The Biggest Myths About Osteoporosis

Dr. Frank Shallenberger’s

Vol. 7, No. 6

June 2008

The 3 Biggest Myths About Osteoporosis Plus, what you can do to have the bone strength you had years ago! I see them in my office all the time: women with bones so brittle they could snap. Yet the astonishing thing is that these women have not neglected their bones. On the contrary, they’re doing every-

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Some alternative doctors will tell you to avoid prescription osteoporosis drugs. But here’s when they can work miracles ............................ p. 3 One of the most popular supplements on the market can cause cancer and heart attacks. Here’s how to use it correctly ...................................... p. 4 My secret remedy for preventing digestion problems — this one is sure to surprise you................ p. 6 Do Splenda and other artificial sweeteners contribute to pancreatic cancer? ...................... p. 8

Coming Next Month

• In the past, I’ve told you how to prevent

cancer. Now I’m going to tell you what to do if you already have cancer. You won’t read this anywhere else.

• The common food additive that causes Parkinson’s — you can even find it in many health foods.

thing they’re “supposed” to do to strengthen their bones. They’re taking fistfuls of calcium and other supplements. They’re eating dairy and soy. They’re doing weight-bearing exercise. They’re putting wild yam cream on their thighs. Yet despite taking supplements, despite exercising, and sometimes despite trying drugs, they’re finding very little improvement in their bones. Why? I’ve told you about the problems with calcium supplements in past issues. Next to calcium, women are now falling for what I call the 3 Biggest Myths About Osteoporosis. Today, I’m going to expose those myths. But more importantly, I’m going to tell you how to reverse osteoporosis. And I do mean reverse. You can literally regain the bone mass you had 10 or 20 years ago. You can do the things you enjoy without fear of a slip or fall that could land you in a hospital or nursing home. So let’s get started …

Myth # 1: Bone Density Tests Predict Your Chances of Developing Osteoporosis The truth: Only to a point. You see, bone density is a “statistical test.” The test looks at the density of your bones, and then

compares that number to the statistics for someone your age and sex. The problem is that each person is different. What’s “strong” bone for one person isn’t necessarily the same for another.

Another good thing about this test is that if you begin therapy right away, you’ll see an improvement in four to six weeks. With bone density tests, it takes a year or more to see a difference.

Another weakness of this method is that it’s difficult to compare two bone density tests. The technician must aim the X-ray at the exact same spot on the same bone. If you’re just one-sixteenth of an inch off, you can get different results even if your overall bone health hasn’t changed.

The N-telopeptide test is relatively inexpensive, and almost all labs can run it. However, a lot of doctors still don’t know about it. And because of that, many doctors prescribe osteoporosis drugs that their patients may not need.

I see this all the time when I look at prior bone density tests of my new patients. The tests show that the density went up in four different places — but also went down in four different places. The bottom line is that you should take your bone density measurements with a grain of salt. The test can’t tell you how strong your bones are, and the results may not be all that accurate. Yet most doctors use only bone density tests to diagnose osteoporosis or osteopenia. And that’s a shame. There are newer, better ways to truly check the density and the strength of your bones. The problem is, many doctors haven’t even heard of these tests. The solution: Ask your doctor to run an N-telopeptide test. It’s a urine test that measures how much bone you’re losing. If N-telopeptide is too high in the urine, it means your rate of bone loss is too high. And one good thing about this test is that you can do it every few weeks if you want.

Which brings us to…

Myth #2: You Should Never Use Prescription Drugs The Truth: Long-term use of prescription drugs is dangerous. But over the shortterm, they can be a quick way to build bone tissue. You’ve probably heard about the dangers of bisphosphonate drugs like Fosamax, Zometa, and Actonel. The most serious danger is that these drugs have been linked to a bone disease called osteonecrosis of the jaw. In this condition, the gums and jawbone stop generating new tissue. The jawbone “dies.” The teeth fall out. Sometimes the dead or decayed portions of the jawbone have to be removed by a surgeon. So why am I saying that these drugs are OK to take over the short-term? Because every single case of necrosis of the jaw occurred when the person was either taking the drugs for many years, or was taking the more potent versions of the drugs (which are usually used in chemotherapy).

Real Cures (ISSN 1062-4163) is published monthly by Soundview Publishing, LLC. Publisher: Wallis W. Wood; Editor: Frank Shallenberger, MD. Subscriptions $49 per year; foreign addresses add $13 U.S. per year. Send new subscriptions or changes of address to our Business Office: P.O. Box 467939, Atlanta, GA 31146-7939, 800-728-2288 or 770-399-5617. Real Cures is a newsletter containing general comments on health, nutrition, and medicine. Readers are advised to consult with their own physician before implementing any health idea they read about, whether here or in any other publication. Copyright © 2008 by Soundview Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction of this newsletter or its contents by xerography, facsimile, or any other means is illegal.

