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Health & Wellness News with Byron Richards

Is Long Life in Your Bones?

Thursday, May 08, 2008

Byron Richards, CCN

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Research on one of the oldest living healthy men (he was 113 at the time, recently passing away at 114) found no evidence at all that he had any “better genes.” The research team attributed his good fortune to “healthy lifestyle, a Mediterranean diet, a temperate climate and regular physical activity.”

However, the researchers made another finding that struck me as more than fascinating.  An analysis of his bones showed that “the man’s bones were in excellent conditions: his bone mass was normal, there were no anomalous curvatures and he had never sustained a fracture.” The researchers had expected to find mutations in his bone genes giving him better bone density – and they did not.

It was his diet of fresh food and regular activity that gave him the bone stimulating and bone anti-inflammatory nutrients that kept his bones in tip-top working condition, a foundation for his long life.

Most people think of bone issues in terms of osteoporosis or concerns about breaking them, which are important issues as something like a hip fracture can lead to an increased rate of mortality.  However, bones are now recognized as a metabolic powerhouse intimately involved with cardiovascular health, diabetes risk, immunity, inflammation, and metabolism. 

This started becoming obvious a few years back when “all cause mortality” was linked to bone health.  This means that people with poor bones weren’t dying mostly from fractures, they were dying more readily of heart disease and cancer.  This bone loss issue was first demonstrated in women, then in men, and now confirmed in both sexes.

Unfortunately, the poisoning of bones with Fosamax or other bisphosphonate drugs flies in the face this idea of healthy aging bones.  It is crystal clear that Fosamax disturbs normal bone architecture, turns it chaotic and weak over time, and stays in the bone forever. 

Don’t think of your bones as a picture of a skeleton on Halloween.  Bones are a vibrant and dynamic part of your overall health equation.  There are no short cuts to healthy bones, but there is a path to bone health. 

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Supplements that support bone health

Other Health News:


In a recent study it came as a surprise to researchers when they found that sucrose and high fructose corn syrup elevated blood triglycerides much higher than did fructose over a 24-hour period.  This little problem throws a monkey wrench in the idea that all simple sugars are more or less the same.  It explains one main contributor to obesity and heart disease.

Most people think of bone issues in terms of osteoporosis or concerns about breaking them, which are important issues as something like a hip fracture can lead to an increased rate of mortality.  However, bones are now recognized as a metabolic powerhouse intimately involved with cardiovascular health, diabetes risk, immunity, inflammation, and metabolism.  This started becoming obvious a few years back when “all cause mortality” was linked to bone health.

  • What Men Should Know - Women, Exercise, & Mood,

    Science is proving what most women already know; that leisure time physical activity boosts your mood compared to the same amount of physical energy spent at work or doing chores.

    Miracles never cease and it appears that the Mayo Clinic is trying to enter the 21st century with at least a finger on the nutritional pulse of reality.  My cursory review of their website found them woefully lacking even the basic ideas of what really works on most health topics – but at least they have come out and stated that fish oil is a terrific nutrient for the prevention and treatment of heart disease.

    • Vitamin B12 is Vital for Elderly Well Being,

      Aging is marked by a progressive loss of physical function.  A new study of community dwelling women between the ages of 70-79 shows that those lacking vitamin B12 had more than double the risk of being frail. 

      The list of damage found in the path of a Fosamax tornado continues to grow.  A new report in the Archives of Internal Medicine offers conclusive proof that users of Fosamax are at an 86% increased risk for developing heart-related damage in the form of atrial fibrillation. 

      A new series of animal experiments shows that your kidneys are the first to show significant signs of Q10 distress – a red flag indicating problems are likely anywhere in your body (whatever your weak spots may be).  Signs of kidney stress include…

      • Mitochondria Take Center Stage,

        Researchers at Texas A & M University have discovered that it is the mitochondria that signals the DNA to initiate cell division.  This profound discovery means that protecting and energizing mitochondria just became a topic of immense proportion – if you would like to be healthy and live longer.

        • Basic Vitamins Reduce Tuberculosis Recurrence,

          TB continues as an international problem.  There are only 14,000 cases per year in the U.S., disproportionately affecting those born in other countries and minorities.  A new study shows that treating TB patients with basic nutrients: vitamin A, B-complex, C, E, and selenium reduced the recurrence of TB by 45% - a rather stunning finding.

          Is there anything vitamin D doesn’t do?  All those vitamin D receptors in your brain apparently want vitamin D so that your mind functions normally! 

          Novel research by nurses at the University of Texas is documenting that when blood sugar lowers then hot flashes are more likely and that when food is eaten then hot flashes may stay away for up to 90 minutes.

