HealthBeat News

Category: Drugs and Alternatives

  • A Reader Thanks Us For The GERD Article

    It is always a pleasure to know that our HealthBeat News articles are making a positive difference in people’s lives. We often get small notes of thanks, but this one was extra special – for it came in the form of an email conversation between a long-standing patient of Dr. Myatt’s and her sister which that sister included in her note of thanks to Dr. Myatt.

    First Kathy forwarded our HealthBeat News article "What’s Burning You?" to Chris.

    Chris then answered Kathy as follows:

    From: Chris
    To: Kathy
    Subject: RE: GERD is NOT Caused By Excess Stomach Acid
    Kathy – thanks for forwarding the article on GERD.  I have ordered the test and look forward to taking it.  I have always had real doubts about the benefits vs. unknown side effects of taking my nightly Pepcid AC and other ad hoc antacids. Dana’s article is eye opening.   I was aware of the impact on Calcium absorption and have wondered what else was being blocked that negatively impacts my natural ability to fight off “bad stuff.”   It’s true – my PCP at that time ran no test, they just listened to the symptoms and called it GERD.
    Chris

    Chris then emailed Dr. Myatt with this brief but welcome note:

    Hi Dr. Dana
    Great article on GERD.  I look forward to taking the test that I have ordered and learning the results!  Thank you for explaining this so clearly.
    Chris

    Well, Chris should have her Gastric Acid Function Self-Test by now, and I’m betting that she is just as surprised and pleased as most people are when they discover the cause for their years of digestive discomfort and discover just how simple, effective, and natural the solution – dare we say "cure" – is!

    Chris, from both Dr. Myatt and Nurse Mark, you are as welcome as flowers in the spring!

  • Wyeth Drugs Takes A Hit – And So Will You!

    Will Big Pharma Be Forced To Offer Less Toxic Drugs?

    Opinion by Nurse Mark

    Here is an interesting piece of news that is just out this morning, found in Reuters Business News: (why is this kind of thing Business News and not Medical News or general interest news?)

    U.S. top court rules against Wyeth in liability case: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090304/bs_nm/us_drugs_wyeth_court

    It seems that The Drug Companies will no longer be able to hide behind the skirts of the mighty FDA by claiming immunity from responsibility for the ill effects of their patented poisons because they have complied with the rules and printed the FDA mandated "Black Box" warnings on their toxic offerings. Up to now these "fine-print" warnings about the potential harm of a drug have kept the drug companies safe: "We informed consumers, with the FDA-Approved warning, of the danger – so we’re not responsible!" has been their defense.

    Well, according to the Supreme Court, this cop-out won’t cut it any longer – Big Pharma is now to be held responsible for the ill effects of it’s offerings, no matter what "warnings" are printed on the package.

    So, this is  a good thing, right?

    I don’t know… I foresee some unintended consequences here folks…

    This will certainly be a good thing for those individuals who are harmed by these toxins – the person involved in this case, a guitarist, lost her arm and presumably her income and musical career to the toxic effect of a drug, and was awarded a multi-million dollar settlement – that is nevertheless just a tiny drop in the billion-dollar profit bucket of Big Pharma.

    But I predict it will not be a good thing for anyone who must buy the offerings of Big Pharma, because they will not take this lightly – there are profits and bonuses and stockholders to consider. No, this will simply be factored into the obscenely inflated prices already demanded for these patented poisons, and you, the consumer, will pay for this settlement and all others like it in the end. You really didn’t think that the Wyeth executives would pay for this out of their annual bonus and profit-sharing did you?

    On the other hand, maybe, just maybe Big Pharma will begin looking for some less-toxic, safer formulas to patent and profit from, since they know that killing and maiming people can now cost them regardless of "FDA Approval" and "Black Box Warnings".

    Dare we hope?

    Nah…

  • Want To Do Something About Your Heart Health?

    Heart-Healthy Protocol Rejuvenates Youthful Function

    Do you recall a time when you were younger and had absolutely no worries about your heart? After all, it’s not nearly so common for a person in their 20’s or 30’s to suffer from heart disease, and you probably knew that. Your life wasn’t focused around living close to a hospital, curtailing physical activity because of fear, or even thinking at all about your heart, which just ticked along perfectly from day to day, week to week, and year to year.

