News for January 2008.

Two updates and something new I found.....

1. Eat this food and strengthen your bones - the research has been coming in strong and clear.

2. These common over the counter meds will weaken your bones.

Update 1. Your first news comes from Japan, where bone loss or hip fracture are not usually a problem until after age 80 BUT where researchers now realize that some parts of the country have fewer hip fractures than in others.

In Eastern Tokyo, for example, hip fractures are far fewer than in Hiroshima or among British women living in Japan. Researchers now believe that the difference has to do with a single food eaten by women in Tokyo but not by the other two groups. Women from Tokyo eat Natto on a regular basis. The other two groups do not.

For several years there have been studies of the health effects of Natto. I have not listed them on the web site since I thought that some marketing claims were hyping the product....

Also there are some CAUTIONS that need to be observed with natto use. You see, Natto also acts as an anticoagulant. Some practitioners suggest it for stroke prevention.

But anyone with a bleeding disorder or who is taking an anti-coagulant or blood thinner should not use this food or take any Natto supplement without CONSULTING DOCTOR.

Studies about Natto's positive effect on bones are accumulating.

Natto, is a form of fermented soybeans. It contains more than 100 times the Vitamin K2 found in various cheeses. It appears to increase 'bone stiffness' even in those at risk for higher degree of bone loss.

If you go to a Sushi bar or a regular Japanese restaurant, you can probably order Natto. It does have a strong odor and some people find it offensive. It appears that consuming the natural food seems to be better than taking a Natto supplement.

Yes, there are now Natto supplements. Vitacost lists a whole group of brands. Some Natto supplements have the the Vitamin K removed BUT anyone using natto to improve their bones, should use Natto WITH VITAMIN K....not one with it removed.

I hesitated to write about Natto. I think the anti-coagulant cautions are important. If you are taking cumodin or any other blood thinner or anticoagulant OR if you have a bleeding disorder of any sort, you should not use Natto in any form before consulting your health care provider.

Still, the research about its effect on bones is positive. The studies on Natto and bone seem almost too good to be true.

If you want more information, including abstracts from some of the journal articles about natto and osteoporosis, go to the new page about it on the web site.

https://www.osteopenia3.com/Natto-Osteopenia.html

Of if you get this newsletter in html, click on Natto for bones

STORY 2. One of the most commonly used over the counter drugs increases the risk of hip fracture by 44%. And when people use these over this counter med over a long term, their risk of hip fracture increased by as much as 260%.

What is this anti-bone medication? Antacids.

I have alerted you to this danger before. But recent studies show that the risk is fra higher than we thought.

There is now a whole page about antacids - including which ones are less of a problem for your bones [for those who really need these meds]on the web site under Causes of osteopenia (or find it on the Index page)

I urge you to read the full story. Even the Journal of the American Medical Association published an article about antancids and hip fracture.

Finally, a personal note and some web site updates...

Newburgh, New York has had snow, sleet, ice storms in the past few weeks. I had two bad falls - one landing me in the emergency room where the staff really thought I had a fractured ankle. They even suggested that the Orthopedist would want to do additional Xrays since it my ankle still be cracked even though ER Xrays showed no break.

BUT I had no broken bones from either fall!

Remember that I have broken who elbow, wrist, foot and ankle in past falls. Wild cheering for the natural strontium I started using along with Advacal Ultra. Maybe Strontium does "make bones of steel" as one alternative medicine person claims.

WEB site has been updated - new stuff under Causes, Diet and Nutrition and I just added an AeroGrow page since I got so excited about fresh, organic salad makings all winter long. (See: Index or Diet/Nutrition)

Kate

PS I want to thank publicly the reader who send me the url of an inappropriate google ad that was hawking caffeine drinks on the 'caffeine as a cause' page. I asked Google to block that ad from appearing on the site.

Again, I do not see the ads that you see...so if one leads to an inappropriate site, please, please send me the url so I can ask that it be blocked.

Be well - may 2008 be a great year for your bones!

Kate