Bone Density Test Results.....Advice Please!
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Other-- Cheap!-- Sources of Hydroxyapatite Calcium
As a P.S. to my recent post, I've found cheap sources for this exceptional calcium product... made by nationally known brands NOW, Source Natural & Solaray. The Source Natural brand does have added Vitamin D. It costs $14.54 for 240 caps on the Swanson Vitamin site where I usually buy most of my vitamins. I'd consider this price to be cheap compared to most vitamins. Definitely a wiser choice than Jarrow's Bone-Up if one wants to add hydroxyapatite calcium to their osteoporosis prevention program. Marsha/ponywoman
I saw this posted up today about a new study on calcium supplements found to not be terribly beneficial for improving bone health, and having slight negative consequences for heart health. Thought to post.
Calcium Supplements No Good For Bones
http://www.dietdoctor.com/calcium-suppl ... -for-bones
Calcium Supplements No Good For Bones
http://www.dietdoctor.com/calcium-suppl ... -for-bones
I also saw this on the CBS news last night and thought it was interesting. Here's a link:
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/calcium-sup ... udy-finds/
It states that calcium supplements are not helpful unless there are clear medical reasons? I wonder what those clear medical reasons are? Would osteo count as a clear medical reason? It also talks about the importance of vitamin D. I wonder if those in the study took vitamin D.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/calcium-sup ... udy-finds/
It states that calcium supplements are not helpful unless there are clear medical reasons? I wonder what those clear medical reasons are? Would osteo count as a clear medical reason? It also talks about the importance of vitamin D. I wonder if those in the study took vitamin D.
Jari
Diagnosed with Collagenous Colitis, June 29th, 2015
Gluten free, Dairy free, and Soy free since July 3rd, 2015
Diagnosed with Collagenous Colitis, June 29th, 2015
Gluten free, Dairy free, and Soy free since July 3rd, 2015
I skimmed the article in the BMJ & don't find the conclusions to match the headlines-- maybe its just me. The study didn't go past 2½ years??? Yet they found 0.7-1.8% increase in BMD (bone mineral density) at all sites including the all important femoral neck. (Similar trials have found "an increase in BMD of 1.6-2.0% over 2-4 years".) And this from the report: "Calcium supplements reduce markers of bone formation and RESORPTION by about 20%! The main complaint of the study authors is that the BMD increase in year 1 didn't increase more by 2½ years. Yet, in this post menopausal group one would be expecting annual LOSES of, what, 1% annually? So could one say that calcium supplements actually furnish a 4½% gain over 2½yrs in BMD ( 2% plus the 2½% expected loss)? The authors also complain that one could just take the very expensive Fosamax type prescription & expect better BMD increases but I've read that the bone these drugs increase is a fragile kind & a major side affect is a sudden thigh fracture or even death of the jaw bone. Talk about side effects! (I can't take these drugs anyways as I have Barretts esophagus & one has to stand for half an hour after taking these drugs so esophagus damage doesn't occur.) Obviously the authors haven't had to take these drugs themselves. They claim these drugs increase BMD by 6-9% at the spine & 5-6% at the hip over 3 yrs. I don't recall the drug makers themselves claiming this when I WAS taking Fosamax & reading the insert! They group the Fosamax type drugs in the same sentence as Prolia (denosumab) which probably CAN increase BMD to this extent. However, Prolia is a 2x annual infusion & costs $1,000s??? I'm using the daily injection Forteo which costs $1000 monthly because I'm now taking a higher prednisone dose due to a sudden onset of muscle failure. (I'm in Medicare's catastrophic drug grouping so get Forteo at $100 monthly). Note: Forteo can only be used for 2 yrs as its a parathyroid hormone & they don't know if theres any cancer concerns with long-term use.
So I guess one can read the BMJ & get out of it "whatever". Me, I'll stick to my cheap calcium supplements, drinking my milk which I love as its just common sense that the body can't maintain bone if its not supplied with calcium. The NIH does point out that after teen years "you can't add any more calcium to your bones. You can only maintain what is already stored to help your bones stay healthy" (called peak bone mass). (And) "Eating a diet rich in calcium allows the body to deposit calcium in bones so they stay strong (so) the body won't remove more calcium from bones than it replaces".https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics ... lcium.aspx
So I guess one can read the BMJ & get out of it "whatever". Me, I'll stick to my cheap calcium supplements, drinking my milk which I love as its just common sense that the body can't maintain bone if its not supplied with calcium. The NIH does point out that after teen years "you can't add any more calcium to your bones. You can only maintain what is already stored to help your bones stay healthy" (called peak bone mass). (And) "Eating a diet rich in calcium allows the body to deposit calcium in bones so they stay strong (so) the body won't remove more calcium from bones than it replaces".https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics ... lcium.aspx
I can sympathize. Trusting and trying to make sense of studies these days is a difficult task. Glad you have found what works for you with the calcium tablets and drinking milk. Hope you see improved health doing so. I had to chuckle at the mention of the negative effect of constipation being seen when taking calcium tablets. This is negative I was joking to myself!