    Would you like to return to that liberated, confident feeling, knowing that your heart is healthy and immune to problems, and enjoying the physical and emotional freedom that dependable heart function brings? Why not give yourself the enduring gift of heart-confidence by following these simple, proven, protective measures that can lower your risk of heart disease to that of a 20-year-old? Your heart is a very forgiving organ and can be rejuvenated. Here’s how:
    1.) Stop smoking. Smoking is one of the single biggest causes of heart disease. If you need a good reason to quit, dramatically lowering your risk of heart disease might be the impetus you need.

    2.) Eat a heart-healthy diet. High carbohydrate diets lead to overweight and high blood sugar levels, and very often, to diabetes. As you continue to read this list, you’ll see that these factors are each independent risk factors for heart disease. A VLC diet (very low carbohydrate diet), high in Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids, is the fastest, surest way to lower insulin and blood sugar levels, lose weight, decrease inflammation and slash heart disease risk at least four-fold. Diets higher in "good fats" (NOT low-fat diets!) and low in carbs have proven to be the heart-healthiest.

    3.) Get optimal doses of heart-healthy nutrients. Certain nutrients are essential to healthy heart function and are often missing in the Standard American Diet (S.A.D.). Nutrients needed by the heart include:

    • B complex vitamins, needed for normal nerve function and homocysteine levels.
    • magnesium, the relaxing, anti-arrhythmic mineral that is absolutely necessary for normal heart function. Unfortunately, magnesium is one of the most common nutrient deficiencies in the SAD diet.
    • antioxidant nutrients (especially vitamins C, E, and beta-carotene). Studies have shown that people with higher blood levels of antioxidants have a lower incidence of heart disease. Among people who have a heart attack, higher levels of  antioxidants decrease free radical formation and reduce heart damage.
    • chromium helps stabilize and lower blood sugar levels, thereby lowering sugar-associated heart disease risk.
    • Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oils) are so well-known to decrease inflammation and heart arrhythmias that the FDA now allows label claims for fish oil. We now also have an over-the-top expensive prescription fish oil for heart patients (many of whom would have less stress on their hearts if they bought fish oil for $20 instead of $200!).
    • soluble fiber helps keep blood fats, including cholesterol, at a happy level, although high cholesterol is not the big heart disease risk factor it has been portrayed to be.

    4.) Increase physical activity. If you don’t use it, you lose it. Make your heart work harder than getting up from your easy chair and going to the refrigerator once in a while. This doesn’t mean you need to train for a marathon. As little as ten minutes of brisk walking per day, especially if this is more than you currently do, will improve heart function.

    5.) Lower body-wide inflammation Subtle inflammation, as measured by an hs-CRP test ("highly sensitive C-Reactive Protein", a simple blood test), is a more sensitive measure of heart disease risk than cholesterol or other elevated blood fats. This type of inflammation, which is often so minor that you may not feel it but which irritates the blood vessel lining and sets the atherosclerotic process in motion, can be corrected by simple diet changes, nutritional supplements and anti-inflammatory herbs. Decreasing inflammation also lowers your risk of cancer, arthritis, Alzheimer’s and other "age related" diseases.

    6.) Lower your blood pressure naturally. There’s a lot of evidence that higher blood pressures (especially systolic B.P.’s consistently over 140) are associated with higher risk of heart disease. Interestingly (at least to this physician!), there are a number of big, long-range studies which show NO BENEFIT to lowering B.P. with drugs. People with "normal" blood pressures who were only "normal" because of medications are still at significantly higher risk of heart disease. As naturopathic as this conclusion sounds, these studies point to the fact that lowering blood pressure naturally, by correcting the cause of the elevation, is life-saving where chemical control is not.

