Fosamax 10/21

Client Attorney Privileged/Attorney Work Product/At Request of Counsel

1. Understanding Your Body Helps Ward off Osteoporosis

   Oct 20, 2015 | Petoskey News

   By Maggie Daniels
   
   
   ... Drugs to improve osteoporotic bones are called “bisphosphonates”. Fosamax and Boniva are widely recognized names. The list of side effects is long and frightening. Jaw bone death, femur fracture, and esophageal cancer are on that list, and yes, all have occurred...

Client Attorney Privileged/Attorney Work Product/At Request of Counsel

1. Understanding Your Body Helps Ward off Osteoporosis

   Oct 20, 2015 | Petoskey News

   By Maggie Daniels

   The following is a guest commentary written by Maggie Daniels, RN, the former director of the North Central Michigan College Student and Community Resource Center. She holds a certificate in plant-based nutrition, is a certified personal trainer and Medical Exercise Specialist and owner of Four Seasons Fitness.

   Oct. 20 is World Osteoporosis Day. News to you? It was to me. Moreover, it is very significant considering that I had chosen osteoporosis for my October article some time ago, and as I delved deep into researching I happened upon an ad announcing World Osteoporosis Day. Coincidence? I don’t think so. I’d say it was fate.

   Osteoporosis-“porous bone” is a diagnosis that sadly, 50 percent of women and 25 percent of men in America are likely to hear. We see the picture of the elderly lady with a distinct curve in her spine that pulls and forces her to face the ground. She is probably experiencing quite a bit of pain not only in her back but also her neck, because in order to see where she is going, she has to hyper-extend her neck so her eyes are able to look forward. The curve in her back is a result of compression fractures in her spine due to weak and very brittle bones. She may also be among the 20 percent of women who die within one year of a brittle hip fracture.

   Our bones are living tissue that is constantly being broken down and replaced. In fact, bone completely replaces itself about every 10 years. Osteoporosis occurs when the creation of new bone doesn’t keep up with the removal of old bone. Bones become brittle, so much so, that fractures of the spine, hip and wrist occur. We tend to think of the elderly falling and breaking a hip, however, osteoporotic bones can break from just twisting around in one’s car, or from being too heavy for hips to support.

   What is the first word that comes to mind to most Americans regarding healthy bones? Calcium. Calcium to the rescue! It is true, our bones depend heavily on calcium to make and keep their strength and density. But consider this: Americans consume more calcium in any form than any other country in the world, and we have the highest numbers of osteoporosis in the world, rates which have steadily increased in the 70 years they have been graphed. Truth be told, calcium is not getting into nor staying in the bones to work its magic. Why?

   Though the metabolism regarding osteoporosis is complicated, there are three major reasons.

   A high acid diet.

   Very little exercise.

   Vitamin D deficiency.

   High acid diet

   Our internal bodies have a very delicate ratio of acid to alkaline which is referred to as pH, and it must always stay exactly in balance. Calcium, which is necessary for strong bones, must also be in the bloodstream because of its other job to keep heart muscles and skeletal muscles working. What offsets this balance is certain foods and drinks that are high in acid.

   When high acid food is ingested, the normal amount of calcium in the blood stream may not be enough to buffer the acid and stabilize the pH. When there is a need for more calcium, the body will not sacrifice heart or muscle function, so calcium leaches out of bones. When calcium is constantly leached from bones they become weak and brittle. Animal and dairy foods metabolize to acid (components of a high acid diet), and Americans eat overly-large portions of meat and dairy every day. Hard cheeses such as Parmesan (which is the most acidic food we eat), are the most acidic.

   Another high-acid consumer favorite is Coke, Pepsi or other soda pops. It’s the phosphorous, or phosphoric acid, in every bottle of soda. High blood-phosphorus levels, not only acidic, also prevent the body from utilizing vitamin D, therefore preventing the body from absorbing adequate amounts of calcium. Hence calcium to the rescue constantly. Vegetables and fruit metabolize as alkaline. Get your calcium by eating big bowls of fresh leafy greens with a variety of colorful veggies. Yes, eat protein, but not too much; minimally from animals. Before using calcium supplements, read the “calcium full story” below and consult with your health care provider and a supplement specialist.

   Exercise

   Americans sit a lot, and many are just plain sedentary. Getting calcium into the bones and developing long-lasting strong bones both require what is called “weight-bearing activity”, activity against gravity that forces the weight of body and muscles to put pressure on bones and guarantee a calcium delivery.

   Calcium makes new bone cells more active, and is the primary way children’s bones grow into adult bones. This activity is absolutely necessary. Walking, hopping, skipping, jumping, jogging, weight lifting, stair climbing and dancing are all weight bearing.

   Performing squats, pushups, burpees, lunges and bench stepping in the gym or in exercise class are all weight bearing. Swimming and bicycling although excellent aerobic conditioning activities, are not weight bearing. Weight-bearing activity has been shown to prevent as well as slow the progression of osteoporosis.

   Vitamin D

   A most important requirement for calcium metabolism. Vitamin D is made from the sun shining down on our skin. The Northern Michigan six-month winter brings precious little sunshine. Without vitamin D calcium goes to sleep and people can become very fatigued and unmotivated. During the winter, do you wake up every day, drag yourself to the coffee pot and hang onto the counter watching for the moment to fill your cup, while feeling like Roseanne Roseannadanna saying, “I think I’m gonna die?” It could very well be Vitamin D deficiency. Calcium fortified foods help, however everyone should have D levels checked with a simple blood test, then seek consultation regarding supplements.

   Women who have reached the delightful stage of menopause may be diagnosed with osteopenia, the “pre-curser” to osteoporosis. Don’t panic. Women at this point in their lives may want to kick the dog and hurl curses at their children, spouses and slow cashiers, but they don’t have a pre-disease. It is the normal state that happens when women lose estrogen and child-bearing years are over. Bones become less dense from no longer holding the amount of calcium required for birth and milk for babies. This is the time to rev up that weight-bearing exercise and commit to excellent nutrition, in order to prevent more bone weakening. Unfortunately, for too many, the soothing pharmaceutical lure of a pill is hard competition. Drugs to improve osteoporotic bones are called “bisphosphonates”. Fosamax and Boniva are widely recognized names. The list of side effects is long and frightening. Jaw bone death, femur fracture, and esophageal cancer are on that list, and yes, all have occurred. So women and men, be aware and consult intelligently.

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