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Looking for some help on the relationship between bone less and MC...
I thought I was just getting a baseline DXA scan since I'm 50, but I found out today from my doctor that I have osteopenia ("pre osteoporosis" if you will) in my left hip. I was not expecting abnormal results at the age of 50. I guess I was both naive and uninformed on this subject.
I went through the board archives and also searched around on the internet about the relationship between bone loss and MC. It seems that the most often discussed connection between MC and osteo is steroid use. But, I'm also interested in the role malabsorption plays with osteo.
Does anyone have any info or resources that would lend understanding on this subject?
As always I appreciate your thoughts and guidance,
I don't have any resources, but just commiseration. I too got a baseline bone density scan at 50, only to find out that I actually already had osteoporosis. This was 7 years before I was diagnosed with MC. I took Fosamax for 5 years, but finally quit because I became convinced that the benefits did not outweigh the problems it might cause. I now do weight-bearing exercises, take vitamin D-3, and try to get in the sun.
I had osteopenia at age 42, but had been on steroids as a child. I don't know if this had anything to do with that or not. I'm sure tex will weigh in here.
The primary link between osteopenia/osteoporosis and MC is gluten-sensitivity. Ask any celiac. Gluten sensitivity is by far the most common cause of osteopenia/osteoporisis. It is not caused by failure to ingest adequate amounts of calcium. If that were the case, the countries with the highest dairy consumption, (the developed countries), wouldn't have the highest rates of osteoporosis. Obviously, inadequate levels of vitamin D also play a role in this issue, but untreated gluten sensitivity is by far the most common cause of osteoporosis.
Of course, in some cases, genetics play a role, also:
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.
Recent research conducted at Tufts University was able to stop and reverse bone loss by addressing the acid/alkaline balance in the body. They argue that too many carbs (grains, sugars) and meat protein in the diet are causing bone loss - not a lack of calcium. They fixed it by giving research subjects bicarbonate, but caution that the real fix is eating more fruits and vegetables.
Fruits and vegetables may protect your bones by balancing an excess of acid in your body, a common condition as you age. In a new study published in the Journal of Clinical Endo -crin ology and Metabolism, Tufts researchers report that bicarbonate supplements reduced the bone resorption and calcium excretion that occur when the acid/base (alkaline) balance of the body is tilted to the acidic. Eating lots of fruits and vegetables would have the same effect, explained Bess Dawson-Hughes, MD, director of the Bone Meta bolism Labo - ratory at Tufts’ Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging.
Tufts researchers report that bicarbonate supplements reduced the bone resorption and calcium excretion that occur when the acid/base (alkaline) balance of the body is tilted to the acidic. Eating lots of fruits and vegetables would have the same effect,
Hmm. It sounds like those of us with osteoporosis should look for bicarbonate supplements. Of course, I'd much rather eat fruits and more vegetables, but right now they're not in the cards for me.
Gloria
You never know what you can do until you have to do it.
That's really interesting, Tex. I too have osteopenia, but it has been progressing rapidly since it was first diagnosed a year or two before the MC dx.
I have a question. I take calcium citrate supplements because I read that calcium citrate is absorbed better than calcium carbonate. Does this study imply that calcium carbonate would be better for treating osteoporosis or is bicarbonate a completely different chemical? I'm familiar with bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) - is that different, too?
Gloria
You never know what you can do until you have to do it.
It's basically baking soda as I understand it. I believe calcium citrate is still preferable to other forms. I have no idea what the dose of baking soda would be, but you have to be careful since it works as an antacid and could alter your stomach digestion (but maybe for the better for some).
Calcium citrate is the calcium salt of citric acid. It is commonly used as a food additive (E333), usually as a preservative, but sometimes for flavor. In this sense, it is similar to sodium citrate. Calcium citrate is also used as a water softener because the citrate ions can chelate unwanted metal ions. Calcium citrate is also found in some dietary calcium supplements (e.g. Citracal). Calcium makes up 21% of calcium citrate by weight.
