Natural remedies for Osteoporosis

Our bones are at their strongest when we are in our 20s and early 30s. As we age, however, bone cells cannot reproduce fast enough to maintain an even rate with dying bone cells. Resorption of bone cells causes a gradual dissolution of the bone matrix, reduces bone density, and diminishes the ability of our bones to withstand stress. Osteoporosis inevitably leads to brittle, porous bones vulnerable to stress fractures and repeated fractures that may require joint replacement surgery.¹

Risk Factors for Osteoporosis

You may be prone to suffering from osteoporosis if:

You are a woman
You are over 50 years old
You have a thin, small body size
You are white or Asian
You have a family history of osteoporosis.

These are considered “fixed” risk factors that cannot be changed. Other osteoporosis risk factors that may be treated and either reduced or eliminated include:

Eating disorders such as anorexia
Increasing intake of certain foods, vitamins, and minerals beneficial to bone health
Exercising regularly
Not smoking or drinking alcohol

Natural Remedies for Osteoporosis

Calcium and Vitamin D

Calcium and vitamin D are two different nutrients essential for bone health. Calcium is a mineral needed for healthy development of your teeth and bones (99 percent of the calcium in your body is stored in your teeth and bones) and vitamin D is necessary for helping your bones and teeth absorb calcium. The best way to get vitamin D into your body is to expose your skin to sunlight and eat foods containing rich amounts of vitamin D, such as salmon, canned tuna, egg yolks and fortified milk. ²

Vitamin K

Vitamin K is indispensable for bone health, blood coagulation and producing the protein MGP, a special protein vital for cartilage, teeth, and bone health. Your kidneys also rely on sufficient amounts of vitamin K to help prevent a kidney stone formation. Soybeans, avocados, spinach, cauliflower, and cabbage are excellent sources of vitamin K. You can also take vitamin K supplements if you allergic to these foods. ³

Exercising and Maintaining a Healthy Weight

The best kind of exercise for preventing or delaying the onset of osteoporosis is weight-bearing exercises. Examples of weight-bearing exercises include walking, dancing, climbing the stairs or other activity that engages your legs and feet. In addition, carrying excess weight without regularly exercising may significantly increase your risk of osteoporosis by interfering with the ability of osteoblast cells to build bone and supporting osteoclast cell production responsible for breaking down bone. People who are obese also suffer more instances of type 2 diabetes and other chronic or inflammatory conditions detrimental to bone density and general bone health. ⁴

Bioidentical Hormones to Treat Osteoporosis

Included in natural remedies for osteoporosis is BHRT or restoring healthy estrogen and testosterone levels essential for good bone density and strength. After age 40, a woman’s estrogen output begins dropping as the ovaries prepare for menopause. Estrogen supports osteoblast activity essential for producing bone. As estrogen production decreases, these osteoblasts cannot make new bone as effectively as they did when a woman was in her 20s and 30s.

Men need estrogen as well to maintain bone health. The small amount of estrogen circulating in a man’s body passes through their liver where enzymes convert estrogen to active and inactive estrogen metabolites. A study done by Washington University found that, in men, the number of active estrogen metabolites in the bloodstream are strong predictors of male bone mineral density. ⁵

Testosterone deficiency syndrome experienced by older men and men with hormonal disorders increases the risk of osteoporosis. Testosterone is needed to create small but necessary amounts of estrogen in a man’s body for maintaining bone health. While women can restore healthy levels of estrogen with BHRT to reduce their risk of suffering osteoporosis, men also need BHRT to restore testosterone and estrogen levels lost due to aging or a chronic disorder. ⁶

While natural remedies for osteoporosis can help you mitigate your risk for osteoporosis, BHRT provides a guaranteed method for precisely controlling hormone levels crucial to preventing or delaying osteoporosis.

Call us today to learn more about how BHRT improves bone density and strength by replenishing your body with estrogen, testosterone and other hormones necessary for supporting your overall health and well-being.

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