          • Are Antioxidants Safe?,

            A recent Danish study was intended to raise doubt amongst antioxidant consuming Americans.  It has been widely circulated in the Big-Pharma sponsored mainstream media – which is typical.  Antioxidants are the foundation of health for every cell in your body.  If you don’t have enough your cells will die faster and generate inflammation at much higher rates – aging your body faster.  Nothing about this simple fact has ever changed – nor will it.  Boosting your diet with high quality dietary supplements containing antioxidants is common sense.

            A combination of low fat dieting, not eating enough in general, and high levels of exercise may seriously weaken the bones of teenage female athletes – potentially handicapping their bone density for the rest of their lives.

            • Vitamin E Extends Life of Alzheimer’s Patients,

              A new study being reported at the American Academy of Neurology meeting in Chicago finds that 2,000 IU of vitamin E per day extended the lifespan of Alzheimer’s patients by 26%, something that no drug can do.

              There are more reasons to take vitamin D and calcium than just bone health.  It has been known for some time that vitamin D and calcium are associated with less colon cancer.  Researchers at Emory University have now identified key gene signaling that helps explain how these nutrients work to help kill cancer cells and protect your health.

              It is a rather sad commentary on American Heart Association’s and Big Pharma’s aggressive marketing of statin drugs that their abnormally low proposed levels of LDL cholesterol for heart health (<90) are the very same levels associated with a new study’s findings for a significantly increased risk for Parkinson’s disease. 

              • DHA During Pregnancy Boosts Infant’s Brain Power,

                DHA is an essential fatty acid required for the healthy development of the brain and eyesight in children.  A new study indicates that it is of vital importance for the mother to have this nutrient during pregnancy to optimize her child’s sensory, cognitive, and motor skill development.

                Tocotrienols have now demonstrated superior anti-oxidant function that protects against exposure from methylmercury.

                • Can Pantethine Help Repair the Brain?,

                  French scientists have just reported that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) can initiate the repair of brain networks that have been damaged.  This finding has far-ranging implications for mood, cognitive function, and recovery from significant problems involving the loss of neurological function such as a stroke.

                  An interesting study shows that friendly flora (lactic acid bacteria or acidophilus) helps prevent the destruction of important structural components of the digestive tract (chondroitin sulfates and hyaluronic acid).  For many years I have observed that individuals who eat too much sugar or who have an imbalanced digestive tract have an increase in joint pains and aches.  I have seen this issue cause serious problems, including arthritis in children. 

                  On March 20, 2008, The New England Journal of Medicine published a physician group report of 15 women taking Fosamax who experienced “atypical low-energy fractures,” which means their bones broke doing almost nothing – a serious kind of injury typically seen in very elderly individuals in declining health.  The fact that the NEJM is reporting this is a major wake up call to anyone who hasn’t figured out that Fosamax is dangerous to your health.

                  An interesting 5 year Italian study of postmenopausal women found that the rate of bone loss correlated to levels of folic acid deficiency.  It is already known that elevated homocysteine (often due to folic acid deficiency) increases the risk for bone fractures.  This study found that folic acid deficiency alone, independent of homocysteine, was a key link. 

                  Your eyes must process sunlight over the course of your life which exposes them to ionizing radiation that generates free radicals which must be deactivated by antioxidants, otherwise eyesight suffers undue wear and tear.  A new study links another natural carotene, zeaxanthin, to age-associated loss of health in the macular region of the eye.

                  Mainstream media is now widely reporting that antidepressants do not work – and it’s about time.  The frenzy was set off by a new study that included all the negative antidepressant studies that the drug companies kept out of the scientific literature, but were reviewed by the inept FDA when the drugs were originally approved.  Simply stated - antidepressants don’t work.

                  • Cholesterol Medication Causes Tendon Ruptures,

                    Painstaking analysis from a French medical database is the first to clearly link tendon injuries and tendon ruptures to the use of statins – a problem that is worse for middle aged men.  How can anyone stay fit by injuring their tendons?

                    A person does not typically get a second chance to prevent heart failure.  Not only is fish oil very important for this topic, it turns out that magnesium is as well. 

                    • Fish Oil Reduces Atrial Fibrillation and Sudden Death,

                      Researchers around the world continue to trumpet the benefits of fish oil, especially in the prevention of sudden death from heart failure that is often triggered by atrial fibrillation (abnormal heart rhythms).  The large scale GISSI prevention trial showed a whopping 45% decrease in sudden cardiac death in patients who had already had a first heart attack.

                      Italian researchers have shown that bovine colostrum directly boosts aspects of the immune response that are required to initiate a proper immune response to bacterial and viral infections, including the flu.