    7.) Curb depression, anxiety and stress. The emotional factor doesn’t get much "press" or discussion in the cardiologists office, but there are numerous studies showing that negative emotional states increase subtle inflammation. Possibly because depression and stress (or more accurately described as our reaction to stress) increase inflammation, these emotional states are associated with higher risk of heart disease and poorer prognosis in people with already-existing heart disease or who are recovering from heart surgery. If you suffer from depression, be sure to get help. One common source of stress is marriage and close personal relationship difficulties. And remember that depression isn’t caused by a Prozac deficiency!

    8.) Lower high blood sugar levels. High blood sugar levels, high insulin levels or outright type II diabetes are major risk factors for heart disease. The pitiful part of this connection is that type II diabetes is completely curable through diet alone, usually in under three months. Sadly, I find that many diabetics would rather live with the risk (and worry about their risks), rather than make a few healthy diet changes that would erase this major danger. Go figure.

    9.) Achieve and maintain a normal weight. Overweight increases subtle inflammation, which as you should know by now (if you’ve been paying attention!) is an important risk factor for not only heart disease but also cancer, arthritis, Alzheimer’s and more. When an overweight person loses weight, their hs-CRP (inflammatory marker) also comes down, corresponding to a lower heart disease risk. Of course, the low-carb, high Omega-3 fat diet that lowers blood sugar and corrects diabetes also leads to weight loss, making it easy to correct several problems at once through diet changes alone.

    These same measures that dramatically lower your risk of heart disease also increase natural immunity, slash your risk of cancer, diabetes, arthritis, depression, Alzheimer’s and senile dementia and a host of other diseases that we fall prey to with age. Even at advanced age or stages of disease, much improvement and protection is possible (in other words, you can reclaim a lot of healthy ground), by turning a few habits around in a healthier direction.

    Obviously, a full in-depth examination of each of these factors far is too large for a single newsletter. If you’d like to know more about exactly how to implement these heart-healthy changes, please watch for our soon-to-be-released White Paper!

    References:

