Having good bone health is simpler than you might think. Osteoporosis, osteopenia, and osteoarthritis are not normal. You do not have to resign yourself to them as if they are inevitable. Here are some pointers on how to build healthy bones and even reverse any degeneration that might have already got started.
Three main strategies support optimum bone health: 1) The right exercise; 2) Truly effective supplementation; and, 3) Avoiding prescription drugs that ruin bone metabolism. A fourth strategy also may be important for people who are overweight, which I will explain toward the end of this post.
Before I go further, let me point out that one of the key indicators of bone health, bone density, is often misleading. The main reason that this indicator is so widely used is because it is easy to measure. The actual key indicator for bone health should be bone strength. The reason I say this now is to point out that denser bones are not necessarily stronger bones, especially when they are denser from the use of prescription drugs such as Fosamax and Boniva.
Exercise
Before you even think about doing anything else, make sure that your personal exercise program is up to snuff. Three types of exercise that are most helpful for your bone health, and for your overall health for that matter are:
1) Weight-bearing: walking, hiking, dancing, stair climbing, etc.
Do exercises that make you hold your body up. Thirty to sixty minutes, five times per week would be ideal. Yes, a good session of salsa dancing does wonders for your bones! Weight-bearing exercise does not include things like bicycling, swimming, and rowing, since these do not make your feet and legs hold up your body.
2) Resistance: weight-lifting, either with free weights or, even better, with weight machines
We are not talking about looking like Arnie, the former Governator, here. In fact, when done correctly for optimum results, weight-lifting workouts need to be done only once per week, for about 15 minutes at a time. Indeed, doing more than that undermines what you want to accomplish. Knowing how to do weight-lifting workouts properly is especially important as you age. Advice from those younger, buffed up trainers at places like LA Fitness does not work. In fact, it is counterproductive and often harmful. Besides, who wants to spend hours and hours in the gym every week?
The best information that I have ever found on how to do weight-lifting correctly is summarized in a book and a set of free videos on YouTube, which I link to on my fitness blog here: Body by Science Videos.
3) Flexibility: regular stretches, T’ai chi, yoga
Actually, anything that makes you stretch muscles and joints – carefully! – is helpful. Here is a little-known bonus: research on T’ai chi also shows it to stimulate your immune system. Wow!
By the way, do you remember that old adage from the 1970s – No Pain, No Gain? Forget it. Do what you can that is not overly stressful. Overdoing exercise is an invitation to injury.
Supplementation
Notice that I said ‘truly effective’ supplementation earlier. This is because, although I am a big user of supplements, most of the ones on the market that are supposed to be for bone health are pretty useless. And too expensive.
Most medical advice recommends supplementing with calcium and vitamin D3, which are important. The amounts and forms of calcium vary depending on who is talking. However, poor bone health does not come from calcium deficiency. It comes from errant calcium metabolism. It does not make sense to take calcium supplements if your body isn’t using calcium efficiently in the first place. This is especially true if you drink colas that contain phosphoric acid (read the label!). All that excess phosphorous in your body gets eliminated only after it is paired up with its cofactor – calcium. Drinking colas is the same thing as sucking calcium out of your bones and dumping it into the toilet.
Strontium – The Missing Bone Mineral
One mineral that goes directly into building strong bone structure is strontium. This has been known since the 1930s. It has taken modern medicine until recently to realize this. It took so long because strontium citrate, the most common form of strontium as a supplement, is not patentable for any drug company. In other words, there is no money in it.
Big Pharma is pretty creative, though. A prescription form of strontium (i.e., patented) is in current use in Europe, under the generic name, strontium ranelate. The ranelate is the new synthetic part that makes this strontium compound a patentable drug. This substance is going through the approval process in the U.S., so it is only a matter time before you can have an expensive visit to your doctor and get an expensive prescription for strontium ranelate. Of course, you also have to worry about the increased risk of heart attack that is known to accompany its use.