                      If Big Pharma ever had a drug that could boost HDL cholesterol, lower blood pressure, and keep blood cells (platelets) from sticking together it would be the biggest blockbuster on the market today.  Well, much to the chagrin of Big Pharma Mother Nature has provided several of these and a new study shows that blueberries can be added to the list.

                      Some people have a hostile approach to solving problems.  Other people feel depressed in regards to life.  Either situation is pro-inflammatory – leading researchers to investigate the relationship to heart disease.  As it turns out, the combination of hostility with depression is far worse than either issue alone, as it is reflective of more advanced circulatory wear and tear.

                      A new study highlights the significant gains to be made by consistent calcium supplementation, gains that are lost when calcium supplementation is stopped.  Maximizing bone development during teenage years is vital for a woman’s later-life risk for osteoporosis.  Indeed, the failure to maximize optimal bone formation during teenage years is lost ground that is difficult to make up.

                      New research shows that taking folic acid for 1 year prior to becoming pregnant provides a 70% reduction in the risk for a very early preterm deliveries (20 to 28 weeks in gestational age) and up to a 50% reduction in early pre-term deliveries of 28 to 32 weeks. 

                      A new study has shown that boswellic acid, a natural herbal dietary supplement, dramatically reduced plaque formation in mice.  In the experiment mice were injected with a toxin (LPS) that produces circulatory inflammation resulting in arteriosclerosis (hardening of arteries).  Mice treated with boswellic acid were far more able to withstand the toxic exposure, showing half the size of lesions compared to untreated mice.

                      A scientific review of hawthorn in patients with mild to moderate chronic heart failure has shown that hawthorn has a significant rejuvenating effect on the heart.  Amazingly, hawthorn extracts were able to improve oxygen utilization and decrease shortness of breath.  Participants were able to exercise better and had significantly less fatigue.

                      Researchers at the University of California found that individuals who consume 17 or more different dietary supplements per day were found to be far more healthy than those who take no supplements or those who only take a multiple vitamin.  The vitamin-taking group had much better nutrient concentrations in their blood and far lower amounts of disease-related biomarkers…

                      The Journal of Nutrition has published a study of Dutch elderly men that shows alpha carotene and beta carotene intake reduces cardiovascular deaths by 20%.  Study participants were 72 years old on average at the start of the study.  They were followed for 15 years to determine these results.

                      Over the past few years Vitamin E was fraudulently attacked by scumbag drug pushers.  As a result seniors across the country were terrorized by their low-IQ physicians to stop taking vitamin E.  Such advice, which continues to this day in many doctor’s offices around the country, is harming seniors and causing a decline in their health.  This is a crime against elderly citizens of this country.

                      A recent study published in the British Medical Journal has insinuated that calcium intake in elderly women may increase the risk for a heart attack.  The study involved 1471 postmenopausal women (mean age 74).  The story has been spread by major news media and has confused and needlessly worried many women who are taking calcium for their bone health.  The study contains numerous flaws and therefore its conclusion is not reliable.

                      • Lutein and Vitamin E Help Prevent Cataracts,

                        A new study published in the Archives of Ophthalmology concluded that “higher dietary intakes of lutein/zeaxanthin and vitamin E from food and supplements were associated with significantly decreased risks of cataract.”

                        Due to numerous scandals like Vioxx, the public has become very aware that almost all drugs carry serious side effects and using them in the name of prevention requires a mental exam for sanity.  Pomegranate, like blueberries, is being thrust into the spotlight as a super-fruit able to ward off heart disease and cancer.

                        • Bone-Drug Crisis Faces American Women,

                          Today researchers from the University of British Columbia and Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute released a study showing that popular bone drugs triple the risk for the death of bone tissue, resulting in pain and disfigurement.  This new information helps to explain the recent FDA warning on debilitating pain from these drugs.

                          A new finding about vitamin D shows that optimal blood levels of vitamin D are associated with 20% lower blood pressure.  That is a rather interesting finding when you understand that there are 53% more heart attacks in the winter than in the summer and heart attacks in the winter are often more severe.

                          • Vitamin C Associated with 42% Reduced Risk for Stroke,

                            Vitamin C is one of those antioxidants that pushers of drugs love to say does nothing good, despite hundreds of studies to the contrary.  Now the naysayers are turning orange and purple with envy.  A new study following 20,000 people ages 40-79 from the United Kingdom found that after a decade those with the highest levels of vitamin C in their blood had a 42% decreased risk for stroke.

