What's the evidence on Calcium and Vitamin D for bone density?

Posted by ellerbracke @ellerbracke, Oct 1, 2019

A recent bone density test came back in the low average range for my age. My OBGYN recommended calcium and vitamin D. I checked with a family member who is a pharmacist, and she says that the benefits of calcium supplements are not clear cut. Regarding vitamin D, I’m in the sunbelt, and spend at least 2 hours per day outdoors during 8 to 9 months a year (early morning, or evening, sun screen between 10 AM and 5 PM if applicable for pool, beach, for example). I’m sure many people on this forum have done their own research regarding the benefits of calcium pills, and I would love to hear what the current consensus is. I exercise regularly, so my bones get a workout from the muscles pulling on them, if that makes a difference. I think the data I was given is that statistically I have an 8% chance of a hip fracture in the next decade, based on the test results.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Osteoporosis & Bone Health Support Group.

@parrotqueen

Here is a quote from someone who studied the Freedom Trial of Prolia. I felt double rage that they gave Prolia to monkeys. This quote doesn't address the issue that occurs after you stop Prolia - which is a loss of all new bone and subsequent fracturing that is worse than what the person had before using Prolia. Doctors are pushing Prolia because there is no money to be made from doing the right thing with vitamins and minerals. I went to an endocrinologist who walked out of the exam room because she was so mad I wouldn't take Prolia. She had nothing else to offer me. My infectious disease doctor told me on Tuesday of this week that what I had discovered about Prolia is the truth. Here are just SOME of the problems with Prolia.
According to an article published on the University of Southern California’s Center for Health Journalism’s blog, monkeys used in Prolia clinical trials developed tooth and jaw abscesses. Two of the monkeys died of protozoal infections. Meanwhile, human test subjects developed cervical, ovarian, pancreatic, gastric, thyroid, and breast cancers. Indeed, the development of these cancers was reported as the “most common adverse event that led to discontinuation” during the trials.
During Prolia trials, 10 people had to be hospitalized due to the skin infection cellulitis . One of these persons died. Yet, in 2010, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Prolia for use in fracture prevention in women with osteoporosis. In fact, the approval came two months earlier than expected.

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@parrotqueen my endocrinologist never displayed anger, or annoyance (perhaps some frustration) when I refused for 4 years in a row to take meds for my continually declining bone density (looked like a stock market crash on the chart). Finally, after exercising, and calcium and vit d only led to a 13% drop in bone density over 18 months in my spine, cant remember the hip stats but equally frightening, and with the doctor saying, you know I'm beginning to worry about you and "I've seen patients on the other side" (the wheelchair fracture contingent), I said "inject me". My endocrinologist's first choice was Forteo, but the daily injections and its side effects including possible arrythmia didn't seem a good fit for me as I have vtach. So, after speaking also to my family doc whi has quite a few patients on Prolia along with my endocrinologist, I took a leap of faith and here I am. Still standing. Do I have any side effects? Yes, g.i. From the Prolia? Maybe . However in the last three years I went from no meds to three meds so hard to be 100% sure.
I have a much older husband, no children to look after me and I want to remain mobile without broken bones and without having to rely on some stranger to dress and bathe me.
Four years from now, there may be new pharmaceutical developments. We all live too long today. Living is risky business.

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@sue225 I'm in total agreement with the way you approached this issue. You tried non chemical methods and consistently watched your reactions as you tried medication. I did the same thing. I am 75 and spent most of my adult life trying alternative methods for everything physical and mental. I did use forteo about 10 years ago, but stopped. Then back to vitamins, etc. But 5 months ago I was diagnosed with severe bone density that puts me at risk, mostly because I work in home health care services and do physical work. So I have been taking daily injections of tymlos, which is a newer version of forteo, along with vitamin d and calcium, etc. But I am totally a believer that life choices are risky and each person is unique. Life is trial and error. Blessings.

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@parrotqueen

I think we are doing the right thing. I have to find a way to get collagen in me! I don't drink anything but water and I hate it in water. Maybe I could put it into bone broth and force that done. I'm having a DEXA scan in the spring and I want it to show improvement so bad!

