Top 3 Tips to Reverse or Manage Osteoporosis

 

If you or anyone you know has suffered a complication from osteoporosis, you will understand what a painful and potentially debilitating condition it is.

There are genetic risk factors for osteoporosis but did you know that lifestyle factors play a massive role in preventing and managing osteoporosis?  It is possible to improve your bone density through lifestyle change.

Case study:

Patricia is 56 years old.  She is fair with blonde hair and has always been slim.  Her Mum has severe osteoporosis, and is in crippling pain from spinal fractures and deformities.

Patricia came to see me because she had suffered a fall and had fractured her wrist very badly.  She’d needed surgical repair of the fracture and had plates and screws holding the bone fragments in place.  She was worried because the orthopaedic surgeon told her that the break was taking much longer than usual to heal.

I asked whether the surgeon had investigated why she’d had such a nasty injury.  She was relatively young and the injury seemed quite extreme relative to the type of fall she described.

She said:  ‘He just looked at the x-rays, told me I needed surgery, and that was it.  When I saw him for follow-up, he said my bones were not healing well but that I should wait 2 months and see him again, but he didn’t offer any advice on how to help my bones heal faster.’

Unfortunately, I hear this story often.  Specialists deal with the problem in front of them but neglect to see the person as a whole.

Patricia was at high risk for osteoporosis given her age, she had gone into menopause relatively early at 46 years old, she was not taking any hormone replacement, her body build, her skin tone / demographics, her Mum’s history of osteoporosis.   Many factors that may lead to reduced bone density and increased risk of fractures.

I asked her to do some blood tests, and I referred her for a bone density scan.

Her bone density was well within the osteoporosis range which would explain why a relatively minor fall resulted in a complicated fracture that was now taking longer to heal.  Her blood tests confirmed lower-than-optimal levels of structural proteins, and she had a very low vitamin D.

In this situation, we don’t usually have much choice, but to offer medicine to treat the osteoporosis but Patricia asked me if she could try ‘natural’ options first.

We agreed that she could try to optimise her bone health with natural supplements, dietary changes and physical activity but that we would need to monitor her fracture healing more closely than her orthopaedic doctor had recommended, and that we would need to check her overall bone density again in 18 months.  If there were signs that we were not achieving our goals, we would have to consider medication.

Her plan was:

Eat more high-protein foods.  Specifically, animal-based proteins.  I advised that she eat bony fish (mackerel, herring, anchovies, tinned salmon, sardines) at least twice a week.  Eating fish (with the bones) is an excellent source of protein, but also bone-boosting minerals like calcium, magnesium, zinc and phosphate.  Fish also contains vitamin D which encourages calcium and mineral absorption into the bone.  I suggested she drink bone broth.  Also, very rich in bone-supporting nutrients.  And, I suggested she eat more high-quality dairy like artisanal cheese and natural yoghurt.

Eat foods that contain phyto-estrogens.  These are molecules that look like estrogen and can act in a similar way to estrogen, which protects bone from de-mineralisation.  Examples include soy-based foods like edamame beans, tofu and soy milk, as well as nuts and seeds.

Eat more plants like leafy greens, whole grains and fruits that are rich in minerals as well as support the natural production of vitamin K in the gut.  Vitamin K helps regulate calcium metabolism.

Exercise:  Include impact and strength training exercise like jogging, skipping, dancing, cross-fit / HIIT and weight-training to stress her bones and encourage them to gain strength.  I referred Patricia to a physiotherapist for rehabilitation to her wrist, and a targeted exercise programme to boost bone density.

Supplements:  I recommended a bone-support supplement containing Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc, Boron, Vitamin D and Vitamin K.  I also prescribed a short-term high-dose vitamin D supplement to rapidly optimise her vitamin D level.  And, I asked her to take a good-quality hydrolysed collagen because collagen is essential to healthy bone.

Sunshine:  I asked Patricia to spend about 20 minutes in the sun without sun protection 3 times a week to help with natural vitamin D production.

After 4 weeks, repeat x-rays showed positive signs of healing.  And, after 18 months, we could see a significant improvement in Patricia’s overall bone density.  We managed to get her out of the osteoporotic range to where her fracture risk was lower.

The improvement I saw in Patricia’s case was quite remarkable, and she followed all the recommendations perfectly (I think because she knew what the horrible consequences of osteoporosis could be, having witnessed her Mum’s suffering).  We didn’t end up having to treat her with medicines but we keep monitoring her blood levels and bone density regularly.

Here are my Top 3 lifestyle tips to help prevent loss of bone density, or improve your bone health:

• Strength & Impact Exercise – Weight-bearing and resistance exercises like squats, skipping, dancing, brisk walking / jogging, stair climbing etc, stimulate bone remodelling and strengthen bone density.
• Calcium & Vitamin D-Rich Diet – Leafy greens, bony fish, dairy, nuts and seeds, and sunlight exposure (or supplements) improve calcium absorption and bone strength.
• Protein & Collagen Support – Adequate protein intake, along with bone-supportive nutrients (magnesium, vitamin K2), enhances bone structure and repair.

Please comment below with any questions.  And, share this article with anyone you think may find it useful.