                            University of Kentucky researchers have reviewed the oatmeal science over the past 10 years and found the evidence of benefits to be stronger than when the FDA first approved claims for this food a decade ago.  The research clearly shows that total “cholesterol levels are lowered through oat consumption…

                            We have known for many years that the essential fatty acid DHA is one of the best brain support nutrients for young and old.  Researchers at UCLA’s are identifying exactly how DHA acts to protects against Alzheimer’s disease.

                            • B12 and Folic Acid Should be Taken Together,

                              Folic Acid is an important B vitamin for nerve and cardiovascular health.  As such, it is being widely promoted – even food is being fortified with extra folic acid.  There is no question that folic acid supplementation before and during pregnancy cuts down on nerve-related problems in the newborn child.

                              A body of new scientific work is showing that ADHD may be rooted in the failure of the brain to develop at a normal rate, meaning that a 10 year old is behaving like a four year old and has a delay in anatomical brain development to prove it.  This information is consistent with what I have been saying for some time about the importance of nutrient status in the womb, the health of the mother during pregnancy, especially regarding the subject of leptin.  Womb-related issues and early life nutritional status are likely to have a huge bearing on childhood brain development and consequent intelligence (or lack thereof).

                              Living to the ripe old age of 100 is not always a lot of fun.  Typical problems involve poor endurance and weakness, especially upon physical activity (when this happens before age 60 its called fibromyalgia).  Another key problem is deteriorating cognitive function and memory.

                              Homocysteine is naturally produced by the liver during protein metabolism and then cleared with the help of the B vitamins like folic acid, B12, and B6.  It is well known that if homocysteine levels build up due to B vitamin deficiency (which is common) then a toxic level of homocysteine is reached that causes cholesterol to form plaque and interferes with neurotransmitter function making depression more likely. 

                              A new study is showing that high levels of homocysteine can accumulate in bone by binding to collagen.  This in turn causes abnormal collagen linking, resulting in poor bone formation.  On top of that, the homocysteine also acts to stimulate osteoclasts – the type of bone cell involved in bone loss. 

                              • Fish Oil Improves Circulation in Healthy People,

                                The essential fatty acids in fish oil, especially DHA, are now recognized as an excellent cardiovascular support nutrient.  A new study in healthy younger men and women shows that fish oil at a small dose of 1 gram per day was able to improve the function of their arteries, helping them dilate easier so blood could flow better.  It also helped reduce their resting heart rate, meaning the heart did not have to work as hard to get its job done.

                                New research is explaining the importance of folic acid and DHA for improved cognitive function and prevention of neuro-degeneration.  Folic acid is found to lower the brain and cardiovascular irritant, homocysteine.  It directly improves brain function and helps to raise the levels of DHA in the blood.  DHA is known to help generate new nerve growth, improve nerve transmission and connectivity, enhance nerve-related memory factors, and reduce brain inflammation. 

                                Grape seed extracts contain powerful antioxidants as well as a unique ability to attach to collagen structures, including those that comprise the heart, arteries, and general circulation.  A variety of new studies are showing that these extracts are a powerful cardiovascular protector.

                                • Tocotrienols and Citrus Flavonoids Lower Cholesterol by 20-30%,

                                  A new study shows the power of natural substances to help promote healthy levels of cholesterol.  A combination of tocotrienols and citrus-derived polymethoxylated flavones were tested on men and women with high cholesterol (total greater than 230). 

                                  A rather amazing mouse study has just shown that DHA, an important omega-3 essential fatty acid that is known to support healthy brain function, completely protected the brains of mice exposed to a known toxin that routinely produces Parkinson’s disease.

                                  A randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled study tested 1200 IU of vitamin E per day for two years in patients with coronary artery disease.  The study is significant because various forces promoting drugs have fraudulently concocted anti-vitamin E studies in an effort to get older people to take more drugs and to not take vitamin E.  Of course, the Big Pharma-sponsored media did not report the pro-vitamin E study.

                                  Quercetin has long been used as a potent natural anti-allergen, as it helps to stabilize the histamine-containing mast cells.  New research is showing that quercetin does this by modifying inflammatory signals at the gene level.  Inflammatory signals such as TNFa, IL6, and NF kappaB were all reduced by quercetin.  Problems such as asthma typically have elevations of these inflammatory markers.

                                  DHA is the preferred essential fatty acid for the structure of healthy brain cells.  A variety of new research clearly shows that the higher the level of omega 3 oils like DHA in the diet and in the blood, the better the brain works.

                                  The healthy structure of the skin is vital to maintaining the skin’s role as part of the immune system.  New research showed that ongoing stress irritated the skin, as nerves are wired directly to the skin. This resulted in a decrease of the integrity of skin itself, an increase of immune-suppressing glucocorticoids in the skin, and a decrease of front line immune soldiers that are naturally part of the skin (antimicrobial peptides).