Or, you can simply get some strontium citrate capsules at any nutrition store and take a couple of grams a day on an empty stomach (or at least not with calcium-containing supplements – calcium blocks strontium absorption).
Arthred – Hydrolyzed Collagen
Funny story – years ago I heard a lecture by a prominent naturopathic doctor who was bemoaning the beneficial effects of chicken cartilage for bone health. He was worried that it was so good that it might get classified as a pharmaceutical and then be regulated by the FDA. (OMG! Anything but that!). We are safe for now, especially since a German company has taken the trouble to develop an enzyme-hydrolyzed (i.e., pre-digested) cartilage from pig and cow as a supplement for bone health.
It comes under the trademarked name, Arthred. If you take a look at most bone health supplements that come in powder form, you will see that Arthred comprises up to 80 percent of their composition. Powder is almost necessary, since you have to take so much for it to be effective. A tablespoon (about 10 grams) is simply easier to dissolve in water and drink than it is to take 10 or 20 capsules to get enough of the Arthred.
By the way, Arthred-containing mixtures contain many other goodies that may or may not be of much help. However, Arthred is the main ingredient that does most of the work for your bones and joints.
Fortunately, Arthred by itself is widely available, which keeps costs down. (Multi-ingredient mixtures can break the bank!) Many companies carry it as a powder, which is odorless and tasteless and easily dissolves in water. Add a scoop to your daily nutrition shake, even if such a shake only contains Arthred!
Methonyl Sulfonyl Methane – MSM
This substance provides an organic source for one of the most important minerals that we need for healthy bones, skin, muscle, arteries, nails, you name it – i.e., sulfur. Sulfur is a mineral that we don’t get nearly enough of in our diet.
You can tell that MSM is recognized as a supplement for bone health, because it is a common ingredient in many bone health mixtures. Like Arthred, though, you don’t need to buy an expensive mixture just to get MSM. Besides, almost all of the bone health products that I have seen fail to include enough MSM. A common dose in a mixed ingredient product is typically 500 mg or even less. The right amount for bone health is a lot more – at least 5 grams per day (approximately a full teaspoon of pure MSM powder).
Besides its role in bone and joint health, MSM provides phenomenal extra benefits. It is a substance that not only gets sulfur into needed tissues, it also provides a powerful anti-inflammatory effect. At least four recent human clinical trials point to its role in helping with exercise recovery, delaying muscle stiffness or soreness, and recovering from large muscle injuries such as those caused by a heart attack. (Your heart is a pretty big muscle!) All of these benefits are based on the ability of MSM to reduce oxidative stress and prevent subsequent cellular damage.
For the longest time, my source of MSM was my local feed and tack store. MSM has been more well-recognized and more widely used in veterinary circles, particularly for horses, than in human health. However, MSM for veterinary use is not necessarily the pharmaceutical grade stuff that you want to put into your body. I have subsequently found an excellent online supplier for bulk MSM from a company called Vibrant Life. Here is the link: http://www.oralchelation.com/msm_powder.html. A one kilogram bag lasts a long time.
The only unfortunate property of MSM powder is that it is very bitter. I add some Stevia to my MSM shake, although this just hides some of the bitterness and doesn’t really make for a good flavor. I just drink it as fast as I can and put up with the bitterness, then have a small square of ultra-dark chocolate as my reward for getting it down.
Avoid Bisphosphonate Drugs
Sally Field is inspirational in her TV commercials for Boniva. She is lively, pretty, vivacious, and many other things that make her a wonderful celebrity endorser for this drug. When she tells you how wonderful Boniva is for your bones, how could you not believe her?
Well, here’s how: Boniva and Foxamax, the most well-known drugs that doctors prescribe for treating osteopenia and osteoporosis, are dangerous and ineffective based on the way they work. What they do is disrupt the normal cycle of bone cells. Bone cells are living cells that come and go. You make new ones to replace old ones. Old ones are supposed to get degraded and recycled so you can reuse the useful materials and eliminate the damaged materials.