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@parrotqueen Do you drink smoothies? I use fruit and water or juice then make a smoothie I put the collegeen in this you cant taste it then . Try it

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@georgette12

@sue225 I'm in total agreement with the way you approached this issue. You tried non chemical methods and consistently watched your reactions as you tried medication. I did the same thing. I am 75 and spent most of my adult life trying alternative methods for everything physical and mental. I did use forteo about 10 years ago, but stopped. Then back to vitamins, etc. But 5 months ago I was diagnosed with severe bone density that puts me at risk, mostly because I work in home health care services and do physical work. So I have been taking daily injections of tymlos, which is a newer version of forteo, along with vitamin d and calcium, etc. But I am totally a believer that life choices are risky and each person is unique. Life is trial and error. Blessings.

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I am impressed that you are still able to do the work you do. I live in Canada and Tymlos is not approved for use here at the present time. I'm sure it will be. I think I read it has fewer side effects than Forteo. I agree with much of what you say. If only as you get older there could be less of trial and error! Be well.

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@parrotqueen

I have been sickly since I was a child. I have more than 15 autoimmune diseases, a pituitary tumor, no immune system, and more! I started taking Vitamin C when I was a teenager because I had a cold every week! (I had my tonsils out when I was 18 and that stopped that at least.). But I had that undiagnosed pituitary tumor and I didn't know why I had all these other symptoms (my adrenals weren't working, I didn't have any Human Growth Hormone, my thyroid wasn't working, etc.). I started experimenting with other supplements. I had a very bad skin disease called Hidradenitis suppurativa that didn't really have many treatment options back in 1976 - but I learned that people in India didn't suffer from that disease - and I learned that it was because they eat a lot of turmeric. I began taking turmeric and my skin disease went away (my arthritis also thanked me). This led me to look for other remedies amongst the vitamins and herbs. Also, doctors used antibiotics on me so much, I became resistant to all but the three IV hospital antibiotics such as vancomycin. My infectious disease doctor told me to look at herbs for answers. I should also say that I worked in one of the first biotechnology research labs (where polymerase chain reaction was discovered!) with many scientists and doctors, and there were many conversations about healthcare. I do extensive research - and as I have mentioned here before (I know we are not supposed to mention websites - but this one was allowed) - I am also a member of ConsumerLab.com which is a consumer watchdog group for supplements. They post MANY peer-reviewed research papers about vitamins and herbs, and they test supplements to be sure they are what they say they are and do not have anything else in them, they are the strength they say they are, they are in a form that can be used by the body (some of these pills don't come apart fast enough in the body - so the pills go right through you), etc. I try to be as informed as I can be before I take a supplement. Finally, because my adrenals do not work, I must take a low dose steroid pill daily. Steroids, antibiotics, hormones and stress are some of the things that can disrupt the balance in your gut and cause Candida overgrowth. This is not a problem that most doctors will acknowledge. I became very ill and could not leave the house for three years. I finally figured out I had Candida overgrowth, and I treated it myself with probiotics, herbal antifungals, and a no-sugar diet. To see a functional doctor for this problem would have easily cost me $2,000 for the first visit. I decided I would educate myself, and that is what I have done. I read everything I can get my hands on that talk about gut health. Hipppocrates said that all disease begins in the gut and I think he was probably correct. My body is turning around big time since I embraced this diet. From my teeth to my toes, everything is healing - even though I am 68 and almost 69. I had pre-cancerous cells in my gut, and they are gone now! So that is my history with herbs and vitamins. I learn a lot from being in online support groups also. I get ideas from other people (like you) and that leads me to do some investigating. One last thing I'd like to say: When I was 61, my parrots' veterinarian (!!!) called me at home to discuss my thyroid. He suggested I try Armour Thyroid because I complained I never felt any benefit from taking synthetic thyroid meds. What a huge boost that was to my system! So I have learned throughout the years to always question my medications and to keep looking until I find what works.

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Thank you! Very informative.

