Symptoms Causes Traditional Treatments Alternative/Natural Treatments Chinese Herbs Exercise Herbal Therapies Homeopathy Dietary Considerations Supplements Calcium Plus AdvaCAL Ultra Latest Research Findings

Osteoporosis is a condition that causes a person's bones to become thin and weak. It is a crippling disease affecting both men and women caused by a lack of calcium. Women are usually more susceptible to this disease as their bones are lighter and less dense. And among women, usually osteoporosis affects fair and small people.

Symptoms
The condition may cause no symptoms at all or alternatively these may occur:-

• Backache
• A gradual loss of height and a stooped back.
• Fractures and breaks occur easily.
• Loss of bone in the jaw.

Causes
The most common cause is age. From about 35 years of age onwards, bone structure changes and becomes less dense. However no one is sure about what triggers tend speed up the process of bone deterioration.
Possible causes are:-

• Poor bone formation from childhood
• Low calcium intake
• Increased bone loss due to sensitivity to the parathyroid hormone.
• At menopause, the fall in estrogen lessens the amount of calcium drawn from the nutrients you eat.
• A diet high in protein from flesh foods, sugar, caffeine, alcohol and cigarettes and salt.

Traditional Treatments

Conventional treatment centers around drugs and physical supports.
Your doctor may prescribe certain pain killers to ease the discomfort, as well as hot compresses and easy massage.
However, to prevent it in the first place, your doctor may recommend you go on hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Studies have shown that women who take long-term HRT within a few years of menopause keep their bone density and have fewer hip and wrist fractures while they are taking it than women who do not.
As a preventive measure your doctor may suggest that you increase the amount of calcium in your diet or perhaps take calcium supplements along with Vitamin D.
Also low impact exercise is usually recommended to keep your bones supple and too much weight off them.

Alternative/Natural Treatments

Alternative therapies focus on building and retaining strong bones.

Chinese Herbs

Chinese practitioners recommend several herbs for preventing bone loss - the most popular are dong quai and asian ginseng .

See a qualified practitioner of Chinese Medicine for appropriate dosages.

Exercise

Studies have shown that exercises reduce bone loss and help prevent osteoporosis.

Herbal Therapies

Herbalists believe that the use of some herbs can help slow the progression of this condition. Herbs traditionally used for the prevention of osteoporosis include:-

• Horsetail - source of silica,
• Alfalfa
• Licorice
• Marsh Mallow
• Sourdock
• Progesterone creams made from the wild Mexican yam

Homeopathy

In addition to a calcium-rich diet and exercise, homeopaths recommend treatments they believe help the body absorb calcium. You will need professional assistance for remedies and dosages

Dietary Considerations

The most obvious addition to your diet is calcium whether this is via more calcium rich foods such as:-

• Low-fat dairy produce
• Broccoli,
• Cauliflower,
• Salmon
• Tofu,
• Leafy green vegetables or supplements.

In addition to eating calcium-rich foods you should also avoid acid rich foods such as red meats, soft drinks and grains. Excessive amounts of alcohol and caffeine should be avoided.

Supplements

Conventional thinking says that people with a history of weaker bones should be consuming approximately 1000 milligrams of calcium per day increasing this to 1500 mg per day around the menopause time.

Latest research shows that to help the body absorb calcium it should be taken with magnesium, vitamin D and boron. These must be taken in the correct quantities so it is important that the supplement has been specifically formulated. And that the minerals are in a chelated form.

Calcium Plus

One of the best supplements that we have come across is Calcium Plus (also called Active Calcium) from Usana. Calcium Plus was carefully formulated to enable its ingredients to work together to promote strong and healthy bones. Twenty-five million Americans suffer from osteoporosis, which accounts for hundreds of thousands of broken bones annually. Although signs of osteoporosis usually don't occur until the later years of life, getting the proper amount of calcium in your diet now may prevent calcium deficiency later. Calcium Plus was carefully formulated to enable its ingredients to work together to promote strong and healthy bones.* Supplementation of calcium is one of the keys to preventing osteoporosis and increasing quality of life. Calcium Plus Chewable is ideal for all ages, from adolescents to seniors. It is formulated with a higher calcium-to-magnesium ratio, for those who are sensitive to magnesium, and manufactured to U.S.P. guidelines for guaranteed purity and potency.

• Contains a balanced formula of calcium, magnesium, boron, silicon, and vitamin D
• Provides complete nutritional support for optimal bone development and maintenance throughout all stages of life.*

For details on how to order Calcium Plus please contact us.

AdvaCAL customers know that leading calcium supplements cannot increase bone density. It's been proven repeatedly in clinical trials. In contrast, AdvaCAL has consistently increased bone density in human studies, even increasing bone density in the critical spine area. That's why AdvaCAL is recognized as the #1 bone-building calcium.

Two things are responsible for AdvaCAL's remarkable effectiveness: the special processing that makes the calcium in AdvaCAL easier for your system to absorb, and the addition of HAI, or Heated Algal Ingredient, which further enhances absorption and modulates PTH (parathyroid hormone) activity to reduce bone loss. AdvaCAL Ultra contains the same advanced calcium as original AdvaCAL, combined with the same HAI. But AdvaCAL Ultra includes 8 additional bone nutrients: vitamins D and C, magnesium, zinc, manganese, copper, boron and silica, in the precise ratios required for optimum bone health.

AdvaCAL Ultra is ideal for those who want a complete bone-building formula in one easy-to-swallow caplet. If you prefer to manage your nutritional program with single nutrient supplements - or are taking a multi-vitamin or multi-mineral formula that supplies the other nutrients - you'll probably prefer original AdvaCAL capsules. Both AdvaCAL and AdvaCAL Ultra dissolve quickly and are easy-to-swallow.

For information on ordering AdvaCAL Ultra please contact us.

Latest Research Findings

Ipriflavone has been shown to promote healthy bones. It is a supplement derived from Soya and boasts a unique ability to both prevent and curtail the progress of osteoporosis. Ipriflavone, also known as 7-isopropoxyisoflavon, is derived from the Soya isoflavone, diadzein.

Test show that when Ipriflavone is combined with calcium it can increase bone density by almost 6%. It is thought to do this by encouraging the absorption of calcium and phosphorous in your bone tissue. It does this by stimulating osteoblasts, cells that help build bone, while inhibiting osteoblasts, cells which break down your bone tissue.

To date approximately one hundred human trials indicate the efficacy of Ipriflavone in increasing bone density. The average increase in bone density using Ipriflavone combined with calcium was between 1.4% and 2% after 6 months and up to 5.8% after one year alone.

Ipriflavone has also been found to ease the pain of fractures caused by osteoporosis.

The suggested intake of Ipriflavone is 600mg a day or 200mg three times a day or 300mg twice a day. Researchers recommend that patients with severe kidney disease do not take more than 200-400mg a day and those using theophylline, an asthma drug, should avoid Ipriflavone altogether. Please check with your doctor before supplementing with Ipriflavone if you are currently on medication.

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