Calcium carbonate is a chemical compound with the chemical formula CaCO3. It is a common substance found in rock in all parts of the world, and is the main component of shells of marine organisms, snails, pearls, and eggshells. Calcium carbonate is the active ingredient in agricultural lime, and is usually the principal cause of hard water. It is commonly used medicinally as a calcium supplement or as an antacid, but excessive consumption can be hazardous.
Sodium bicarbonate or sodium hydrogen carbonate is the chemical compound with the formula NaHCO3. Sodium bicarbonate is a white solid that is crystalline but often appears as a fine powder. It has a slightly salty, alkaline taste resembling that of washing soda (sodium carbonate). It is a component of the mineral natron and is found dissolved in many mineral springs. The natural mineral form, nahcolite, is found in dissolved form in bile, where it serves to neutralize the acidity of the hydrochloric acid produced by the stomach, and is excreted into the duodenum of the small intestine via the bile duct. It is also produced artificially.
Since it has long been known and is widely used, the salt has many related names such as baking soda, bread soda, cooking soda, bicarbonate of soda. Colloquially, its name is shortened to sodium bicarb, bicarb soda, or simply bicarb. The word saleratus, from Latin sal æratus meaning "aerated salt", was widely used in the 19th century for both sodium bicarbonate and potassium bicarbonate. The term has now fallen out of common usage.
IOW, sodium bicarbonate is not foreign to the body, since it is the buffering agent used to neutralize stomach acid, as the chyme leaves the stomach. Not only is it found in bile, but it is also supplied by the pancreas, for the purpose of adjusting the pH of the chyme.
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.
I wonder what a recommended dosage would be? I use baking powder in my muffins, and I eat 1-2 muffins every day. Perhaps that's giving me enough. I used to use baking soda, but had to add acid for it to work, and I would always get mouth sores from the acid. Maybe I need to neutralize the acid in my stomach and baking soda would do it? I still get mouth sores, but they are less frequent.
I found this while I was researching:
Substituting Baking Powder with Soda in Recipes
You can substitute baking powder in place of baking soda (you'll need more baking powder and it may affect the taste), but you can't use baking soda when a recipe calls for baking powder. Baking soda by itself lacks the acidity to make a cake rise. However, you can make your own baking powder if you have baking soda and cream of tartar. Simply mix two parts cream of tartar with one part baking soda.
Gloria
You never know what you can do until you have to do it.
Gloria wrote:Maybe I need to neutralize the acid in my stomach and baking soda would do it?
If you neutralize your stomach acid, you won't be able to digest your food, and you will increase the risk of bacterial infections. Those are probably the main reasons why PPIs can cause MC.
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.
I was shocked a year or so back to find out that, as a 55 year old man, I had osteoporosis. Before tacking a bone scan, I had had three occasions of rib factors with minimal stress on them, the first BEFORE I started Entocort. That tells me it was the gluten intolerance and malabsoption rather than any steroids that initially caused my osteoporosis.
The 14-year-old son of some friends of mine was just diagnosed with osteopenia. They thought he had a kidney infection, but he actually has three fractured vertebrae. This boy and his brother are already dairy-free as they have been casein-intolerant for years. His brother has recently developed a peanut allergy as well.
Thank you for this information. Now, to get it into the hands of his parents without them thinking that I think that just because gluten is the biggie for me, that it has to be the biggie for everybody, and dismissing it.
Marliss Bombardier
Dum spiro, spero -- While I breathe, I hope
Psoriasis - the dark ages
Hashimoto's Thyroiditis - Dec 2001
Collagenous Colitis - Sept 2010
Granuloma Annulare - June 2011
Wow! Far more common than what I expected. Thank you all for sharing your experiences.
Tex, after your post I did some reading on the relationship between celiac disease and bone density. From what I read it's malabsorption caused by gluten sensitivity that contributes to bone density problems. Am I understanding this correctly? It's interesting that I was diagnosed with a malabsorption issue a few months back and now the osteopenia.
Two years ago when I was diagnosed with ME I never could have guessed how far reaching this illness could be for an individual. I surely have learned alot since then and largely in part to the kind folks on this board. I do thank you all!
This boy and his brother are already dairy-free as they have been casein-intolerant for years. His brother has recently developed a peanut allergy as well.