Bone Health: What is your risk of bone fractures? (Part 1)

Most of us are obsessed with how we look outside, but how many of us really concern about our inner body, how are we doing physiologically, how our hormones are regulating, our gut flora or perhaps even our joints and bones health. Do most people care about the 'inside' body, more then the appearance in front of the mirror? Maybe not, perhaps not many people. From my experience and encounters with people I met, most people care more about how they look from the outside, if her tummy is too flabby, or his arms are big enough, or her legs are too huge.

Almost every people I met, have some form of obsession with their physical appearance. From hair to face, arms to chest, butt and of course abdominal area, people pay attention to their outlook more then what is even more vital to their health and body, the physiological aspect and what is silently regulating and happening inside. Most of us have forgotten what is keeping us from being sick and diseased, what is enabling us to be healthy, functional and happy. 

In today's topic, I will discuss about bone health, and I hope to enlighten you about the myths and truths of our bones and how to build and maintain strong healthy bones to prevent fractures. I will discuss about dairy products (or drinking milk and calcium intake), osteoporosis drugs (BONIVA and FOSAMAX), importance of hormones of bone remodelling, dietary factor and also supplements or certain vital nutrients which are crucial to achieve strong health bones. 

From years of experience meeting with clients and people I know, bone fractures or similar form of injuries have been noticeable. From metatarsal bone to hip fractures, it is becoming more common, but not normal. The question is, "Is bone density is best predictor for fracture?", or "Would osteoporosis drugs decrease the risk of bone fractures?. Finally, the most popular question of all, "Would consuming more calcium (and no changes in other lifestyle and dietary factors) reduces the risk of bone fractures?". The answer is a big NO. 

For years, all of us have been bombarded by the insanity of calcium consumption for osteoporosis. We have been told drinking milk and increasing calcium intake will prevent osteoporosis. Guess what, the consumption of milk and dairy products have soared but the rates of bone fractures have increased. As I've blogged previously about calcium and bones relationship, calcium is only one of the many minerals which build the density of the bone.  Our bones do not only consist of calcium and the absurd recommendation by the media and so called 'dietary experts' or doctors have mislead us all along. 

Now, in this post, I will first talk about the foundation of bone framework. Let's clear some of the misleading advises and myths we have been told all these years. 

Bone Health & Prevention of Osteoporosis Myths:

1) Increasing calcium intake will prevent osteoporosis

2) Drinking milk (or more milk) or consume dairy products will improve bone density and prevent osteoporosis

3) Our bones are made of calcium
4) All exercises will strengthen bones and prevent fractures or osteoporosis
5) Prescription drugs such as Fosamax and BONIVA will prevent or reduce risk of bone fractures
6) Taking calcium supplements will prevent or reduce risk of osteoporosis or bone fractures
7) Bone density assessment is the best predictor for risk of bone fractures
8) Anyone with high bone density is considered safe for suffering from bone fractures

I know, I know. Some raised eyebrows and I expect to be lashed out by the firm believers of 'milk lovers' to it me in the face and doctors crucifying me verbally. What do we all expect from conventional wisdom which regard to health? A fraction, possibly a laughable statistic. Diseases rates have sky-rocketed exponentially as we were mislead by conventional wisdom and recommendations by so called doctors, dietitians, nutritionists, fitness experts or trainers, and whatever claimed health experts. 

Let's talk more about our bones, particularly the 'framework'. Apart from plentiful of minerals, fats, protein, water and other nutrients which build strong bones foundation, most of us do not realized that the connective tissues is part of the whole 'framework' of bones. The connective tissues aka bone collagen play a vital role in building strong health bones. Bone collagen give the bone the flexibility and ability to withstand the force of an impact or fall. It is true that minerals give bones the hardness and density, but it is not the entire puzzle of building strong healthy bones. 

Some of us may ask, "Does bone health or risk of fracture only concerns elderly?". The answer is NO. There are many people amongst the younger adults suffer from poor bone health and have high risk of bone fractures. Most of my clients who suffered from joints injuries or bone fractures are primarily at the age of 20's and 30's. Of course, elderly people may have higher risks of bone fractures but prescription drugs for osteoporosis will not prevent bone fractures nor build strong bones. Yes, I'm talking about the popular FOSAMAX and BONIVA drugs you are taking regularly as advised by your doctor. 

I know your doctor, health magazines or even TV advertisements tell you that these so called 'osteoporosis prevention drugs' can improve your bone density, but it is far from the truth. As I will discuss about how hormones cortisol, progesterone and estrogen play a crucial role in bone health, these dangerous drugs will be part of the equation too, how these drugs work, and how this 'medication' interfere with human's natural bone remodelling. 

First of all, none of any pharmaceutical drugs are designed to heal or fix anything when it comes to health or human body. We are still clouded with the mindset of chasing the symptoms and using pills and drugs to mask the signs your body is signalling to you. The hormones in our body, particularly cortisol (primary stress hormone), and estrogen (sex hormone), regulate the natural equilibrium of the bone remodelling. The osteoclasts and osteoblasts relationship determine a huge factor in bone health, and how our primary hormones cortisol and estrogen maintain that balance ratio or bones remodelling. Osteoblasts build bones, and osteoclasts break bones down. How does it work? How does both these major hormones work in bone remodelling? 

Cortisol, as some of you might have known by now, is a primary stress hormone. It suppress the osteoblasts, the mechanism which trying to build new bones. Why is this important to you? Well, if you have a hectic stressful lifestyle or job, you may want to pay attention to this piece of information, unless having bones fracture or broken bones is not relevant to you. As we are living in a modern face-paced lifestyle and environment, most of us are quite stressed out and adrenal fatigue is becoming more common. Unless you are a zen monk living on a mountain top, I assume you have some form of stressful lifestyle (or job). The more stressful one is, the more secretion of cortisol the adrenal produces, thus, inhibit and slow down the building of new bones in the body. Bad news. 

What about estrogen? Well, One of its' vital role is to suppress the osteoclasts activity, which slow down the breaking down of the bone cells. For women, as long as you are still menstruating, your monthly surge of estrogen levels will suppress this activity. That's good but for those who have irregular or missed menstruation cycles, the natural bone remodelling of the body will be affected and have increased risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures. That is why having regular monthly cycle is so important, but many women are suffering from endocrine disorders. Wonder why doctors give estrogen therapy to women who is menopausal? "It's good for your bones" said the doctor. Partially true, but the side effects are far more devastating then what we have been told. 

Now, what about osteoporosis drugs? The ever popular FOSAMAX and BONIVA is the top of the list drugs which is believed to 'build bone density'. But, the truth is, it poison the osteoclasts cells and make it stick to the bone. Not only this drug interfere with the natural activity of the bone remodelling, but it also interfere with other nutrients which is to be absorbed by the bone. The poisoned gunk which glued to the bone does NOT genuinely improve bone density. These drugs stop the natural process of bone remodelling, and having abnormal accumulation of new bone cells, the bone becomes fragile overtime. 

What about progesterone? Most women think of this hormone as ovulation, pregnancy and menstruation. This major female hormone, stimulate the production of osteoblasts. What a beautiful equilibrium, estrogen and progesterone, both hormones maintaining a dynamic balance of bone remodelling in the human body. For women who is deficient in progesterone, this will pose a problem for bone health. So, in this post, I've debunked the 1st part of the 'calcium-osteoporosis' hypothesis. Stay tuned.