The bisphosphonate drugs prevent the completion of this cycle by halting the elimination of old bone cells. In other words, they make bones look denser by the buildup of dead cells. This disruption undermines bone strength, even though bone density scans look better over time.
If you want to see the full list of side effects from taking these drugs, you can check them out on Wikipedia. A summary includes the following: severe and sometimes incapacitating bone, joint and/or muscle pain; increased risk of hip and thigh fractures; osteonecrosis (bone death) of the jaw. This does not sound like better bone health to me! Morever, side effects are also known to include ulceration of the esophagus, stomach and duodenum, esophageal cancer, skin rash, eye problems, and auditory and visual disturbances.
The bottom line is that these drugs will not help you with your bone health. In fact, they can ruin it.
The good news is that if you follow the general guidelines I’ve given you regarding exercise and supplementation, you will probably never be in the position to have a doctor prescribe bisphosphonate drugs in the first place.
How About Diet?
You have undoubtedly heard plenty about the Standard American Diet (SAD) and how bad it is for your health. This includes your bone health. There are plenty of culprits in this diet: sugar, high fructose corn syrup, refined carbohydrates, artificial sweeteners (especially Nutrasweet/aspartame), wheat, food dyes and preservatives … the list goes on and on.
The most common diet-related correlate for a whole syndrome of poor health is obesity. You can bet that if you are overweight or obese, then a multiplicity of health problems have happened or will happen to you, including bad bone and joint health.
Plenty of slim folks also have problems with bones and joints. However, at this point I want to get the attention of those who are carrying an excess amount of fat. What is an excess? If you can jiggle your belly, arms, thighs, fanny, chin(s), or any other obvious place where fat builds up, then you are carrying an excess amount of fat. This simply means that you are not eating right.
I have some very good news about what ‘eating right’ means. It entails three components: 1) how often you eat; 2) what you eat; and, 3) how much you eat. Many other factors can influence your health, including bone and joint health, but these are the Big Three that you must get right to be as healthy as you can be.
By the way, the least important of those components above is how much you eat. The public has been sold a bill of goods about reducing calories or low-fat dieting as a way to manage your weight. Neither of these common bits of advice can ever work for making you slim and healthy. If fact, I can say emphatically that the low-fat diet craze is the worst dietary plague ever foisted on humanity.
That last comment may require some explanation. That is why I have put together a science-based book about diets, exercise, supplements, and a few other crucial strategies that you should know about regarding what it takes to be slim and healthy. You can see the topics that I’ve included in this book by examining the entire table of contents here: FatLossBiology.com.
Ultimately, you must realize that any kind of problem that you have with your bones and joints, cardiovascular system, weight, cholesterol, blood pressure, etc., is not normal. The only way to stay normal or get back to normal is by putting the right things into your body.
Thanks for reading this far. Now be healthy!
All the best in natural health,
Dr. D
I deeply appreciate all your good info. I also miss seeing you and talking with you at the store, which, alas, is no more. So thanks for sending out this good info. I want your book, but haven’t yet solved how to get it. Will give it another try. Best wishes, greta holmes
Thanks, Greta. I also miss seeing you and other knowledgeable visitors to our store. Online isn’t quite the same. I’ve sent you an email directly.
All the best,
Dennis
Great info-THANKS!!!
You are welcome, Lynn!
All the best,
Dennis
I am glad that I have been able to adhere to these lifestyle factors through my regular lifestyle. I haven’t had to make any special adjustments to what I have been doing. Well, there is one thing I have had to cut down on, and that is alcohol consumption. Other than that, I have been working out for years and this keeps me feeling healthy. You don’t actually need any weights to strengthen your muscles if you know what exercises to do.
I had no idea that exercises like jumping up and down made you have stronger bones but that is what I have heard and read before now. I was wondering though should we drink milk again like we used to be told by our mom’s or is it still considered bad for us, wouldn’t that be a better way to get the supplements of calcium then what they put in a pill?
Hi, Larry: Milk and dairy products are not really good sources of calcium. Spinach is, though.
