What You Need To Know About Bone Health Supplements - for women!
Yes - there are safe, natural alternatives for bone health.
The Situation: Some women are genetically prone to weakening bones, osteopenia, or osteoporosis during & after menopause.
The Problem: The medications usually prescribed for this are, well, problematic (we'll look at the details below.)
The Solution: I'll show you how safe, natural remedies are performing for supporting the body in keeping bones dense and strong and helping to prevent breaks. (You're going to want to see this!)
Why Weakening Bones Are A Problem
- They can be painful
- They're more prone to breaks & fractures
Your Options:
Exercise is helpful yes - but it's not the whole answer.
Diet, vitamins, and minerals are important too. In fact, CLICK HERE to read my blog post with nutritionist Alison Boden for fantastic insider info on how to use diet, vitamins, & minerals for bone health.
Estrogen! Keeping your estrogen levels high enough makes it much easier for the body to keep strong, healthy bones.
But often, it's not enough. and that's when you start thinking about medication.
However, the possible side effects of the medications commonly used for bone health can be serious.
Bone Health Safety
Bisphosphonate medications, like Fosamax, used for bone health can have severe side effects like:
- Osteonecrosis of the jaw in 1 out of 952 women
- A 274% increased risk of a broken femur (thigh bone) without trauma in women who are on the medication for 5 years or more. This means breaking a thigh bone without a fall - simply walking down the stairs or sitting through the regular bumps of a ride on the subway.
(could the side effects be any more serious?!)
These medications have also been shown to provide no improvement in the incidence of fracture with a fall. (So on these medications, you're just as likely to break a hip if you fall then if you never took the medication.) The reason for this is that while these medications do make your bones larger - they do not make them stronger.
These medications work by preventing the body from breaking down bone (a normal part of bone health.) Making bones bigger by keeping this old bone tissue seems to create bones that, while larger, are brittle and easily broken.
Options: Herbs for supporting bone health
Chinese herbs for supporting bone health work in a completely different way than the medications.
Herbs do not stop the body from breaking down old bone, instead they support the cells that make new bone to make more.
One study showed that in 28 women with an average age of 49 with osteoporosis who took Chinese herbs for bone health support for one year showed and average increase in bone mass density of 3.4%.
Because women with osteoporosis usually lose 1-2% per year - their net gain was close to 5%. And the bone they gained was strong and healthy.
On Fosamax, women gain an average or 4-5% in bone density after 3 years of use, but it is not high quality, strong bone.
I know that was a little technical - but I absolutely love education women about options for supporting bone health.
And I like to show how powerful they are with numbers!
Estrogen levels for supporting bone health
Chinese herbs are my favorite way to support keeping estrogen levels in post menopausal women. They can be used alone or in conjunction with BHRT (bio-identical hormone replacement therapy.)
In Conclusion:
Step 1 of bone health is keeping your estrogen levels high enough. Chinese herbs are my favorite way to support the body, helping it to keep hormone levels higher even during and after menopause. CLICK HERE to learn more about how to choose the right herbs at the right time for your hormones. BHRT (bio-identical hormone replacement therapy) can also be used to support estrogen levels.
Step 2 is diet, vitamins, minerals, and exercise. CLICK HERE to get insider tips on this from nutritionist Alison Boden.
Step 3 is Chinese herbs that support bone health. CLICK HERE to learn how to start using customized Chinese herbs - especially for women during & after menopause.
Questions? Comments? Let's chat...
Thanks so much for joining me here today!
I'd love to know what was the one thing that jumped out at you - that you're going to start using right away?
Please type that into the comments below along with any questions.
Peace & Wellness
- Dana
This information is being provided to you for educational and informational purposes only. It is being provided to you to educate you about Chinese medicine in your diet, lifestyle, and supplements and as a self-help tool for your own use. It is not personalized health advice. This information is to be used at your own risk based on your own judgment. For my full Disclaimer, please go to https://danalavoielac.com/disclaimer-2/