The solution: If you have severe osteoporosis, bisphosphonate drugs may be a good stopgap measure to increase your bone mass quickly. Studies show that over the short-term, these drugs do, in fact, result in stronger bone. If you do use these drugs, you should use them for only a year. That’s long enough to get the benefits, but not long enough to suffer the serious side effects.

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Myth #3

density by 7% in the first year, by 12% after two years, and by 15% after three years!

Hormone Therapy Is Dangerous The (Surprising) Truth: You’ve seen all the news stories about how hormone replacement therapy can increase your risk of heart disease and cancer. But here’s what those stories fail to mention: All these dangers come from synthetic hormones, not natural ones. You probably know that Premarin, the most commonly prescribed estrogen, comes from horses. (The name “Premarin” actually stands for “Pregnant Mare Urine.”) Indeed, Premarin contains over 49 different horse estrogens, not one of which is naturally found in humans. Of course it’s going to cause problems when humans take it! And as bad as Premarin is, it’s not nearly as bad as Provera, the synthetic progesterone (progestin) doctors prescribed for years. In fact, the oft-quoted HRT studies show that women who took Premarin alone didn’t fare that badly. It’s when they added Provera that their rates of cancer and heart disease skyrocketed! Yes, Provera is dangerous. I never prescribe it for my patients. But natural hormones are different. There’s never been a study to show any kind of danger from them. In fact, the opposite is true. Studies show that they actually help prevent breast cancer.

The Truth About Natural Hormones Unlike synthetic hormones, natural hormones are structurally identical to the hormones that we produce in our own bodies. That’s why we refer to them as “bioidentical” hormones. These hormones exactly mimic what your body produces on its own (or used to produce on its own). The chemical reactions are the same. I’ve seen them work miracles on my patients. My colleagues have seen the same thing. And studies prove our experience. In fact, clinical studies have shown that supplemental natural progesterone increases bone

Yes, that’s new bone! Natural progesterone can help you rebuild the bone you’ve already lost. And natural estrogen is just as important. You see, progesterone stimulates cells called osteoblasts. These cells build bone. Estrogen, on the other hand, slows the activity of cells called osteoclasts. These cells break down bone. Osteoblasts and osteoclasts work together to keep your bones healthy. When you don’t have these hormones, this process of renewing and rebuilding doesn’t happen. With nothing to slow them down, the osteoclasts break down old bone tissue quickly. And the osteoblasts don’t produce new bone tissue. The inevitable result is osteoporosis.

What to Do if Your Hormone Levels Are Low To find out your estrogen and progesterone levels, find a doctor who uses bioidentical hormones. You can find one at www.worldhealth.net. When you visit the doctor, he’ll give you a saliva test to determine your hormone levels. This test will tell you if you’re deficient in estrogen, progesterone, and/or testosterone. (Yes, women’s bodies produce testosterone, too.) If the test determines that any of your hormones are deficient, your doctor can set up an individualized hormone replacement plan for you. I do this for my patients, and it works far better than a one-size-fits-all plan.

How to Reverse Osteoporosis Even Faster I hope that you’re now convinced that higher levels of hormones are the only way to reverse osteoporosis. But now let me show you my secrets for supercharging your osteoporosis regimen. First, take a look at your diet. I know that’s not sexy. But it’s vital to good

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This Supplement Causes Cancer and Heart Attacks I’ve been telling anyone who would listen for the past 13 years to avoid taking a popular supplement. That’s right — there’s a supplement that’s extremely dangerous. But no one wants to listen.