    1.) Smoking cessation normalizes coronary endothelial vasomotor response assessed with 15O-water and PET in healthy young smokers. J Nucl Med. 2006 Dec;47(12):1914-20. Summary: some negative cardiac effects of smoking, such as inflammation of blood vessels and abnormal contraction of blood vessels, returns to near-normal after one month of non-smoking in otherwise healthy individuals.
    2.) Primary prevention of cardiovascular disease: Cost-effectiveness comparison. Int J Technol Assess Health Care. 2007 Winter;23(1):71-9. Summary: Quitting smoking is the most cost-effective heart disease prevention measure; statin drugs are the least cost effective measure.
    3.) Cardiovascular risks associated with smoking: a review for clinicians. Eur J Cardiovasc Prev Rehabil. 2006 Aug;13(4):507-14. Summary: Smoking results in sudden death, myocardial infarction, coronary heart disease, worsened outcomes after angioplasty or bypass surgery, cerebrovascular disease, aortic aneurysm, peripheral
    vascular disease, increased risk of complications of hypertension and impotence.
    4.) Smoking and cardiovascular disease. Am J Med. 1992 Jul 15;93(1A):8S-12S. Summary: Cigarette smoking is the most preventable cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Smoking has been associated with a two-to fourfold increased risk of coronary heart disease, a greater than 70% excess rate of death from coronary heart disease, and an elevated risk of sudden death. Smoking cessation results in a dramatic
    reduction in the risk of mortality from both coronary heart disease and stroke.
    5.) Effects of moderate-fat (from monounsaturated fat) and low-fat weight-loss diets on the serum lipid profile in overweight and obese men and women. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 79, No. 2, 204-212, February 2004. Summary: a moderate fat diet was more beneficial in lowering heart disease risk than a low-fat diet.
    6.) Preventive nutrition: disease-specific dietary interventions for older adults.Geriatrics. 1992 Nov;47(11):39-40, 45-9. Conclusion: Fats, cholesterol, soluble fiber, and the trace elements copper and chromium affect the morbidity and mortality of CHD. Decreasing sodium and increasing potassium intake improves control of
    hypertension. Calcium and magnesium may also have a role in controlling hypertension. A decrease in simple carbohydrates and an increase in soluble dietary fiber may normalize moderately elevated blood glucose levels.
    7.) Antioxidant treatment prevents cardiac protein oxidation after ischemia-reperfusion and improves myocardial function and coronary perfusion in senescent hearts. J Physiol Pharmacol. 2006 Dec;57(4):541-52. Summary: In conclusion, antioxidant treatment fully protects the senescent heart against ischaemia/reperfusion but not against prolonged ischaemia injury, indicating that oxidative stress plays a central role in the age-associated vulnerability to ischaemia-reperfusion.
    8.) Relationship between low cardiorespiratory fitness and mortality in normal-weight, overweight, and obese men. JAMA. 1999 Oct 27;282(16):1547-53.CONCLUSIONS: In this analysis, low cardiorespiratory fitness was a strong and independent predictor of CVD and all-cause mortality and of comparable importance with that of diabetes mellitus and other CVD risk factors.
    9.) Inflammatory biomarkers, hormone replacement therapy, and incident coronary heart disease: prospective analysis from the Women’s Health Initiative observational study.JAMA. 2002 Aug 28;288(8):980-7. Summary: Increased hs-CRP and IL-6 (another marker of subtle inflammation) independently predict vascular events among apparently healthy postmenopausal women.
    10.) C-Reactive Protein Distribution and Correlates among Men and Women with Chronic Coronary Heart Disease. Cardiology. 2007 Feb 1;107(4):345-353 [Epub ahead of print]. Summary: Elevated C-reactive protein is associated with atherosclerotic disease. BMI (body mass index) is positively associated with CRP: the higher the BMI, the higher the CRP.
    11.) Blood pressure, low-density lipoprotein and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, glucose intolerance, and smoking: Relative importance of borderline and elevated levels of coronary heart disease risk factors. Ann Intern Med. 2005 Mar 15;142(6):393-402.
    12.) Stroke and coronary heart disease in treated hypertension — a prospective cohort study over three decades. J Intern Med. 2005 Jun;257(6):496-502. There was no relationship observed between achieved systolic or diastolic blood pressure and the risk of stroke or MI nor was there any relationship between the change in blood pressure and such cardiovascular complications. CONCLUSION: In spite of a substantial reduction of their blood pressure, treated hypertensive middle-aged men had a highly increased risk of stroke, MI and mortality from coronary heart disease compared with nonhypertensive men of similar age. The increased risk of cardiovascular complications escalated during the latter course of the study.
    13.) Survival in treated hypertension: follow up study after two decades. BMJ. 1998 Jul 18;317(7152):167-71. Summary: Hypertensive men treated with drugs to attain normal B.P.’s did NOT have lower risks of heart disease.
    14.) Sadness and broken hearts: neurohumoral mechanisms and co-morbidity of ischemic heart disease and psychological depression. J Physiol Pharmacol. 2006 Nov;57 Suppl 11:5-29.Summary: Inflammation is associated with heart disease and is also seen in sadness and depression. It appears that sadness and depression may be risk factors for heart disease.
    15.) Biological mechanisms in the relationship between depression and heart disease. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2002 Dec;26(8):941-62. Summary: Psychological depression is shown to be associated with several aspects of coronary artery disease (CAD), including arrhythmias, myocardial infarction, heart failure and sudden death.
    16.)Negative impact of depression on outcomes in patients with coronary artery disease: mechanisms, treatment considerations, and future directions. J Thromb Haemost. 2005 May;3(5):897-908. Summary: Depressive symptoms are common in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients, and are associated with increased cardiac risk.
    17.) Impact of metabolic syndrome criteria on cardiovascular disease risk in people with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes. Diabetologia. 2006 Jan;49(1):49-55. Epub 2005 Dec 10.Summary: High blood sugar and type II diabetes can increase heart disease risk up to FIVE-FOLD. DR. Myatts note: Type II diabetes is completely curable through diet alone.
    18.) Insulin resistance, the metabolic syndrome, and incident cardiovascular events in the Framingham Offspring Study. Diabetes. 2005 Nov;54(11):3252-7. Summary: Metabolic syndrome (fancy name for high blood sugar, high insulin levels) is an independent risk factor for heart disease. DR. Myatts note: Metabolic syndrome, like Type II diabetes, is completely curable through diet alone.
    19.) Glycemic control and coronary heart disease risk in persons with and without diabetes: the atherosclerosis risk in communities study. Arch Intern Med. 2005 Sep 12;165(16):1910-6.
    20.) Metabolic syndrome and mitochondrial function: Molecular replacement and antioxidant supplements to prevent membrane peroxidation and restore mitochondrial function. J Cell Biochem. 2007 Jan 22; [Epub ahead of print]. Summary: Antioxidant therapy restored mitochondrial function in people with metabolic syndrome.
    21.) Insulin resistance and endothelial dysfunction: the road map to cardiovascular diseases. Diabetes Metab Res Rev. 2006 Nov-Dec;22(6):423-36.
    22.) Midlife body mass index and hospitalization and mortality in older age. JAMA. 2006 Jan 11;295(2):190-8. Conclusion: "For individuals with no cardiovascular risk factors as well as for those with 1 or more risk factors, those who are obese in middle age have a higher risk of hospitalization and mortality from CHD, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes in older age than those who are normal weight."

