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Arthritics and Osteoporosis

Anthony di Fabio

Arthritis Trust of America, Copyright 2005

Introduction

One in eight men and one in four women do now, or will

suffer from, Osteoporosis -- according to Joseph Mercola, D.O.,

quoting the Canadian Medical Journal (Nov.12, 2002, p. 167 --

see http://www.mercola.com).

According to John R. Lee, M.D., “one million, three hundred

thousand fractures a year occur . . . annually.” Mercola adds that

the cost in recent years has grown to a fifteen billion dollar indus-

try.

If you’re one of those suffering from Osteoporosis, then you

also have a greater risk of fracturing a bone, often a hip. That’s a

one in six chance of hip fracture for women, and that ratio is a

greater ratio than the one in nine risk they have in suffering from

breast cancer.

So, What is Osteoporosis?

Simply stated, your body has been replacing good, healthy

bone tissue slower than it has been losing it. This has gone on until

finally the stress of daily living -- perhaps a fall on the steps you’ve

been walking up and down for forty years -- snaps the weakened

bone. (See “Treatment & Prevention of Osteoporosis,” Arthritis

Trust of America, http://www.arthritistrust.org, for more details.)

One of the chief problems with rheumatoid arthritics is that so

many of them also develop Osteoporosis!

It was reported in 2000 by Dr. Glenn Haugeberg, of

Diakonhjemmer Hospital in Oslo, Norway, and colleagues, mea-

sured bone density at a number of bone sites in rheumatoid arthritis

sufferers, that the bone density in men and women both decreased

significantly at all of the sites measured. In a general population

one will find about 16% reduction in bone mass, whereas in the

rheumatoid arthritic population measured they found 27.6% in the

femoral neck, 31.6% in the total hip, and 19.6% in the spine (L2-

4).(http://rheumatology.medscape.com; MedPulse 28-Apr-00-

MedscMedsape’s Drug Info)

Calcium Crazy

Since 65% of our bones consist of some forms of calcium

salts, the immediate -- and very simplistic assumption -- is that

bone thinning is the result of calcium deficiency. The news media -

- and many doctors -- will drive you crazy with this false theme that

presumes that one should (a) drink lots of milk and eat more cheese

and ice cream for calcium; or (b) take calcium supplements, usu-

ally some brand of antacids.

First off -- according to William Campbell Douglass, M.D.

(http://www.realhealthnews.com/dailydose/freecopy.html

for Daily

Dose) -- once milk has been pasteurized the calcium compounds in

it have been changed to a form that is no longer bio-available. That

means your body can’t use it. You’re wasting your money and hopes

on something that just ain’t there! (The Milk of Human Kindness is

Unkind, W.C. Douglass, M.D,)

Secondly, the taking of calcium tablets is also an overly sim-

plistic solution to what amounts to a very complex biological prob-

lem, and antacids won’t do the job. To consider just a handful of

thoughts derived from various alternative medical physicians who’ve

specialized in nutrition: (1) never take calcium without an equal

amount of magnesium, and (2) while its true that calcium is cal-

cium is calcium, of the many kinds of calcium/magnesium tablets/

capsules on the market, only certain kinds are easily absorbable.

Depending upon how the absorption is measured, different

calcium compounds come up on top. As a general rule, the chemi-

cally pure salt is absorbed better than the pharmaceutical mixtures,

regardless of which type of calcium compound is used.

Some physicians recommend microcrystalline hydroxyapatite

because it’s easily absorbed, increases cortical bone density, ar-

rests trabecular bone loss, and especially is aborbed easily by

malabsorbers.

Calcium/Magnesium citrates are very well absorbed even by

those of poor digestion and reduces risk of kidney stones.

Calcium/Magnesium aspartate is well absorbed.

Calcium ascorbate (form of Vitamin C) is well absorbed and

non acidic, also providing the usually much needed ascorbate (Vi-

tamin C) radical.

Calcium/Magnesium lactate is well absorbed.

Calcium/Magnesium chelate is well absorbed.

Generally, stay away from calcium phosphates or carbonates,

although some forms of absorption tests show that calcium carbon-

ate, in pure form, performs very well. But calcium phosphate and

calcium carbinate are usually -- but not always -- packaged as the

lowest cost calcium you can buy -- and they’re usually worth just

what you pay for them.

The very best sources for Calcium/Magnesium are found in

the vegetable kingdom. Calcium/Magnesium orotates -- derived

from vegetables -- were found by many doctors to have superior

qualities, but, unfortunately, the FDA took them off the market as

an over-the-counter item. It must have begun to compete too heavily

with the pharmaceutical monopolies.

Otherwise, go to the vegetables themselves: leafy greens, es-

pecially the kind you cook, such as broccoli.

Calcium is also available in beans, nuts, seeds, sea vegetables,

fish with bones, soup with bones where one teaspoon of vinegar

has been added, and so on.

The True Factors About Osteoporosis

Since more women than men suffer from Osteoporosis, espe-

cially after menopause, it’s probably safe to assume that there’s a

hormonal factor. We’ll get back to that later.

According to Annemarie Colbin, founder and director of the

Natural Gourmet Cookery School at the Institute for Food and

Health in New York, and author of Food and Healing, only thir-

teen percent of Osteoporotic women suffer from deficiency of cal-

cium. “The rest of the cases relate to lack of exercise, high protein

diets, smoking, alcohol consumption, impairment of the intestine’s

ability to absorb calcium, and the use of corticosteroid drugs. . .”

such as those taken by arthritics.

Deficiency in calcium may very well arise from the draining

of calcium from tissues (demineralization) which is not deposited

properly due to lack of exercise.

Consider the plight of astronauts, for example. After a few

weeks stay in orbit, out of the reach of gravity -- which causes us to

work and/or exercise -- their bones are thinned and their muscles

are weak.

Atheletes generally have thicker, stronger bone than non-

atheletes.

Calcium can also be drained by the over-eating of foods that

are protein and carbohydrate-rich, and that cause an acid condition

in the body. This list can be extended to include salt, caffeine, vin-

egar, alcohol, sugar, grains, flour, citrus fruit, juices, nightshades

(potato, tomato, eggplant, tobacco and peppers of all kinds).

Lack of calcium absorption can be caused by insufficient phos-

phorus or magnesium, lack of sunlight or vitamin D, inflammatory

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