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I'm posting this again - I hope people will read it or scan it at least - I think it is very important to each of us. Doctors are not all up-to-speed about Vitamin K2 - only one of my doctors knew what I was talking about! I hope the people who monitor the site will let this go through. Education is a good thing.
https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/blog/2016/12/09/the-ultimate-vitamin-k2-resource/

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Of course, you should run everything past your doctor. Maybe print this out for your doctors if they don't know about Vitamin K2.

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@lioness

@parrotqueen Do you drink smoothies? I use fruit and water or juice then make a smoothie I put the collegeen in this you cant taste it then . Try it

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Lioness - I do not drink smoothies because I do not eat much fruit. I am on a no-sugar diet. Sometimes I eat a few berries. I eat my weight in vegetables. I cannot make a decent smoothie with the vegetables I'm allowed. I drink only water - so there would be nothing good to add to it. I used to drink smoothies all the time in the 1980s. But when I gave up sugar and no longer had fruit, I stopped drinking them. I dream of fruit but I just can't do it. I had a tiny bite of apple the other day - I didn't even enjoy it - and I'm covered with horrible hives. I am so allergic to sugar.

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@parrotqueen

I found this post on the osteoporosis natural remedy support group on Facebook. I think the man's name is Craig Stelpflug. I know the websites he mentions will likely not make it past the censors - but there is a LOT of good information in here. Be sure you get vitamin K2 (MK4 and MK7) if you take it. I think Vitamins K2 and D3 are key! I hope you can get help reading this message.
A bone to pick:
My mother, who is not even 80 yet, recently suffered a bone break. Her femur absolutely snapped in half! You’d think a break like this might happen in a fall from a trampoline, car crash, slip in the shower, playing soccer with the great-grands or some other dramatic happening. Nope! She was getting up from the dining table and her bone snapped—just like that… Surgery, rods, screws, meds and rehab followed. Then they discovered her other leg bone was threatening to do the same thing. More surgery, rods, screws, meds and rehab are now in the works. Why? Not everyone who grows old has this problem, yet my mom did.
Cows have strong bones, so why don’t we?
Have you ever heard of a cow needing a bone-building drug? Just how do cows maintain such strong bones? From eating lots of plants of course! Calcium-rich cow’s milk is just right for a growing a baby calf, but before the calf is grown it is weaned from milk and moves on to eating grass. I have to ask you if milk and drugs are required for us humans to maintain bones? The fact is that American women consume two pounds of milk and dairy products per day on average and yet according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, 10 million Americans have osteoporosis, 80% of those are women, and one out of two women over age 50 will break a bone because of osteoporosis. I don’t think it is a lack of dairy and drugs causing this problem.

Bone thieves!
I have been a nutritionist for 2-1/2 decades and this I know: Milk and dairy products in excess acidify the body and actually accelerate bone loss by pulling calcium out of the bones to neutralize acids. Furthermore, bone drugs may appear to densify bones but in actuality are just causing bone brittleness, more bone fractures and even bone and other cancers.
Here are some more causes for weak bones:
• Soda pops pull phosphorus out of bones while also acidifying the body.
• Pharmaceutical and OTR drugs acidify our bodies.
• Antacids prevent us from utilizing dietary calcium and acidify the body.
• In pasteurized milk over 50% of available calcium cannot be absorbed.

Bone meds.
Quantity is not quality! You can have the densest bones in the county and then they snap like dry twigs if there is no bone quality. Aside from acidifying the body, bone meds may improve bone density, but not bone quality. Long-term use of bone meds like Actonel, Boniva, Fosamax and Reclast are now linked to femur fractures after four years. The drug Infuse for bone growth causes cancer risk (including pancreatic cancer) to escalate by more than 250% in year one of use and 500% by year three.