All the best,
Dennis
You have a lot of good information here and myths that have been dispelled as far as I am concerned, like the low fat diet and no high impact exercises etc. Thank you for taking the time to put this information out there where others are getting the truth once and for all. Keep up the good work this is needed by many.
As a middle aged woman I appreciate all the help I can get when it comes to bone health and joints because I do not want osteoporosis at all. Is that something that is hereditary or is it just something that you can get because of age and lack of nutrients in the bones etc.? Thank you for the work you have done here I really appreciate all the help.
I was reading the part about avoiding Biophosphonate Drugs and thought of my mom, she has some very serious illnesses and takes a lot of different medication and I think one of them has something to do with Biophosphonate and I would hate for her to start having bone problems on top of everything else, what can she do to make sure she is safe?
Hi, Jerry: The first thing is to get off the bisphosphonates. After continuous use for more than 5 years, bones will start to fracture by just walking or other normal, non-stressful movements. People don’t ‘fall and break their hips’ Hips break, which causes them to fall.
All the best,
Dennis
Do you think that milk is really bad for you? I started my kids on an 8 ounce per day milk regime when they were kids so they would have strong healthy bones and they drink it still to this day. Neither of them have high cholesterol and neither are over weight so do you think it is a mistake for them to continue this or to teach it to their kids?
Yes, milk is a poor component of diet. And this doesn’t even consider the toxins, antibiotics, and hormones that show up in it based on sourcing it from domestic mega-dairies.
All the best,
Dennis
The what not to do’s was the biggest point for me because I found that I do some of those things and now I know why I really shouldn’t but what do you do if the medication you are on is something that actually hinders the strong bones you are trying to create? Is there anything you can take that will balance it out? This is a scary situation.
I think that preventative health maintenance is the key to long term health. I think it is important for younger persons to take supplements throughout their life, long before they ever experience any symptoms of osteoporosis or any other associated bone disease or degeneration. I do yoga and plyometrics which improves strength, but I also take calcium and glucosamine supplements on a daily basis. If you do the right things early in life, you won’t grow old with regrets.
There are far more do’s than don’t and that makes me feel a lot better. You have done an amazing job with this post and the information that you have offered here is great you have hit the nail on the head so to speak when it comes to bones and brittleness. Keep up the good work I look forward to your next post and what it might be about.
I have read that Vitamin D is essential for bone health and serves other important functions in the body, including modulation of cell growth, nerve and muscle function, and immune-system regulation. And because Vitamin D is necessary for effective absorption of calcium by the gastrointestinal tract, it goes without saying that without vitamin D, only about 10-15 percent (according to some estimations I have read) of calcium in the diet is absorbed.
I had no idea that drinking colas was like sucking the calcium out of my bones and throwing it down the toilet. If I had known that I would have given up soda a long time ago. I will be giving it up now that is for sure as the older I get the more I want to watch my health and keep my bones strong so that I am not a frail grandma.
I have to admit I have learned a lot about do’s and don’ts of bone health here and I appreciate it. I have elderly parents that will benefit from this as well so please keep posting things like this because you are truly helping people out. This is stuff they need to know but won’t find everywhere. Thank you so much for the work you have done here.
Thank you for doing the work that you did here. I am super excited about this because I have been going to the doctor to have bone density test ran and I can tell you it is getting worse so he put me on some medication but I would rather take care of it naturally and with your advice here I think I will see if it works for my next visit. Thank you again.
You have done a great job with this post I have learned a lot from this and I will pass it along to some friends of mine as well. I had no idea that this stuff was a problem and now that I do know I am shocked. Thank you so much for the time you have put into this you have given everyone a lot of advice and I have to say it’s good.
This was a lot of information but it was all good and stuff that I didn’t know was in there as well. You are great at posting this type of stuff and I hope that you will do more. Thank you for the work that you have done here because I am sure that it took some time and effort on your part. Keep up the good work I really enjoy it.