My mom takes Fosamax, which I've read also doesn't seem to be a great solution for preventing bone features. So because of that I'll pass along to her osteoporosis articles I run across. I saw this one last week on a vitamin D sight run by Dr. Heaney, about improving bone strength by not only taking vitamin D, and calcium but the importance of increased protein for stronger bones. Don't know if that is the case! but seemed interesting to me.
"The Paradox of Osteoporosis Irreversibility"
http://blogs.creighton.edu/heaney/2014/ ... ibility-2/
snippet from his article:
My mom takes Fosamax, which I've read also doesn't seem to be a great solution for preventing bone features. So because of that I'll pass along to her osteoporosis articles I run across. I saw this one last week on a vitamin D sight run by Dr. Heaney, about improving bone strength by not only taking vitamin D, and calcium but the importance of increased protein for stronger bones. Don't know if that is the case! but seemed interesting to me.
"The Paradox of Osteoporosis Irreversibility"
http://blogs.creighton.edu/heaney/2014/ ... ibility-2/
snippet from his article:
...That landscape began to change a few years ago when an insightful investigator at the Tufts Nutrition Research Center on Aging in Boston noticed that a high calcium intake did, in fact, lead to increased bone gain if the patient’s intake of protein was high. Bess Dawson-Hughes had previously published the results of a calcium and vitamin D supplementation trial, producing a better than 50 percent reduction in fracture risk in healthy elderly Bostonians with those two nutrients alone. But, like others before her, she noted that, while high calcium intakes reduced or stopped bone loss in her treated subjects, the two nutrients didn’t lead to bone gain. They didn’t, that is, in individuals consuming usual protein intakes. However, in a subset of her treated patients, who, it turns out, had protein intakes above 1.5 times the RDA (0.8 g/kg body weight), bone gain was dramatic (while it was zero in those with more usual – and usually thought “adequate” – protein intakes). The figure below shows the 3-year change in bone mineral density (BMD) at the hip in the calcium- and vitamin-supplemented participants in the Tufts study. Only with the highest protein intakes was there appreciable bone gain....
Protein, Huh?!
... so many things contribute to bone increase-- not just calcium intake but magnesium, phosphorus, boron, vitamin D, Vitamin K &, now, protein. Never heard that before but, thanks. Opened up my iPad just after posting last on the subject & had an email from Mayo Clinic (don't know why) regarding those thigh fracture & jaw death side effects of Fosamax, Boniva & Prolia, too, apparently. Because of this possibility, these drugs are supposed to now only be taken for 5 years. What to do after? Take those dratted calcium supplements, I guess!
My Dad never took calcium pills nor drank milk or eat cheese & he had terrible problems with kidney stones. Obviously calcium pills didn't cause them. He also died at my age (68) after undergoing a hip transplant. Died from a lung embolism/blood clot.
My Dad never took calcium pills nor drank milk or eat cheese & he had terrible problems with kidney stones. Obviously calcium pills didn't cause them. He also died at my age (68) after undergoing a hip transplant. Died from a lung embolism/blood clot.
Ponywoman,
My grandfather died of exactly the same circumstances, except that the surgery was caused by a work accident that required knee surgery. Unfortunately, one does not have to take calcium supplements in order to have too much calcium in circulation. Most diets contain more than adequate amounts of calcium, and if the calcium is not balanced by adequate magnesium, the risk of blood clots, kidney stones, and other issues significantly increase. There is a very good chance that your father (and my grandfather) probably died of an undiagnosed magnesium deficiency. Kidney stones are a marker of magnesium deficiency, not excess calcium. Likewise for blood clots. Been there, done that, and I'm glad I'm out of that rut. I consider myself extremely lucky to have finally escaped that vicious cycle.
I've been taking plavix for 5 years now, because of a couple of TIAs in 2009 and 2010 that doctors could never explain. I had a couple of kidney stones in the fall of 2014 (that doctors couldn't find a reason for, either). Fortunately, in the spring of this year, my magnesium deficiency symptoms finally became so serious that it showed up in an ER blood test.
Note that I have never taken a calcium supplement, except for the small amount in a multivitamin. I have been taking a magnesium supplement for many years, but it obviously wasn't enough, because some of us just don't absorb it well enough. Now that I'm taking enough magnesium, I feel better than I have ever since my symptoms began after my first surgery back in 2005, and I have a hunch that I may have averted an otherwise inevitable trainwreck.
