Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a degenerative bone disorder characterized by the thinning and weakening of bone, leaving it more vulnerable to breaks and fractures.  Your skeleton is a hotbed of activity.  From childhood on through adulthood, old bone is continually being replaced with new bone in a process called remodeling, bone-eating cells called osteoclasts break down bone tissue creating microscopic cavities with fresh tissue.  Then bone-forming cells, called osteoblasts, refill the cavities with fresh tissue.  During childhood and adolescence, bone-builders form more new tissue than bone-eaters take away.  Then, at around age 30 to 35, bone-eaters begin to outnumber bone-builders, setting the stage for osteoporosis.                 Menopausal and postmenopausal women are especially prone to osteoporosis, about half of them will develop this disease.  Estrogen is involved in the absorption of calcium by the bones, which is critical for the formation of new bone. As estrogen levels drop after menopause, every women experiences an acceleration in the rate of bone loss.    Who is most likely to develop osteoporosis?  In everyone the risk increases with age, but it is highest in white women after menopause-particularly in individuals who have an early or surgical menopause. Other people at high risk: a family history of osteoporosis, those who have fair skin (especially blonds and red heads), those whose diets are low in calcium, who are physically inactive, underweight, overweight or smoke cigarettes.  Women with a close relative with the disease are also at high risk.     There is no easy answer to osteoporosis.  Osteoporosis is a complex condition involving hormonal, lifestyle, nutritional, and environmental factors.  There is no cure for this condition, but exercise, diet, supplements and hormone-replacement therapy can help stop further bone loss and in some instances may actually help strengthen bone density.         Help With Preventing Osteoporosis Mineral Supplementation - a diet rich in calcium, along with vitamin D, which helps the small intestine absorb calcium, is crucial to the prevention of osteoporosis.  Calcium supplements can slow bone loss in women who are more than five years past menopause and do not get enough calcium.  (Postmenopausal women are advised to take between 1200 and 1500 mg. of calcium daily.)  Magnesium - apparently as important as calcium in maintaining proper bone health, because it is essential for calcium and vitamin C metabolism.  Menopausal women were given magnesium hydroxide to assess the effects of magnesium on bone density. Magnesium appears to have prevented fractures and resulted in significant increase in bone density   Fluoride - is mineral that is essential in the formation of teeth and bone. Carefully balanced regimen of calcium and slow-release fluoride stimulates new bone growth in people with osteoporosis. Boron - another mineral, boron works with calcium and magnesium to promote strong bones.  Boron supplement reduced the loss of calcium and magnesium in the urine and also dramatically elevated blood levels of estrogen and calcium, all of which can help preserve precious bone.  Personal Advice Add this to your daily regimen. T.J. Clark Legendary Colloidal Mineral Formula was developed specifically to supplement the balance of the body's natural chemical production.  Health renewing mineral formula contains approximately 70 of the 94 naturally occurring elements, including all of the essential minerals, in trace amounts.  These plant-source minerals are not toxic and create natural, synergistic compounds which  form the active ingredients.    Vitamin D - Calcium cannot be absorbed without the addition of vitamin D. Vitamin D is found in many dairy products and is also manufactured by skin exposed to ten to twenty minutes of sunlight per week. Herbs Horsetail - this herb helps the body absorb and utilize calcium. Dong guai - Chinese women rely on an herb, dong guai, and sip ginseng tea, which is also high in phytoestrogens, to control the discomfort of menopause.  Phitoestrogens are also believed to help prevent bone loss.