I had no idea that there was so much to bone health until I read this you have done a great job and the more I read about this the more I want to know. I have not had my bones checked lately but I know at a certain age I have to right? When is it that women are supposed to start having a density check done?
I was doing a work out DVD the other day and she was telling us to pick it up a bit and to lightly jog in place that the impact is actually good for building strong bones. How does that work, I thought that high impact on the joints and things was bad for them, how can it be bad for joints but good for bones? Is there a happy medium to exercises?
The good news is that there are excellent natural treatments that dramatically and safely increase bone density (and health), preventing, slowing and even powerfully reversing osteoporosis. The bad news? Most physicians arent familiar with those treatments! I sure hope that is not the norm with most physicians. And it’s not just older people who need to know the truths about maintaining good bone health. Younger persons need to start good diet and exercise habits early to prevent bone disease.
Did you know that in Medieval England parents would tie rabbits’ feet around their babies’ necks to ward off illness? Doctors would also spit on wounds because saliva was believed to have healing properties. Well, history is replete with unfounded health beliefs, and to everyone’s detriment, the milk myth is among the most tenacious. At least that is what I have read recently and I wonder if the so called myths that I have read are true.
It may seem like osteoporosis is just a part of aging, but it doesn’t have to be. While it’s true you lose bone strength and mass as you get older, there are many things you can do to lower your chances of getting osteoporosis. Hip fractures and loss of bone density are likely not on the minds of most 20-somethings, but this is when women need to start working on maintaining the bone strength they have.
To state a very obvious point, your bones need to last you a lifetime! So, trying to maintain their health is vital to enjoying a long, and active life. The thing is, it pays to start early. The research I’ve read shows the more work you put in before you hit 30 years of age, the better condition your bones will be in as you get older. The good news is, however, it’s never too late to start trying to improve the health of your bones.
Most of the news about osteoporosis concerns the side effects of current therapies and preventives. But it is important to put these effects in perspective and to focus on treatment benefits and practical measures that can help to prevent costly and debilitating fractures in fragile bones. I like to take supplements. Most people might think that it is women that need to take calcium, but really, everyone can benefit from taking the proper supplements. I’m obviously a big proponent of supplements.
I can’t believe I used to think that people do not need to take a vitamin D supplement. That is until I learned that vitamin D helps your body use calcium. If you don’t get enough vitamin D, or if your body doesn’t absorb it well, you are at greater risk for osteoporosis. Your skin makes vitamin D when it is exposed to the sun and is also available in a few foods. However, many people need a vitamin D supplement.
Bones are high up on the list of things we take for granteduntil they fail us. Having weak bones, a condition doctors call low bone mass, makes you vulnerable to fractureand not just, say, a broken arm. Bone fractures that result from osteoporosis are often in the hips or spine, and they can incapacitate you for months. Even worse, fractures can trigger what experts call a “cascade” of health symptoms, ending in lifelong disability or even death.
A video I watched showed how a history of anorexia is one of the biggest red flags for osteoporosis. The early stage of osteoporosisin younger women. That’s because when a woman’s body weight drops too low, it lowers hormone levels, and she typically starts skipping periods. “Anything that lowers estrogen levels interferes with bone building. I may know a young girl who may be in danger of undernourishment and thus, long term bone weakness.
From the web MD stuff I have read, if you’re over 30, your skeleton’s already rebelling, tossing out bone faster than you can replace it. Doctors deliberate over when to begin osteoporosis treatments, but your best bet is osteoporosis prevention. Now is the time The disease is a major health threat for aging females, affecting about 8 million of the 10 million osteoporosis sufferers in the U.S. One in three women over 50 get fractures resulting from osteoporosis.
Due to the busy schedule that most people have, health are taken for granted. Good diets are often replaced with fast food and quick & easy microwavable meals. Calcium intake decreases, which can lead to brittle bones later in life. As you grow older, you have to be more conscious about your health, especially the condition of your bones. Ignoring the structure that holds up your body can have serious ramifications. I certainly would not want to have knee or hip replacement surgery when I get older.