Most people are magnesium-deficient and never realize it, because the blood tests currently used cannot detect a deficiency until the body's supply is almost completely exhausted.
Tex
My grandfather died of exactly the same circumstances, except that the surgery was caused by a work accident that required knee surgery. Unfortunately, one does not have to take calcium supplements in order to have too much calcium in circulation. Most diets contain more than adequate amounts of calcium, and if the calcium is not balanced by adequate magnesium, the risk of blood clots, kidney stones, and other issues significantly increase. There is a very good chance that your father (and my grandfather) probably died of an undiagnosed magnesium deficiency. Kidney stones are a marker of magnesium deficiency, not excess calcium. Likewise for blood clots. Been there, done that, and I'm glad I'm out of that rut. I consider myself extremely lucky to have finally escaped that vicious cycle.
Magnesium & Blood ClotsIn The Magnesium Miracle I say, “When magnesium is low, it is unable to do its job to counteract the clotting action of calcium on the blood. Several other substances that help create blood clots are increased when magnesium is too low.”
Magnesium and Blood ClotsAnother reason magnesium benefits the blood vessels is because of its role in the destruction of blood clots. Magnesium is able to regulate the process of coagulation by inhibiting calcium. The release of calcium is reduced from and into the cells, protecting against calcium overload. This balance is important in maintaining equilibrium of the circulatory system because calcium promotes blood clot formation and magnesium promotes their destruction. When calcium and magnesium are balanced at a ratio below 4-to-1, the formation and destruction of blood clots is healthy. When the ratio is above 4-to-1, pathological blood clot formation results. Keeping magnesium and calcium balanced prevents pathological formation of blood clots.
I've been taking plavix for 5 years now, because of a couple of TIAs in 2009 and 2010 that doctors could never explain. I had a couple of kidney stones in the fall of 2014 (that doctors couldn't find a reason for, either). Fortunately, in the spring of this year, my magnesium deficiency symptoms finally became so serious that it showed up in an ER blood test.
Note that I have never taken a calcium supplement, except for the small amount in a multivitamin. I have been taking a magnesium supplement for many years, but it obviously wasn't enough, because some of us just don't absorb it well enough. Now that I'm taking enough magnesium, I feel better than I have ever since my symptoms began after my first surgery back in 2005, and I have a hunch that I may have averted an otherwise inevitable trainwreck.
Most people are magnesium-deficient and never realize it, because the blood tests currently used cannot detect a deficiency until the body's supply is almost completely exhausted.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Blueberry,
That quote you posted makes a lot of sense, because Homo sapiens evolved on a much higher protein diet than most modern "experts" give the species credit for, and our paleo ancestors were much more robust then we are today. They were bigger, taller, stronger, and much healthier. Their bones were thicker, denser, heavier, and much stronger, because of their high protein diet. The development of agriculture (and the adoption of grain for human food) during the neolithic period, slowly but surely turned us into wimps, compared with our paleo ancestors.
Tex
That quote you posted makes a lot of sense, because Homo sapiens evolved on a much higher protein diet than most modern "experts" give the species credit for, and our paleo ancestors were much more robust then we are today. They were bigger, taller, stronger, and much healthier. Their bones were thicker, denser, heavier, and much stronger, because of their high protein diet. The development of agriculture (and the adoption of grain for human food) during the neolithic period, slowly but surely turned us into wimps, compared with our paleo ancestors.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
RE: Kidney Stones & Calcium
... as an add on to my last posting, I've read scientific articles pro & con over the years regarding kidney stones being calcium intake caused. My own Dad's stones could well have been of the uric acid type as he was a gout sufferer & they often get these type of stones. He died in 1983 so I don't recall what type of stones he had except to remember the pain was awful & I wondered why someone who avoided dietary & supplemented calcium would have kidney stones. I thought at the time maybe he ate too much spinach as spinach has a lot of oxalic acid in it & the suggestion has been that high oxalic acid consumption can contribute to kidney stone formation. Oxalic acid interferes so much with calcium that Dr Weil says that a half cup of cooked spinach has 115mg of calcium in it but because of oxalic interference, one would have to eat 8 cups of cooked spinach to get the calcium of 1 cup of yogurt. I still see so many recommendations for eating spinach in order to get calcium intake increased!
Tex,
Yeah, it does make some sense, and that's what I've read about the bones found from paleo times. Also the higher protein intake and stronger bones mentioned in the study had me thinking of modern day weight lifters and the high protein shakes they drink. Weight lifting builds muscle but also builds bones up, I believe I've read that, and it had me thinking if the study article is true possibly the high protein shakes are helping to build weight lifters bones.