I’ve pointed out that study after study shows that you don’t need to take this supplement. Very few people in this country are deficient. And the prestigious Women’s Health Initiative study shows definitively that taking this supplement does absolutely nothing to improve the strength of bones. By now, I’m sure you know that I’m talking about calcium. And the news about calcium is getting even worse. It now appears that the supplement might cause

health. Here are a few things to focus on:

• Make sure you don’t drink a lot of soft drinks or coffee. These will leach calcium from your bones. • You also need to make sure you’re eating a lot of protein and vegetables. This way you’re sure to eat plenty of the trace minerals that are so important to bone health. These include zinc, boron, calcium, magnesium, etc. Notice I list calcium here. While you don’t need as much of it as most doctors say you do, you still need a little. And you’ll get plenty from a diet rich in protein and vegetables. Next, add the right supplements. Some patients are particularly low in zinc and need to take an extra supplement. I recommend 15 mg of zinc picolinate daily. In fact, the only supplements young people (premenopausal) need to take are zinc, vitamin C (500 mg daily), and vitamin D. Vitamin D is critical. I’ve already showed you why. But there’s more. Vitamin

cancer and heart attacks! We know that calcium supplements suppress vitamin D formation. When you combine this with the fact that low levels of vitamin D cause cancer, and the fact that those with the highest calcium intake have the highest incidence of cancer (all published information), you see the connection. Calcium supplements may cause cancer! We’ll have more on this in future issues. And, since calcium does not go to the bones, where does it go? Several studies have shown that it goes just where you don’t want it to go — to your arteries. But does anyone listen? I hope so, but most people seem to think I’m crazy for doubting the wonderful “benefits” of calcium supplements. Now maybe they’ll listen.

D is actually a hormone, so you can see why it’s so important for your bones. It’s so important that a deficiency makes you more likely to suffer stress or hip fractures, or other crippling bone injuries. Without enough vitamin D, once-healthy bones become thin and brittle. Worse, even thick bones can become so soft, they bend and break as easily as thinner bones! Vitamin D is stimulated by sunlight, so people in Northern climates usually don’t get enough. In fact, several studies out of England show very clearly that during the winter, serum vitamin D levels are one-fifth what they are in the summer. And fairskinned, thin, blue-eyed Scandinavian types statistically get more osteoporosis than dark-skinned types. I used to think that people living in sunny climates didn’t have to worry about their vitamin D levels. But every patient that I test for vitamin D, regardless of where they live, is deficient. So I tell all of my patients to start with 5,000 IU of D3 per day during the winter. Start taking it around

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A study published just this last February (2008) revealed some stunning news about calcium. Women (and probably men) who take calcium supplements are more than twice as likely to have heart attacks than those who leave the stuff alone. The study was a prospective, randomized, controlled study. That’s the most convincing kind. The researchers studied 1,471 postmenopausal women, none of whom were taking calcium supplements. The average age was 74. They randomly assigned 732 of them to take calcium supplements. The other 739 received placebo pills. They then followed these women over the next five years to see the results. The results are startling. In the placebo group, 14 women had heart attacks, compared to 31 women in the calcium group. The use of calcium supplements more than doubled the heart attack rate. But it gets

even worse. The researchers found that heart attack wasn’t the only problem. It turned out that there were 101 cases of strokes or deaths in the calcium women, versus 54 in the placebo group. Not only did calcium supplements cause twice as many heart attacks, but they also caused twice as many strokes and deaths. I call that astounding! So please, if all of the other studies out there about the dangers of calcium supplements haven’t yet convinced you to stay away from them, please let this one get through. A modest amount of calcium is fine (less than 500 mg daily) — the amount that you get in your diet, or in herbal supplements. But please avoid calcium pills. Bolland MJ, Barber PA, et al. Vascular events in healthy older women receiving calcium supplementation: randomized controlled trial. British Medical Journal. 2008 Feb 2;336(7638):2626. Epub 2008 Jan 15.

Thanksgiving and go until tax day (April 15). Make sure you’re taking vitamin D3, not the inferior vitamin D2, which is found in most grocery stores and pharmacies. Vitamin D2 is a synthetic vitamin — and synthetics aren’t effective. If you’re going through menopause or if you’ve already gone through it, you also need to take vitamin K1. Vitamin K1 reduces the rate of calcium loss from the bones by activating the hormone calcitonin. Calcitonin de-activates osteoclasts, the cells that break down bone. Even small amounts of vitamin K1 can make an enormous difference. For example, just 1 mg of vitamin K1 per day reduces the loss of bone calcium by 35-50%. Larger doses have an even greater effect. Vitamin K is a fat-soluble molecule. So if you’re on a low-fat diet, you may not be getting enough. Additionally, vitamin K is most commonly found in green vegetables, and most people don’t include enough green vegetables in their diets. Finally, make sure the bones that

break most often — the hips and back — are strong. The best way to do this is with a gentle program of a weightbearing exercise. It doesn’t have to be much. Women who exercise by walking fast for only one hour, three times per week can increase their spinal bone density by 4.4% per year. Even 30 minutes of walking three times a week will yield results. I recommend walking outside in the sunlight to stimulate the production of vitamin D. However, on a day when that’s not possible, walking on a treadmill, in the mall, or even on a small exercise trampoline will be just as effective. The trampoline is my favorite piece of indoor exercise equipment for osteoporosis. When you land on it, it gives your bones a slight compression, which is a good form of stress that builds your bones. After you go down on the trampoline, it shoots you up, giving you a second compression. You get more bang for your buck if you’re running in place on the trampoline instead of running in place on the floor.

