Nexus - 0506 - New Times Magazine-pages

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Lawrence Melton of the Mayo Clinic noted as early as 1988: tion. Adding another dimension, we find that vegetarian women "Osteoporosis alone may not be sufficient to produce such osteo- have lower oestrogen serum levels yet higher bone density than porotic fracture, since many individuals remain fracture-free even their meat-eating peers."” within the sub-groups of lowest bone density. Most women aged Obviously it is a gross oversimplification to say that osteoporo- 65 and over and men 75 and over have lost enough bone to place sis is a single, inevitable disease which occurs in all women at them at significant risk of osteoporosis, yet many never fracture menopause. A woman who has her ovaries surgically removed any bones at all. By age 80, virtually all women in the United has double the loss of bone compared to a woman going through a States are osteoporotic with regard to their hip bone density, yet natural menopause. Since the ovaries continue to produce hor- only a small percentage of them suffer hip fractures each year."™* mones in addition to oestrogen after menopause, it is obvious that Why does there seem to be many more women now with osteo- oestrogen is only one factor connected to bone loss. porosis than in the past? As Dr Love explains: "...part of that Dr Jerilynn Prior, Professor of Endocrinology at the University increase is nothing but a change in definition... Needless to say, of British Columbia, has conducted research that seriously chal- the broader the criteria used to define osteoporosis, the more lenges oestrogen's key role in preventing bone loss. Her research women will fall into that category. The level of bone density that confirms that oestrogen's role in combating osteoporosis is only a defines osteoporosis has been set rather high, with the result that minor one. In her study of female athletes she found that osteo- most older women will fall into the ‘disease’ category—which is porosis occurred to the degree that the athletes became proges- very nice for the people in the busi- terone-deficient, even though their ness of treating disease."* oestrogen levels remained normal. THE REAL BONE CALCIUM THIEVES | Dr Prior continued her research with non-athletic women, and they THE MYTHICAL CAUSES OF OSTEOPOROSIS ° Acid/alkali imbalance ~ Alcon * Antacids showed the same results. While both There are many cultures in the containing a uminium ° norexia these groups of women were men- world where the postmenopausal = Antibiotics » Caffeine - Diuretics struating they had anovulatory (not woman is fit, active and healthy until - Endocrine imbalance of parathyroid, thy- ovulating) cycles and were thus defi- the end of her life. It is equally true roid, adrenal, ovaries, kidneys + Excessive cient in progesterone. As a result of that the women in these cultures do | animal protein and dairy products - High sat- | her extensive research, she con- not suffer from osteoporosis. If urated-fat consumption © High salt intake = firmed that it is not oestrogen but menopause itself were indeed one of History of dieting + Hysterectomy; removal of progesterone which is the key bone- the causes of osteoporosis, all ovaries = Indoor existence; lack of vitamin D building hormone. Such studies seri- women throughout the world would = Oral contraceptive pill and Depo-Provera ously challenge the oestrogen defi- be handicapped with fractures. This . . ciency—osteoporosis link.” is clearly not the case. + Pharmaceutical drugs and treatments, i.e., Dr John Lee—doctor, researcher The Maya women live for 30 years anti-convulsants, chemotherapy, radiation, and a leading authority on natural after menopause but they don't get _| psychotropic drugs, e.g., Valium and Librium | hormone treatments—conducted a osteoporosis, they don't lose height, | ¢ Poor digestion - Sedentary lifestyle - Stress/| three-year study treating 63 post- they don't develop dowager hump adrenal exhaustion * Sugar consumption menopausal women with natural and they don't get fractures. A = Tobacco = Toxic metals, e.g., lead, progesterone. The women showed a research team analysed their hor- mercury, cadmium, aluminium, tin 7 to 8 per cent increase in bone den- mone levels and bone density and sity in the first year; a 4 to 5 per cent found that their oestrogen levels increase in the second year; and a 3 were no higher than those of white American women—in some to 4 per cent increase in the third year. This finding has been cases they were even lower. Bone density tests showed that bone __ reinforced by Dr William Regelson, another expert on hormones: loss occurred in these women at the same rate as their US counter- "Given the fact that 25 per cent of all women are at risk of devel- parts.” oping osteoporosis, I think it is unconscionable that progesterone's It used to be thought that all women have a considerable role in this disease has been neglected."*' decrease in bone from lower oestrogen levels at menopause, thus While oestrogen plays an important and complex role in bone oestrogen deficiency was said to be the cause of osteoporosis. health maintenance, osteoporosis cannot simply be attributed to Continuing research has disproved this idea. Studies following lower oestrogen levels occurring at menopause. Numerous individual women's bone density over time have shown that dietary, lifestyle and endocrine factors contribute to the develop- although some women lose a lot of bone with menopause, others ment of excessive bone loss. Osteoporosis is not simply produced lose comparatively little; also, that some loss starts earlier.” One by the lack of one single hormone. study using urine tests to measure calcium loss found that some The intention to make menopause and oestrogen deficiency the women are ‘fast losers’ and others are naturally ‘normal losers'. major causes of osteoporosis gave HRT new legitimacy as a long- If osteoporosis is due to oestrogen deficiency, we would expect term preventive treatment for osteoporosis. Even though oestro- to find lower oestrogen levels in women with osteoporosis than in gen has been shown to have some effectiveness in slowing down women without the disorder. However, studies have shown that the rate of bone loss because it slows the rate at which bone cells sex hormone levels were found to be similar in postmenopausal are resorbed, it cannot rebuild bone. Unfortunately, this benefit is women both with and without osteoporosis.” not experienced by all women. To have any effectiveness for the Dr Susan Brown comments: "Even in the United States, where postmenopausal women most at risk—those 70 years of age or osteoporosis is common, many older women remain free from the older—women must stay on oestrogen continuously for decades. disorder. In addition, the higher male and lower female osteo- This, then, becomes quite a serious dilemma for women. It is porosis rates found in some cultures do not support the notion that now known that HRT increases the incidence of breast cancer by excessive bone loss is due to declining ovarian oestrogen produc- 10 per cent a year for each year of use. Ten years of taking HRT 24 - NEXUS OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 1998