  • Stevia – "We Told You So!"

    Deborah from Oklahoma wrote recently to ask:

    Do you have a take on this Truvia sweetener?

    Well, as a matter of fact we do have a take on it!

    I wrote about the future of stevia a little while ago in Another Chance For Stevia – where I predicted that this natural sweetener was getting ready to have a new lease on life as far as the FDA is concerned.

    You see, I had noticed the rumblings in the financial news – certain stocks were going up, based on the work of the American Industrial giants Coca Cola and Pepsico who were preparing to market their own patented versions of the age-old natural sweetener.

    I predicted that as soon as these industrial giants made it known to the FDA that they wanted no regulatory resistance to their new products then the "natural" forms of stevia would also have to be "recognized" to be safe since the new, patented sweeteners Truvia and PureVia are nothing more than isolates of natural stevia. My understanding is that the substances are not patented, the process for obtaining the substance is patented.

    So, what’s my take? I think it is great news that Coca Cola and Pepsico have listened to consumer demand and that the FDA is finally forced to listen to good sense – perhaps now Americans can begin to turn away from the toxic synthetic sweeteners marketed by the chemical and pharmaceutical industries and enjoy some nice, sweet, natural stevia.

    Are the new, patented sweeteners Truvia and PureVia going to prove to be safe over the long haul? My first reaction is to say "yes" – though with any substance that is isolated from the natural substance there is a risk that by isolating one small part of it we may be discarding another important part that somehow serves to prevent harm. The natural "sweet leaf" stevia has a history of safe use that spans thousands of years – Truvia and PureVia can’t say the same thing though there should be no reason for them not to be just as safe.

    Here at the Wellness Club we’ll continue to use natural stevia – but it sure is a pleasure to be able to find stevia in it’s natural form and it’s new patented forms on the shelves of our local grocery store! Coca Cola and Pepsico have given stevia it’s freedom and respect back.

    Thank you Coca Cola and Pepsico – did you ever think you would hear us say that here?

  • The Ugly Truth About "Bone-Building" Drugs for Osteoporosis

    The Ugly Truth About "Bone-Building" Drugs for Osteoporosis

    (And The Safe, Natural, Effective Alternative)

    By Dr. Dana Myatt

    Osteoporosis means "porous bone," a bone-thinning disease that affects some 25 million American women. It is called a "silent" disease because it comes on with few or no symptoms. Often, a fall resulting in a fracture is the first evidence of weakened bones. Other symptoms and signs of osteoporosis include a decrease in height, spontaneous hip or vertebrae fractures, and back pain. (Note: most back pain is NOT caused by osteoporosis, so don’t get hypochodriacal on me!)

    In elderly women, death resulting from complications of hip fracture is far more common than death from breast cancer, yet few people realize the potential seriousness of this condition. Although osteoporosis is more common in post-menopausal women, it also occurs in younger women, in men, and in all age groups. Caucasian and Asian women are at greatest risk because their bones tend to be less dense to begin with.