Blogs like the good Doctor’s are so very helpful, especially because there is just a glut of promotional hype about countless dietary supplements on the market, and there doesn’t appear to be any signs of the supplement industry hype slowing down. It’s only continuing to explode in growth and the problem is that too many scrupulous companies are heavily marketing supplements containing little nutritional value. These are counterfeit practices done in the name of greed and profit.
I used to think that only old people need to worry about osteoporosis. After my mother started suffering from it, I learned that 80% of osteoporosis risk is genetically based. Because of this, it’s never too early to adopt a “bone-building” lifestyle, especially if you have a family history of osteoporosis. To keep your bones as healthy as possible, consume enough calcium, get sufficient vitamin D through diet and sun exposure, exercise frequently, and avoid smoking and excessive alcohol consumption.
It is important to consume enough calcium every day. From what I have learned on the TV show, The Doctors, women need 1,000 milligrams of calcium a day for healthy bones. After age 50, a woman’s calcium needs jump to 1,200 milligrams a day. Some of the things the show’s panel of doctors mentioned: good sources of calcium include fat-free or low-fat dairy products like milk, yogurt and cheese, tofu made with calcium sulfate, sardines and fortified cereals and juices.
I did a college paper once on this subject in which I cited how changes in modern medicine have come changes in the average life span of adults–and because of this, more and more people are becoming concerned about bone health. I think it’s important for women to learn how bones change as you age, and what can be done to prevent or eliminate weak bones from developing.
I have discovered the benefits that plyometrics (jump training), and agility training – not to mention Yoga – have on my conditioning. I have burned lots of fat and dropped a lot of weight in a short period of time. But I have not read anywhere else about the benefits these exercises have on the bones. I do think my joints have become stronger since I started this sort of training.
So if you lift weights that is actually good for your bones? That is very interesting because you are tearing down fibers of your muscles and they are repairing to build muscle but it strengthens your bones as well. I never knew that there were so many benefits to lifting weights and now that I am not worried about bulking up as a girl I can feel free to do it.
Ok I read your post and I understand how the stretching exercises help the joints and ligaments but how does it help the bones? It really didn’t explain that part. Is it more that the stuff around the bones are getting stronger and protecting the bones or does it actually effect the bones themselves? Keep posting this kind of stuff because it is very helpful.
I know a lot of things happen to your body and your health when you are obese but I also know a lot of people that are skinny and are in worse health and shape then those that are overweight. This post is full of good information and I look forward to reading more form you in the future. Thank you for showing people that exercise and diet are key.
Along with adult women, I really think teen girls should receive medical advice about bone health and the lifestyle factors that could affect their risk for fractures or osteoporosis, such as smoking, poor eating habits and too much weight loss. I say this because I know a young girl who doesn’t eat enough because she’s living on her own and can’t always afford to eat enough. I worry for her.
Most people are familiar with many of the benefits of exercise, such as reducing the risk for heart disease and stroke, and preventing obesity. Perhaps not as well understood is the importance of regular physical activity in building and maintaining healthy bones. To some persons this seems counterintuitive, but the evidence from numerous studies is there. Don’t deny it and get busy sweating, people.
I found it very interesting when I learned that your body stores 99% percent of its calcium in your teeth and bones. The other 1% is circulating in your blood and soft tissue. And i you do not consume enough calcium through your diet or supplements, your body will take the calcium it needs from your bones. It only makes sense that if your body continues to take calcium from your bones, over time, you will develop osteoporosis.
Well if yoga is going to help my bones as well as joints and things like that then I am going to start doing it. Do you have to do it for a certain amount of time each day? I know some classes go for an hour but I was wondering if thirty minutes is a good enough work out or is the hour better? Thank you for posting this.
I always thought that high impact aerobics were bad for you but now I am learning that it is good for your bones by making the impact higher than a normal walk you actually strengthen them. That is great because I love my aerobics and didn’t want to give them up. Keep posting tips like this because they are very helpful. Keep up the good work I loved it.