I am 72, and have developed Osteomalacia (an adult form of Rickets) from a vitamin D deficiency, which has been treated and is now better. I also have the beginning of Osteoporosis and am struggling to learn how to treat myself. How do I find out just how much of all the minerals I need to stop bone loss, and how much is “a high dose” of strontium, so I can indeed reverse my bone loss?
The body is in a constant cycle of repair and maintenance of all tissues in the body. This includes bone tissue. When the bone needs repair, the body mobilizes ‘osteoclasts’ which enter the area of repair and break down the damaged bone area. This creates a hole in the bone, and will be seen on X-ray as calcium loss, or osteoporosis. After about 3 to 6 weeks of this, ‘osteoblasts’ are sent in to rebuild the bone. This takes about 2 weeks. During that period of time, all the minerals need to be present to build the bone matrix, and collagen tissue is also added so the bone is not so brittle.
Calcium and magnesium are two important macro-minerals, and 750 to 1000 mg should be ingested, including both supplements and food intake. Most of the other minerals are in adequate quantities in a potent multivitamin—zinc, boron, biotin. Two minerals tend to be deficient—strontium and silicon. The bone only needs 2 to 3 mg of strontium per day to build new bone, but if taken in the 1,000 mg per day range, it acts as a stimulant for reversal of osteopenia and osteoporosis.
Vitamin C is important for collagen building, so I would take at least 1,000 mg per day, and perhaps up to 4,000 mg per day. Of course, ‘real’ food is important, which means avoidance of processed foods, especially soda pop, which has a phosphorus buffer that pulls calcium out of bones when it is ingested. Fluoride should also be avoided, as it can be placed in the bone as a mineral and make it weak.
My doctor says I can get all the vitamins and minerals I need from my food. What is your opinion on this?
I used to say the same thing to my patients, back in the days before I studied healthy alternatives. It is the party line of allopathic medicine, although that is starting to change. Here's the bottom line, and I'll follow up with some info on what allopaths are now doing:
3 responses so far ↓
1 Suz // Feb 1, 2010 at 9:55 am
Garden of Life makes a great product called GrowBone. It is usually $50/box. You can buy it online at http://www.vitacost.com for $42.
If you get a dexa scan before you start GrowBone, use the product for six months and get another scan and don’t increase your bone density,
G of L will pay for all of this.
You can read all about it at http://growbone.com/.
2 Dave // Feb 1, 2010 at 12:10 pm
I can vouch for the D3. Last year I put my wife on 5000U of D a day. Her last test revealed a D level of 94, and we’re trying to keep it at around that level. She just had a bone density test and the graph showed that it was average… for a 20 year old (she’s 50 this year).
3 Co Willie // Feb 1, 2010 at 9:20 pm
You mentioned taking strontium in the 1,000 mg. range to reverse osteopenia and bone loss; how long would you suggest taking strontium at those levels and how long before osteopenia can be reversed?
Leave a Comment