The bare bones about beating osteo

Several research studies have shown that women who take large amounts of calcium are twice as likely to have a heart attack, especially if they are post-menopausal.

Most osteoporosis is not a calcium problem as such, but a problem with cortisol, the stress hormone made by the adrenal glands.

Often it is when menopause hits that you find your adrenal glands have been overactive throughout your life, and now they are worn out.

The adrenal glands are the backup glands to the ovaries and make oestrogen.  Over time, they become fatigued through long-term stress, illnesses, surgeries, and a host of other issues and can’t do their job as backup.

High cortisol is destructive to the bones as it destroys the protein and calcium. You also lose your other minerals along with vitamin D levels. So, instead of taking calcium, start to reduce high cortisol.

It’s rarely a high calcium problem. High calcium levels will double the chance of getting a heart attack because calcium needs a transporter vitamin.

One of these transporter vitamins is D, as it transports calcium into the blood. Vitamin K2 then transports it all the way into the tissues.  It mobilises the calcium from the arteries and soft tissue and puts it into the bone.

Vitamin K2 is in many fats, grass-fed butter and egg yolks (all the things doctors tell you not to consume if you have a heart problem!).  But you really need vitamin K2.

You can obtain these vitamins in tablet form for therapeutic benefit (vitamin K2 would be 100mcgs and D3 10,000IU).  Take them together with cod liver oil. This is a beneficial treatment protocol to protect bones.

Vitamin K2 and vitamin D3 will transport calcium into the bones and are very protective, but you will still need to lower your cortisol.  In doing this, an added benefit will be that vitamin D3 levels will go up.

If you already have osteoporosis, you will need to take some calcium but make sure it’s not calcium carbonate which is just crushed limestone.

Check out what form of calcium you are taking and if it is, then stop.  You might as well swallow cement.

Take any of the forms of calcium – citrate, lactate, phosphate, gluconate but not carbonate.

If you have osteoporosis, using all these treatments together can be an excellent to strengthen and protect bones without increasing risk of heart attack.

It’s almost impossible to get correct levels of Vitamin D from food other than cod liver oil, but you can get it from the sun.

It will take a bit of time to restore your body from osteoporosis because it has been majorly run down and depleted for a long time.  It will not be restored in two months. You need to practice these treatments consistently for a few years.

However, it can be improved over the years if you take as much of the beneficial vitamins as you need.

There is no “one size fits all” approach.  We are all individuals with individual issues.

However, starting with these treatments and lowering your cortisol and stress levels will go a long way to improving bones without increasing risk of other health problems.

As always, check with a health expert before embarking on any treatment program.

 Trudy Kither is a naturopath and owner of Nature’s Temple. Visit naturestemple.net