    OK, you get the picture. Osteoporosis is clearly a real health problem for many Americans. So it seems reasonable to take a medication that can make bones thicker if you’ve been told that you have osteopenia or osteoporosis, right? Please don’t go there until you consider these facts.

    The Drug Is A Success – The Bone Died. ("To Save The Village We Had To Burn It Down")

    The popular drugs prescribed for osteoporosis — alendronate (Fosamax, Fosamax Plus D), etidronate (Didronel), ibandronate (Boniva), pamidronate (Aredia), risedronate (Actonel, Actonel W/Calcium), tiludronate (Skelid), and zoledronic acid (Reclast, Zometa) — are all in a class of drugs called "bisphosphinates." (Abbreviated as "BP’s"). Although they are marketed as "bone-building" drugs, the real truth is quite a bit more ominous. These drugs work by killing a type of bone cell called osteoclasts. You read that right — the drug works by killing normal bone cells.

    But Wait! There’s More! ("Other Than That, Mrs. Lincoln, How Was The Play?")

    In addition to this insane "mechanism of action" (killing normal bone cells), the potential side-effects range from a mere nuisance to deadly serious.

    Stomach upset, inflammation and erosions of the esophagus are a common side-effect of the oral forms of these drugs. But not to worry that this might be a sign that the drug isn’t healthy for your body. Your doctor will simply tell you to "remain seated upright for 30 to 60 minutes after taking the medication." Wasn’t that easy? Problem solved.

    Bisphosphonates given by injection bypass the stomach troubles but have their own problems, including "flu-like symptoms after the first infusion." Manufacturers claim that this only happens the first time, but a quick search of online bulletin boards of people who have had this reaction tells a different story. Many people report severe flu-like symptoms and bone pain that was aggravated by each subsequent dose.

    One study found in increase in "serious atrial fibrillation" among zoledronic acid (Reclast, Zometa) users, but the FDA dismissed this as "not significant." Since all these drugs are in the same class, however, the finding raises concern about this atrial fib connection and ALL bisphosphonate drugs.

    [Nurse Mark Note: Atrial Fibrillation can quickly develop into a heart attack]

    Last and not least, bispohsphonate drugs (ALL of them) are associated with a osteonecrosis of the jaw. In plain English, this means death of the jaw bone. The problem occurs more often with IV BP’s but is also seen in oral BP use. As one medical article stated, "This complication can have a significant impact on the quality of life for those patients with advanced stages of necrosis." Uh, you mean because the dead part of the jawbone will have to be removed and possibly bone-grafted? With resultant facial deformity (not to mention pain and suffering)? Yeah, that might ruin your week… or month… or life…

    Is Bone Death Better Than Osteoporosis? (Is That Really A Serious Question?)

    Obviously, I’m not a fan of bisphosphonate drugs. The class of bone cells that they destroy — the osteoclasts — help to "remodel" bone. This means that bone is supposed to be a living, growing, constantly changing tissue. Bisphosphonates change all that.

    On the other hand, a life-threatening fracture from osteoporosis is no picnic, either. So what do I recommend for osteoporosis prevention and reversal? Nature’s way, of course!

    Rebuilding Bone The Natural Way

    It has long been known that declining sex hormones are associated with decreased bone mineralization. It is also known that un-natural hormone replacement, as practiced in conventional medicine, is a cause of breast and other hormone-related cancers (and increased risk of stroke, heart disease, blood clots and dementia).
    The "middle ground" on hormone replacement therapy is to use natural (bio-identical) hormone replacement therapy as practiced by holistic medical practitioners. Following hormone testing (urine testing is better than saliva or blood tests), a custom formula using doses and forms as found in nature will be prescribed.

    Normal bone formation requires the right "mix" of nutrients. Vitamin D is necessary for proper bone mineralization, and the latest medical research shows that we are getting far less than we really need. [NOTE: Maxi Multi’s have just been re-formulated to include 800IU instead of the previous 400IU per daily dose]. Folate, vitamin B6, B12 and vitamin K should also be in your daily "mix" and are found in optimal amounts in Maxi Multi’s.

