extensive research to support the
facts he has presented.

Please see news article at end of this post showing that
Vitamin D is important for preventing Swine Flu.

The doctor has written two papers on the epidemics of the flu and
vitamin D3.  The latest research demands that we recognize the
importance of vitamin D3 for prevention of any type of infection.

He recommends taking 5,000 IU per day for 3 months – then
obtaining a test and adjusting dosage so that blood levels
remain between 50-60ng/ml.

Another researcher in Ireland demonstrated that vitamin D
acts to help prevent and even treat age-related brain disorders.

In Australia, findings supported the fact that avoiding the sun
contributed to  the epidemic of type 2 diabetes.

In Minnesota researchers found that 100 % of patients
admitted for fragility fractures (not caused by injury)
were dangerously  low in vitamin D levels, even though
some were taking vitamin D supplements.

Women with low vitamin D blood levels were five times
more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer.

And south Korean researchers found a connection between a vitamin D
deficiency and Parkinson’s.

English researchers discovered that patients with chronic pain have
very low levels of vitamin D.

With the body needing vitamin D for so many different bodily functions,
and people spending so little time in the sun, it is easy to see why
osteopenia and osteoporosis are on the rise.  We definitely do not get
enough of this important factor for healthy bones.

The recent studies have encouraged many integrative doctors to
recommend between 4000 and 5000 units per day.  They point to the
fact that previous generations in our country spent much more time
in the sun than we do now, which is one reason why we have such a
great increase in chronic illness and bone problems.

Puritan Pride is a recommended supplier of all natural Vitamin D3
products.  I have used their products for many years and highly
recommend them  to you for quality and price.

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