Latest Osteoporosis News: Flawed Study On Vitamin D, Hip Fracture Risk Increases With This, Osteopenia ‘Patients’ Used As Guinea Pigs In Needless Fluoride Supplement Study, And More!
There have been some interesting developments regarding osteoporosis and osteopenia recently. From scientists once again trying to discredit the value of Vitamin D as it pertains to bone health (what a surprise!) to an unconscionable osteopenia study involving fluoride ‘supplements’ , there’s no shortage of news this time.
So let’s get started…
Again! Scientists Attempt to Diminish the Benefits of Vitamin D
In New Zealand, a group of researchers assessed a number of studies on Vitamin D. Their conclusion: Vitamin D supplementation does not prevent osteoporosis. Specifically, the scientists noted that Vitamin D did not help bone density in the hip, forearm, and spine.
The first problem with this study is that the researchers’ reasoning is based in reductionism, which is far too simplistic an approach for something as complex as bone metabolism.
In addition, we have no idea what the general health habits were of the study participants. And this study focused solely on oral Vitamin D supplements, and did not take into account how much or what sort of supplement the participants took. That makes a big difference, as some forms of Vitamin D are not bioavailable. And finally, there’s no mention of sunlight, which is the best, most bioavailable way to get this bone-healthy vitamin.
Professor Ian Reid from the University of Auckland affirmed that around 50% adults aged 50 years and more take vitamin D supplements. But with this, he was quick in mentioning that these supplements are not going to bring major difference.
“Our data suggest that the targeting of low-dose vitamin D supplements only to individuals who are likely to be deficient could free up substantial resources that could be better used elsewhere”, affirmed Reid.
Reid affirmed that taking vitamin D supplements without knowing its risk factors can prove fatal. 1
Other studies point to the importance of Vitamin D in maintaining and building bone density, such as a recent one from Norway. This study, which adjusts for age, gender, and other variables, shows clearly that low Vitamin D levels increase the risk of hip fracture by 38%.2
Glucose-Protein Compound Shown to Increase Hip Fracture Risk
A product of glucose metabolism, Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs), have been shown to increase hip fracture risk according to a recent study. Participants with the highest levels of AGEs showed a significant increase in fracture risk.3
AGEs are proteins that are bonded to a sugar molecule. They are produced when the body metabolizes glucose, and as you might suspect, ingesting sugar increases the formation of AGEs. These glycated proteins have been implicated in the development of Alzheimer’s disease, and now we have evidence that they increase the risk of breaking a hip.
Patients with the highest level of serum carboxy-methyl-lysine were at the greatest risk for hip fracture, researchers found.
A higher quartile of carboxy-methyl-lysine in blood was significantly associated with increased risk of hip fracture, at 27% for each increase in quartile (95% CI 1.16-1.40, P<0.001), according to Joshua Barzilay, MD, of Kaiser Permanente of Georgia in Duluth, and colleagues.
This association remained significant after adjustment for age, sex, race, body mass index, smoking, alcohol consumption, prevalence coronary heart disease, energy expenditure, and estimated glomerular filtration rate (HR 1.17, 95% CI 1.05-1.31, P=0.006), they wrote in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research.
...Carboxy-methyl-lysine is an advanced glycation end product, which can occur in the body in diabetes and with age. These end products can accumulate in bones and "lead to increased bone matrix stiffening and fragility," they wrote. 4
Unbelievable! Osteopenia “Patients” Used as Guinea Pigs in Toxic Fluoride Supplement Study
In a disturbing experiment, human “guinea pigs” were given fluoride supplements to see if it would be an “effective therapy” for osteopenia, and invented ‘precursor’ of osteoporosis. Obviously, it wasn’t – and in fact, some study participants had to back out of the trial due to gastrointestinal problems. 5
Low-dose fluoride didn’t improve bone mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal women with osteopenia, researchers found.
In a randomized controlled trial, none of three doses of fluoride — 2.5 mg, 5 mg, or 10 mg — significantly raised BMD of the lumbar spine to a greater extent than placebo over the course of a year, Andrew Grey, MD, of the University of Auckland in New Zealand, and colleagues reported online in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.
Fluoride supplementation “is unlikely to be an effective therapy for osteoporosis,” they wrote. 6
Of course ‘Savers’ are familiar with the toxic nature of fluoride and what it does to bones. As I write in The Missing Link, a bonus report included with the Save Our Bones Program, ample research has already shown that fluoridated water is clearly linked to increased fracture risk.
Given that this and other information about the detrimental effects of fluoride ingestion are already available, it’s unconscionable that medical scientists would use human volunteers to “prove” what’s already obvious.
And as we’re quickly approaching Christmas, if you’re looking to get in the holiday spirit…
Listen to This Acapella Rendition of a Popular Christmas Song
Wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays filled with love, laughter and good health.
2 Holvik K, et al “Low serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D predict hip fracture in the elderly. A NOREPOS study.” J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2013; DOI: 10.1210/jc.2013-1468.
3 Barzilay J, et al “Circulating levels of carboxy-methyl-lysine are associated with hip fracture risk: the cardiovascular health study.” J Bone Miner Res 2013; DOI: 10.1002/jbmr.2123.
5 Grey A, et al “Low dose fluoride in postmenopausal women: A randomized controlled trial” J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2013; DOI: 10.1210/jc.2012-4062.