MD Cause:  Unknown – a function of aging and hormone loss.

MD Rx:  Bisphosphonate meds: Boniva; Fosamax.

ND Cause: Bone nutrient deficiencies and an overly acid-forming diet.

Discussion: Your skeleton is constantly regenerating itself. It does this by chewing up old bone with cells called “osteoclasts,” and creating new bone with cells called “osteoblasts.” If someone is calcium deficient, their body will not be able to create any new bone tissue (because new bone is made out of calcium), but it can still chew up old bone tissue - and it does. This results in a net loss of bone tissue over time, which is the textbook definition of Osteoporosis. Boniva™ and Fosamax™ are types of drugs called “Bisphosphonates.” They work by slowing down the process by which your body chews up old bone. This allows old bone to build up in your skeleton. This increases your bone density, but after 3 years (more or less) the old bone (because it is old) becomes just as brittle as the osteoporotic bone that you had in the first place, and your risk of fracture is high again. If you listened to the old TV commercials for Boniva™ starring Sally Field, she NEVER said that Boniva™ made her bones strong. She only said that it increased her bone density – which it did… Pretty tricky, right?

Why the pharmaceutical industry chose to create a drug to suppress the body’s ability to chew up old bone instead of creating a drug to excite the body’s ability to regenerate new bone is a good question that nobody is asking. It is a scientific fact that the body is attempting to grow new bone tissue all of the time. Would it not make sense to provide the body with the raw materials that it needs to get that job done? MDs say no. NDs say yes. That is one of the things that we do when we are dealing with osteoporosis. As mentioned in the discussion section on high blood pressure, when the blood of the body is overly acidic the buffering mechanisms of the body are activated. When this happens minerals (especially calcium) are leached from the bones to alkalinize the acidic blood. This process of course weakens the bones. When we are attempting to strengthen the bones in anyone suffering with osteoporosis, in addition to giving their body the raw materials that it needs to generate new bone tissue, it is a very good idea to have them follow a diet which is non-acid forming. Elimination of the 12 bad foods will go a long way towards accomplishing this.

If you were to take a chicken drumstick, cut the meat away from the bone, and then put the drumstick into jar of vinegar for 30 days - when you removed it on day 31 it would be very elastic. The vinegar leaches all of the minerals out of the bone, leaving a cartilage matrix behind. Every bone in the body is composed of a cartilage matrix upon which minerals have been laid. When we are attempting to strengthen bone tissue, not only do we give minerals,but we also give nutrients to support healthy cartilage formation. By the way - this is basic anatomy and physiology. Why the MDs overlook this is beyond me. I wonder if it has anything to do with the profits generated from bisphosphonate sales and orthopedic surgery?

My Rx: In addition to the 90EN:

• Plant Derived Minerals, or Cheri-Mins, or Strawberry Kiwi Mins, or Ultimate Mineral Caps:[1]1 bottle per 100 pounds per month.

• Beyond Osteo Fx liquid: 1 bottle per 100 pounds per month.

• Good Herbs Bone & Tissue Support: 2 bottles per 75 pounds per month. 1/2 teaspoon per bottle per day.

Choose one of the following 4 options:[2]

• Gluco-Gel caps: 1 cap per 10 pounds per day. 

• Gluco-Gel liquid: 1 bottle per 50 pounds per month. Take 1 ounce per bottle per day.

• Flexi-Care Plus: 1 bottle per 50 pounds per month. Take 1 tablespoon per bottle per day.

• Sta-Restored: 1 bottle per 75 pounds per month. 3 caps per bottle per day.

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[1] The dose for the mineral caps is different than for any of the mineral liquids. It is: 1 bottle per 200 pounds per month.

[2] It’s OK to switch between these from month to month to see if you like one of more than the others.