Illness Is Optional Health Blog

In people who have been taking Fosamax for long periods of time. A spontaneous fracture occurs when the bones break for no apparent reason; an example would be simply walking down the street or standing in a subway. To see the report on ABC NEWS click, Fosamax Scare: Those with Osteopenia Gauge Risk .

In the news story, they interview a doctor who had been taking Fosamax for osteoporosis for many years when the femur, one of the strongest bones of the body, broke in half while standing in a subway train. Another woman they interviewed, broke her femur while simply walking into another room of her house. Imagine just how weak the bone must get in order to break so easily.

This may seem like news to many, however, we reported on this issue a long time ago on our radio show. Fosamax, and any medication in the bisphosphonate class, works by preventing the body from clearing out old brittle bone. Over years, it gives the appearance of strengthening the bone, however, the truth is, it is simply causing the body to retain old, brittle bone. This chaotic bone structure will weaken even if the density appears to be improving or remaining the same. The FDA is stubbornly refusing to alert doctors to this potentially fatal effect of this useless class of medication.

The bottom line is, we must stop looking to the pharmaceutical industry for a solution to a problem that is almost entirely attributed to diet and lifestyle. You can stop osteoporosis in its tracks and even reverse it if you take the proper steps. See ourOsteoporosis Protocol for details.

In this study, 343 women were randomly assigned to a low-fat diet along with an exercise program while the other half just maintained their normal lifestyle. In the study, the women on the diet and exercise lost modest amounts of weight while the control group put on some pounds. When bone densities were performed, it was noted that the women who lost the weight also had lower hip bone densities. (Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. October 2007)

In my opinion, this study does not suggest that losing weight increases the risk of bone loss. Instead, this study suggests that women who go on a low-fat diet with a little bit of aerobic exercise will end up with some bone loss. This is not a healthy method of weight loss, especially because the studies have demonstrated the importance of healthy fats in the proper growth of bone. We also know that people who eat a low-fat diet also have a tendency to increase their carbohydrates which can promote bone loss. Mild to moderate aerobic activity does little to improve bone density, especially in the presence of malnutrition, which we often call by a different name…dieting. If you want to lose weight, or more accurately lose fat, then increase your activity to an hour a day including weight lifting and moderate aerobic activity that strains the bones. Cut back on carbohydrates and saturated fats and be sure to supplement with extra calcium, magnesium, vitamin D, fish oil and other nutrients known to support bone health.