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You can also use something called power plates. You stand on them and they vibrate. If you ever attend a health show or trade show, you’ll see them there. NASA uses these for astronauts in space travel to keep their bones in shape. There is a lot of data on them showing that they really work. You can find them on the Internet. That’s the basic plan for keeping your bones in great shape. If your hormone levels are high, this plan will help keep them high as you go through menopause. If your hormone levels are low, you can add these to your natural hormone-replacement regimen and it will supercharge the hormones to work even faster.

Get Started NOW! As you can see, you can reverse osteoporosis. I’ve seen excellent results using this protocol in every woman (and man) I’ve treated. It doesn’t matter if they’ve had breast cancer or not. In fact, all of my patients who follow this plan completely reverse their bone loss. They even build

healthy new bone tissue. And they increase the strength of their bones. Best of all — with every year, their bones get better and stronger. After years of struggling with weak, brittle bones they now have stronger, healthier bones than they did 20 years ago! So get started now! Make an appointment with a doctor who uses bio-identical hormones. And begin to enjoy strong bones that will stay strong for the rest of your life! One final note: Natural hormones and exercise will reverse osteoporosis in just about every case. But if you have osteoporosis and don’t want to take natural hormones, you can still follow the other recommendations in this report and see improvement. However, you’ll have to work a lot harder. You’ll have to exercise more, clean up your diet completely, and make sure you’re vigilant about taking all the supplements I’ve mentioned. I can’t guarantee this will reverse osteoporosis. But it will likely stop its progression or at least slow it down. Q

How to Knock Out Digestive Problems Once and For All, Part 2 Last month, I showed you simple and very effective ways to knock out your digestive problems. But those solutions work only if your digestive problems stem from food sensitivities or infection. If none of those solutions clears up your digestive problem, it’s possible you have a serious health issue. At least, that’s what your doctor will tell you. Many doctors will tell patients who don’t respond to treatment that they have colitis, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), or even Crohn’s disease. While this is true in a few cases, far too many doctors jump to these diagnoses without considering one other possible cause of discomfort — a yeast infection called Candida albicans. Symptoms of a candida

overgrowth include changes in your stool, constipation or diarrhea, bloating, gas, and stomach or intestinal cramps. And sufferers find they can’t eat certain foods. These symptoms are similar to symptoms of colitis, IBS, and Crohn’s disease, so it’s easy to understand why doctors would misdiagnose it. If your doctor says you have Crohn’s disease, but he hasn’t done a biopsy, walk out of his office and find a new doctor. Crohn’s disease is a severe autoimmune disorder. Your doctor can diagnose it accurately only with a biopsy. As a result, many cases of Crohn’s disease are false diagnoses. But if someone comes to me and tells me their doctor says they have colitis or

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IBS, I’ll first treat them for a yeast overgrowth. And for most patients, this works.

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So how do you treat a chronic yeast overgrowth? There’s no standard regimen recommended for a chronic yeast overgrowth, because it’s not a recognized medical condition. That’s why your doctor will often overlook it. If your doctor does suspect candida is an issue, he’ll probably prescribe a long-term regimen of oral antifungals, along with changes in your diet.

In addition, I tell people to take the capsule form of saccaromyces buoulardii – a beneficial yeast. Take four capsules twice a day for six weeks.

Unfortunately, the solutions offered by most alternative-minded doctors don’t work very fast. Solutions such as garlic and caprylic acid can take months to kill the yeast. But you can easily kill the yeast in just two to three weeks. It might take a bit longer to ensure the yeast will stay away once it’s gone, but it’s nothing like the months other natural remedies require to clear up the problem. And it’s a whole lot easier than a lifetime commitment to “manage” the colitis or IBS that you probably don’t even have! The first step is to eliminate all carbohydrates. And I mean literally no starches, sugars, grains, beans, or fruits for the first two weeks. This is tough at first. But you’ll eventually get used to it. And since it’s for only two weeks, most patients can make it.

This three-step program is so effective that any symptoms should be completely cleared up within two weeks.

