Osteoporosis, part 2: The Good News

The good news, if you get a diagnosis of osteoporosis, is that you can do things to slow or decrease bone loss, and to strengthen your bones. Since this is a condition that took years to develop, it may take years to correct it; one woman who did just that says, “There are no quick fixes! [But] once you decide to take charge, it’s doable.” It will take determination on your part, but it can be done.

While the dairy lobby would have us believe that milk is the perfect answer to our bone worries, a study at Harvard found that a dietary calcium intake higher than 450 mg per day - obtained by drinking milk - doubled the risk of hip fractures. The study demonstrated that women who drank two or more glasses of milk per day had a 50% higher risk of breaking a hip than women who drank less than one glass per week.

The caveat with calcium supplementation is that excess calcium can result in the loss of other minerals in the body (e.g. magnesium, vitamin D, iron, zinc, and manganese), not to mention other problems listed in the previous article. Excess calcium can also cause calcium deposits on the bones and in the tissues, especially the kidneys.

Nature protects us from excess and imbalance by building checks and balances into foods; it makes much more sense to consume it within its natural context. Non-dairy sources of calcium include grains, legumes, leafy greens, seaweeds, nuts, and seeds.

The 1987 NIH Conference on Osteoporosis found that barely 13% of cases could be attributed to low calcium intake. More important are exercise, a nutrient-rich whole-foods diet, and stress management (constant stress releases excess cortisol from the adrenal glands; excess cortisol increases protein breakdown, which can lead to osteoporosis).

Regular and moderate exercise - two forty-minute sessions per week of weight-bearing exercise (walking, bicycling, yoga, weight-training) will help increase bone density.

Fifteen to thirty minutes of midmorning or late afternoon sun, thrice weekly March through October, provides the Recommended Daily Allowance of vitamin D for the average Caucasian living in the northern U.S. Another source recommends sunshine exposure on 20% of the body for thirty minutes daily. Women with darker skin are at lower risk for osteoporosis.

Beta carotene, abundant in yellow and orange vegetables such as acorn squash and carrots, and in dark green leafy vegetables, is converted into vitamin A in the body. Vitamin A promotes a healthy intestinal lining for optimal absorption of nutrients; it also supports strong joints.

Natural progesterone, in topical cream form, plays a role in bone metabolism and formation.

Females who have regular patterns of physical activity while young develop skeletons with greater bone mass by early adulthood – so get your girl children playing, running, leaping, dancing, and expressing their strength, aliveness, and creativity.

Reduce phosphate consumption, found in cola and root beer drinks; phosphates directly interfere with calcium absorption. Daily caffeine intake should be no more than one or two cups of coffee, or the equivalent; caffeine increases the rate at which calcium is lost in the urine. Reduce your sodium and protein intake, to lower the amount of calcium needed to create balance between the three. Quit smoking; cut back on alcohol.

I invite you to look at what bone signifies. Our skeleton holds us upright, allowing us to move through our life, to walk in the direction we choose. The deepest layer of our physical being, bone represents our core beliefs and values, how we honor ourselves and trust our own deepest wisdom about what we need and how to take care of ourselves. Our vertical skeleton creates a conduit between Heaven and Earth, Earth being that which gives us grounding, stability, and foundation, while Heaven inspires us with creativity, life purpose, and spirit.

Annemarie Colbin, author of Food and Our Bones, writes, “I believe our current concern with bones, and the widely reported problem of osteoporosis, indicates that something is missing in the basic structure of our lives. Whatever is missing in each of us can only be found individually. Becoming conscious of it is the first step. The next step is to attend to strengthening the physical structure, and at the same time, to look ever deeper into ourselves and strengthen our spirit.”

Other excellent sources on bone health are: Paul Pitchford’s Healing with Whole Foods, and Christiane Northrup’s Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom.

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© 2008 Jenny Chapin
Valley Acupuncture & Healing Arts - Greenfield, MA - 413-522-3816