    Exercise, especially the kind that puts some stress on bones such as walking, help "tell" the bones to take up more minerals.

    And of course, the minerals that build bone must be present. This usually requires mineral supplementation with calcium, magnesium, boron, manganese, zinc, copper and the "forgotten mineral," strontium.

    Strontium, the "Secret Sauce" for Strong Bones

    Strontium, a naturally-occurring mineral in the same class as calcium and magnesium, has been shown to prevent bone loss AND increase bone density even in already-established cases of osteoporosis. This, plus strontium (NOT the radioactive kind!) has little if any negative side effects. Read more about Strontium: The Missing Mineral for Osteoporosis Prevention and Reversal in this previous edition of HealthBeat.

    The Short Course On Strong Bones And Bone Remineralization

    Osteoporosis is not caused by a bisphosphonate deficiency! Given the potentially devastating side-effects of this class of drugs, doing it "nature’s way" should be a first choice for most people with osteoporosis (or those interested in prevention).

    Exercise, sex hormone balance and obtaining all necessary bone nutrients including strontium will prevent and reverse most cases of osteoporosis without causing harm in the process.
    References:

    References:
    1.) Osteoporosis: Part I. Evaluation and Assessment. American Family Physician, March 1, 2001.
    2.) Side effects courtesy of Merk’s Fosamax website: http://www.fosamax.com/alendronate_sodium/fosamax/consumer/side_effects/index.jsp
    3.) Ale
    ndronate and atrial fibrillation. N Engl J Med. 2007 May 3;356(18):1895-6
    4.) Once-yearly zoledronic acid for treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis.  N Engl J Med. 2007 May 3;356(18):1809-22
    5.) Osteonecrosis and bisphosphonates in oral and maxillofacial surgery. Oral Maxillofac Surg Clin North Am. 2007 May;19(2):199-206.
    6.) Biophosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaws. Dent Clin North Am. 2008 Jan;52(1):111-28.
    7.) Bisphosphonate Use and the Risk of Adverse Jaw Outcomes: A medical claims study of 714,217 people. J Am Dent Assoc. 2008 Jan;139(1):23-30.
    8.) Osteonecrosis of the jaws secondary to bisphosphonate therapy: a case series. J Contemp Dent Pract. 2008 Jan 1;9(1):63-9.
    9.) Bisphosphonate osteonecrosis of the jaws; an increasing problem for the dental practitioner. Br Dent J. 2007 Dec 8;203(11):641-4.
    10.) Bisphosphonates and bisphosphonate induced osteonecrosis. Oral Maxillofac Surg Clin North Am. 2007 Nov;19(4):487-98, v-vi.
    11.) The current state of postmenopausal hormone therapy: update for neurologists and epileptologists. Epilepsy Curr. 2007 Sep-Oct;7(5):119-22.
    12.) Strontium Ranelate Reduces the Risk of Nonvertebral Fractures in Postmenopausal Women with Osteoporosis: Treatment of Peripheral Osteoporosis (TROPOS) Study. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2005 May; 90(5):2816-22. Epub 2005 Feb 22.
    13.) Picking a bone with contemporary osteoporosis management: Nutrient strategies to enhance skeletal integrity. Clinical Nutrition (Epub ahead of print, 2006 October 12).
    14.) The effects of strontium ranelate on the risk of vertebral fracture in women with postmenopausal osteoporosis.” New England Journal of Medicine 350 (2004):459 – 68.
    15.) Strontium ranelate reduces the risk of nonvertebral fractures in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis: Treatment of Peripheral Osteoporosis (TROPOS) study. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism 90 (2005):2816 – 22.
    16.) Strontium in Finnish foods. International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research 52 (1982): 342 – 50.
    17.) Gaby AR. Preventing and Reversing Osteoporosis. Rocklin, CA: Prima Publishing, 1994, 85–92 [review].
    18.) Strontium ranelate: a dual mode of action rebalancing bone turnover in favour of bone formation. Curr Opin Rheumatol. 2006 Jun;18 Suppl 1:S11-5.