With all the “cutting edge” osteo meds out there, osteoporosis numbers should be plummeting- -instead they are rising…

Fixing the bone:
It is our diet and lifestyle that has weakened the core structure of our bodies. There are many things that are critical to bone health—and drugs are not one of them.
• In order to have and maintain healthy bones we need plenty of good water, seeds, nuts, leafy greens, beans, fruits and veggies in our diets.
• Healthy bones require weight-bearing exercise.
• The mineral zinc has been shown to increase osteoblastic bone-building activity, helping the body manufacture bone while inhibiting the osteoclastic tearing-down process. ¡¡Make sure that the zinc you take by mouth is not zinc oxide!!
• Vitamin K works to prevent calcium deposits in arterial walls and helps the body use calcium for bone health. ¡¡Vitamin K also works with fat-soluble nutrients to protect the brain from arterial calcification that leads to strokes and cognitive decline!!
• Magnesium teams up with vitamins B6, D and K to regulate the absorption of calcium into bone. Without magnesium and its helpers, calcium will not be absorbed into the bones. (I only recommend magnesium supplements ending in "chelate" "citrate", "glycinate" and other "ate's". NEVER take magnesium chloride or oxide internally...)
• Taking olive leaf extract lowers the risk of developing osteoporosis by supporting bone strength and balancing inflammatory responses.
• Taking probiotics improves healthy bone density as probiotic microorganisms help balance the immune system to reduce bowel inflammation, alkalize the digestive tract and stem age-related flow of bone loss.
• Bone health is contingent upon receiving plenty of raw sunshine and Vitamin D studies show that this supports hip joint strength and integrity in elderly women by 69% while also improving muscle strength.

Did I forget to mention taking calcium?
Uh, no I didn't forget because I don't often recommend it! If you "need" a calcium supplement then your diet and digestion sucks. Besides, excessive calcium taken by supplements actually reduces bone density and acidifies the body. The Institute of Medicine dietary RDA for calcium from a combination of diet plus supplements is 1200 mg a day for women 50 years of age and up. Even on a Standard American Diet (SAD), women get 700 mg a day or more of calcium from dietary sources, therefore women stuck on the SAD diet only require an additional 500 mg a day from calcium supplements.

Did you know that supplemental calcium oxide and chloride react with stomach acid to make a noxious gas? IF you take a calcium supplement on a SAD diet then only take calcium supplements ending in "ate", like calcium chelate or citrate—NEVER oxide or chloride.

The bare-bone fact:
Bottom line, it is your health and your bones and using just a little common sense goes a long ways. If you are concerned about your bone health, avoid the pharmaceutical solutions that aren’t working and do the natural thing.

More info:
http://realhealthtalk.com/Bone_Health_and_Bone_Scans.html
http://realhealthtalk.com/Correcting_the_pH_Balance.html
#osteoperosis #bone #diet #nutrition

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@parrotqueen
Hi,
You've done your research and I agree with most of what you say. I am also taking D3+k2. I avoid calcium supplements because of bloating. Foods high in oxalates prevent these essential vitamins from being absorbed into the bone. As you said, healthy foods and lifestyle and a common sense approach are the key.
To each his own. Also, dexascan numbers can be different from machine to machine so make sure you are getting these tests at the same facility. You really cant compare results from 2 different places.
We are empowering ourselves by learning all we can.....Stay healthy and vigilante...Everyone has stories to tell but dont be frightened by all you hear...we are all in the same boat on the same journey..just taking different routes...
FL Mary

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@parrotqueen

Lioness - I do not drink smoothies because I do not eat much fruit. I am on a no-sugar diet. Sometimes I eat a few berries. I eat my weight in vegetables. I cannot make a decent smoothie with the vegetables I'm allowed. I drink only water - so there would be nothing good to add to it. I used to drink smoothies all the time in the 1980s. But when I gave up sugar and no longer had fruit, I stopped drinking them. I dream of fruit but I just can't do it. I had a tiny bite of apple the other day - I didn't even enjoy it - and I'm covered with horrible hives. I am so allergic to sugar.

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@parrotqueen I do just a vegie drink. I put a cup of distilled water in , kale,cucumber,carrot, parsley ,ginger and turmeric. Drink it as is. Also I use cup of water , Power greens, Garlic, Giner root shave , parsley potato, and carrot . I have trouble eating vegies . So I experiment as to what I like . The carrot is sweet so this is my sweetner

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