What Can Deer Antlers Tell Us about Osteoporosis?

The Spanish deer population had a major problem in 2005; they suffered antler breakage at an alarming rate.  Researchers determined that harsh winter conditions had resulted in a dietary manganese deficiency was causing the problem.  This led researchers to propose a new human theory for osteoporosis based on manganese deficiency.  I find this story rather interesting and think the hypothesis has merit.

Ever since basketball star Bill Walton’s recurring fractures (in a young, healthy male) were traced to diet-induced manganese deficiency, the role of manganese in bone health has been acknowledged.  Manganese is needed to help calcium form the proper structural matrix of bone, as well as assist calcium absorption. 

Deer are interesting because they are constantly sending calcium from other bones to their antler bones.  The lack of manganese inhibited the antler bones from forming properly, causing unusually high breakage.  This led researchers to ponder on the priority of how manganese is used in the human body and whether or not manganese deficiency could actually cause bone loss in humans.

They reasoned that human bodies have many needs for manganese, especially in glial brain cells.  Bones are in a constant state of turnover, taking down old bone and building new bone in its place.  As old bone is being taken down, manganese is released and then used again to help make new bones.  However, what if some other part of the body—with higher priority—has a need for manganese?  Possibly the manganese would be diverted away from bones to help out.

To put this theory to the test, the researchers focused on the glial cells in the brain, which have a high need for manganese to run antioxidant enzyme systems.  They analyzed 113 patients who were operated on for osteoporosis and osteoarthritis Degenerative joint disease. Most common type of arthritis that causes a chronic, progressive, breakdown in cartilage in middle-age adults and older..  Forty percent of those operated on for osteoporosis showed some form of cerebral dysfunction whereas, this was not the case in any of the 68 patients operated on for osteoarthritis Degenerative joint disease. Most common type of arthritis that causes a chronic, progressive, breakdown in cartilage in middle-age adults and older..

Manganese is also crucial for the function of the antioxidant enzyme within cells known as manganese superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD) that impacts cellular function and thyroid metabolism. Thyroid hormone governs the rate of oxygen use inside cells as a natural part of the metabolic activity that determines metabolic rate. During this process oxygen is converted to the free radical O2 (superoxide anion), which must be cleared by Mn-SOD activity so as to protect the mitochondria Organelle found in cells that produce ATP or chemical energy. Also involved with cell signaling, cellular differentiation, cell death, cell growth, along with heme and steroid synthesis. from elevated free radical damage.

I have used manganese for years, along with selenium, to help individuals improve their thyroid function and cellular metabolism.  This basic understanding of manganese need in virtually every cell of our body, combined with increasing free radical distress during aging, certainly lends to the notion that manganese being temporarily released from bone could be drawn to other areas in need and then not be available to support new bone formation.  Certainly, poor thyroid function has been linked to poor bone status.

While manganese is not the only reason for bone loss, this emerging picture indicates that if it is lacking bone health is compromised.  This is more likely to be the case if there is also an issue with cognitive function and/or sluggish thyroid.