Even Better Than a Cure — Prevention Of course, one thing that’s better than curing chronic gastric distress is keeping it from ever happening. And there’s one preventative that works against all the issues I’ve discussed in this report: the regular ingestion of coconut oil. Coconut oil? You may have heard that “tropical oils” are bad for your health because they contain triglycerides. Well, the truth is that coconut oil contains something called medium-chain triglycerides. These aren’t the same as the unhealthy triglycerides, which are longchain fatty acids. Study after study has proven the health benefits of the medium-chain triglycerides found in coconut oil.

The second step is to take a prescription antifungal — either Nystatin or Diflucan. I recommend these antifungals for two reasons: They’re completely safe and they work quickly. Diflucan wipes out the yeast in two weeks — Nystatin requires an extra week to do the job. And they’re both so safe. In fact, you’re more likely to have an adverse reaction to a vitamin! Most doctors will gladly give you a prescription for these drugs. And most insurance will cover the cost according to your prescription drug coverage. Your final step is to re-promote normal bacteria that will permanently hold the yeast in check. I give people a high-quality, multi-strain lactobacillus supplement. One of my favorites is Advanced Probiotic Formula

For example, coconut oil has antimicrobial and anti-viral properties. It kills both Candida albicans and helicobacter pylori. Coconut oil also contributes to healing of the stomach lining. Worried that your heart may suffer for your stomach’s good? Don’t be. Mediumchain triglycerides lower the risk of both atherosclerosis and heart disease. And they have no negative impact on cholesterol levels. So, if you don’t already suffer from stomach trouble, now you know a simple and safe way to prevent it. But if it’s too late for prevention, there’s still no need to suffer with chronic gastric distress. Relief can be simple, inexpensive, and permanent. You just have to know how to find and treat its root causes.

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LETTERS

TO THE

Q. Do Splenda or other artificial

sweeteners contribute to pancreatic cancer? — Vicky C., via e-mail Dear Vicky, According to most studies, artificial sweeteners are completely safe when taken in normal amounts. Researchers have given all of them, including aspartame, to animals in doses that far exceed what you would normally use. And they’ve never shown that any of them cause problems for humans. Early studies on saccharin showed an increase in bladder cancer in rats with very high doses. Other studies have suggested an increase in leukemia and lymphoma in mice and rats from aspartame. Happily enough, however, when researchers applied the results of the studies to human cancer development, they discovered that this was a problem for rats and mice only. In one study of half a million people, there was no more cancer in aspartame users than in those who avoided the sweetener. And many of the aspartame users drank excessive amounts of soda sweetened with it. Still, most of these sweeteners are either chemicals or processed foods with additives. So I’m not a big fan of them. While they don’t appear to cause cancer, we can’t tell for sure what other problems they might cause. The only sugar substitute I recommend is Stevia, which you can find at any health food store and on the Internet.

EDITOR

— for now. Neuroblastomas can behave strangely. Sometimes the cells die without any cause and the tumor disappears. This is part of a normal process known as programmed cell death (apoptosis), the normal process that occurs when cells die. This is much more common in very young infants, such as your grandson, than in older children. So there’s reason for hope. But these cancers can do something else that is rather strange. The cells can mature spontaneously to normal ganglion cells and stop dividing. This causes the tumor to become benign (non-cancerous). So, it makes good sense to watch as long as possible to see if this is going to happen. If it doesn’t, there’s still reason for hope. Every child with neuroblastoma can be treated. The type of treatment used depends on the stage of the cancer and the child’s age. Treatments include surgery, chemotherapy, and/or radiation therapy. Doctors may combine two or all three of these treatments for some children. If my child had this disease, I would have a consultation at the Burzinski Clinic in Houston, Texas. This clinic follows the guidelines of Dr. Stanislaw Burzinski, who has been a revolutionary force in the battle against cancer, particularly childhood cancers of the nervous system (such as neuroblastoma). You can contact the clinic at www.burzynskiclinic.com or by calling 713-335-5697. But whatever you do, never give up. You can beat this form of cancer.

Q. My grandson is three months old

and has neuroblastoma on his adrenal gland. All of the doctors say to do nothing. Do you believe this is the correct way to go? — Pamela F., via e-mail

Dear Pamela, I don’t think “do nothing” is good advice for any cancer. However, as far as conventional medicine is concerned, I agree

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Got a Question? Do you have a question for Dr. Shallenberger? If so, please send it (typed only) to him c/o Soundview Publications, P.O. Box 467939, Atlanta, GA 31146-7939 or [email protected]. While he won’t be able to respond personally, he’ll try to answer as many questions as he can in these pages.