Yeah, it does make some sense, and that's what I've read about the bones found from paleo times. Also the higher protein intake and stronger bones mentioned in the study had me thinking of modern day weight lifters and the high protein shakes they drink. Weight lifting builds muscle but also builds bones up, I believe I've read that, and it had me thinking if the study article is true possibly the high protein shakes are helping to build weight lifters bones.
Gout is probably associated with magnesium deficiency also, because taking magnesium is a remedy to prevent gout.
Blueberry,
Yes, it's no accident that weight lifters develop stronger bones. They ingest extra protein mostly to repair damaged muscle tissue, but it also helps to build up their bones as a side benefit.
Tex
Magnesium & GoutMagnesium as a supplement may help reduce gout attacks because it helps to circulate your blood better. It does this by helping to get your heart to beat regularly. Because it lowers blood pressure, as the University of Maryland Medical Center notes, it reduces the strain on your heart. The more blood flows smoothly in your body, the less likely uric acid will crystallize in your joints because the fluid helps keep the acid moving until it can be expelled.
Blueberry,
Yes, it's no accident that weight lifters develop stronger bones. They ingest extra protein mostly to repair damaged muscle tissue, but it also helps to build up their bones as a side benefit.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
HI Tex,
A little off topic, but what role could VitD3 and Magnesium play with blood platelet counts?
IE: someone is pregnant and had low counts to begin with, they leveled off, now in their 8th month they are low again. Just curious...
IE: epilepsy...can you think of any reason this could be good for that too?
A little off topic, but what role could VitD3 and Magnesium play with blood platelet counts?
IE: someone is pregnant and had low counts to begin with, they leveled off, now in their 8th month they are low again. Just curious...
IE: epilepsy...can you think of any reason this could be good for that too?
To Succeed you have to Believe in something with such a passion that it becomes a Reality - Anita Roddick
Dx LC April 2012 had symptoms since Aug 2007
Dx LC April 2012 had symptoms since Aug 2007
Hi Erica,
Platelet count reductions during pregnancy are somewhat common, but I have no idea if vitamin D3 or magnesium are associated with that issue.
Magnesium helps to support improved blood flow. It's well documented by research that many/most epilepsy patients are magnesium deficient, and supplemental magnesium can reduce the frequency and severity of seizures.
Tex
Platelet count reductions during pregnancy are somewhat common, but I have no idea if vitamin D3 or magnesium are associated with that issue.
Magnesium helps to support improved blood flow. It's well documented by research that many/most epilepsy patients are magnesium deficient, and supplemental magnesium can reduce the frequency and severity of seizures.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Thank you Tex!
I have a classmate who's 19 yr old daughter like a skinny twig and she's had surgery already to support her lungs inside her cavity because they collapsed
an she deals with eplilptic episodes so much that they have met their limit with what to do and are in Seattle today tryng to figure it out. I feel this is a piece of their puzzle that can help her.
Hugs
Erica
I have a classmate who's 19 yr old daughter like a skinny twig and she's had surgery already to support her lungs inside her cavity because they collapsed
an she deals with eplilptic episodes so much that they have met their limit with what to do and are in Seattle today tryng to figure it out. I feel this is a piece of their puzzle that can help her. Hugs
Erica
To Succeed you have to Believe in something with such a passion that it becomes a Reality - Anita Roddick
Dx LC April 2012 had symptoms since Aug 2007
Dx LC April 2012 had symptoms since Aug 2007
Erica,
I'm pretty sure you're right when you say that it might help. Collapsed lungs might even be associated with a severe magnesium deficiency. I doubt that any dedicated research has ever been done on a possible relationship.
Lack of magnesium tends to be associated with poor nutrition, and someone who is exceptionally thin may well have a magnesium deficiency. You might find the article at the following link to be helpful:
http://www.mgwater.com/rod07.shtml
And from the following article:
Hugs,
Tex
I'm pretty sure you're right when you say that it might help. Collapsed lungs might even be associated with a severe magnesium deficiency. I doubt that any dedicated research has ever been done on a possible relationship.
Lack of magnesium tends to be associated with poor nutrition, and someone who is exceptionally thin may well have a magnesium deficiency. You might find the article at the following link to be helpful:
http://www.mgwater.com/rod07.shtml
And from the following article:
http://www.thedaisygarland.org.uk/epile ... s-minerals30 children with epilepsy experiencing tonic-clonic or absence seizures were given 450mg of magnesium daily, and their anticonvulsant medications were discontinued. 29 reportedly showed significant improvements in seizure control. One 13 year old child who had a ten year history of uncontrollable seizures had shown signs of retardation. After receiving magnesium, his seizures stopped and his mental capacity improved.**
Hugs,
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.