|
Calcium
Dysregulation and Osteoporosis
Jim English
Part 1 of Calcium
Dysregulation and Osteoporosis examined numerous aspects
of osteoporosis, a degenerative bone disorder responsible for
over 1.5 million fractures annually in the US, including the
physiology of bone remodeling, conventional treatments for
osteoporosis, and issues surrounding calcium supplementation.
Part 1 also introduced the concept of restoring internal calcium
regulation (homeostasis) with special emphasis on the ability
of a purified biogenic marine material, nacre, to restore calcium
metabolism and support healthy bone formation.
In this issue we expand on the concept of calcium
balance (homeostasis) and review examples of individuals who have
benefited from supplementation with OsteoPhase, a propritary nutritional
supplement that combines natural nacre with traditional bone-building
Chinese herbs.
OsteoPhase is a marine-based nutritional product developed during
ten years of clinical research that sought to identify and isolate
a number of proteins and enzymes derived from nacre (Mother of
Pearl), the biologically active inner lining of oyster shells.
These tissues are primarily responsible for stimulating and controlling
the formation of new shell growth from available marine minerals.
After developing a proprietary process for extracting
these bioactive ingredients, the researchers blended the purified
biogenic compound with ionic calcium and traditional essence herbs
shown to enhance healthy calcium regulation. The result is a unique
formula, OsteoPhase, that safely restores calcium balance in the
body to help reduce bone loss, increase bone density, and support
bone remodeling processes.
In addition to the previously referenced studies on nacre’s
ability to stimulate new bone formation (osteogenesis), the physiological
effects of OsteoPhase on bone tissue are further supported
by independent studies conducted on the other four ingredients
in the formula.
• Oyster Shell (Concha
Ostrea) is commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine for heart
palpitations accompanied by anxiety, restlessness and insomnia.
Additionally, oyster shell is used in reducing various types of
swellings. Research in Japan and China indicates that both hydrolyzed
and electrolyzed oyster shell increases calcium absorption and
improves bone density.
• Astragalus polysaccharides
are potent immune modulators that are particularly valuable for
restoring depressed immunity. Astragalus has been shown to partially
reverse the damaging effects of prednisone (a potent steroid) in
mice, which may account for its ability to counter the effects
of chronic corticosteroid use on rates of osteoporosis formation
(see Glucocorticoid - Induced Osteoporosis below).
In post-menopausal women, as estrogen production
slows down, osteoclast (bone dissolving) activity continues even
as osteoblasts (bone rebuilding) activity drops. This imbalance
results a dramatic losses of bone mass in women after their last
menstrual period. Ovariectomy – surgical removal of the ovaries – results
in a decrease in bone tissue due to the loss of estrogen.
Extracts of astragalus have been shown to reverse
bone loss in ovariectomized lab animals, suggesting that this herb
alone will likely contribute to the prevention of bone loss in
post-menopausal women.
• Angelica Sinensis is
a traditional herb used to purify the blood and improve circulation.
Angelica frequently appears as the main ingredient in Chinese herbal
formulas for bone injuries. Aqueous extracts of Angelica sinensis
have been found to directly stimulate bone marrow precursor cells
to increase proliferation of mature osteoblasts and osteoclasts.
Angelica sinensis extracts have also been shown to stimulate production
of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), an enzyme secreted by osteoblasts
in the process of forming new bone matrix. ALP, in turn, activates
collagen fibers in such a way that they cause the deposition of
calcium salts into the bone matrix (osteoid) to form hydroxyapatite.
Blood serum levels of ALP are useful markers of bone formation
and can aid in evaluating osteoporosis.
• Coix Seeds lower
blood sugar levels, reduce inflammation and counteract fibrosis
formation. Coix seeds are included in OsteoPhase to help prevent
further degeneration of bone and cartilage.
Steroid (glucocorticoid) drugs,
such as prednisone, are well known to contribute to osteoporosis.
Steroids speed up the rate at which bone is dissolved,
and simultaneously slow the growth of new bone tissue,
resulting in rapid and devastating bone loss. An average
of 5% of bone mass is lost in the first year of steroid
use. Consequently, fracture rates among patients on long-term
steroid therapy range from 30-50%.
Preliminary studies in
China have found that OsteoPhase has a preventive
effect against glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis. The formula
was shown to reduce calcium losses by 69%, while increasing
bone density by 27% and enhancing bone remodeling by 100%.
Additionally, the herbs contained
in OsteoPhase are widely used in Chinese hospitals to treat Avascular
Necrosis, a severe disorder related to osteoporosis.
Avascular Necrosis disrupts circulation to the head of the
femur, causing tissue death and the eventual collapse of
the bone structure (read Bone
Building Synergy).
Researchers in Beijing
treated 1,286 Avascular Necrosis patients, of which chronic
steroid use was a predisposing factor for 669 (52%) of the
patients. In clinical reports of treatment of the disorder
with the herbs contained in OsteoPhase, 90% of patients
showed improvement in alleviating symptoms of pain and stiffness,
and partial reversal of bone deterioration was observed by
x-ray.
|
OsteoPhase has been shown to significantly reverse bone loss
and enhance bone density, as determined by bone mineral density
(BMD) measurements using DEXA (dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry)
and Achilles (ultrasonometer) scans.
The first subject, a 58-year-old female, enrolled in an early evaluation
trial of OsteoPhase after a DEXA scan revealed osteopenia in
her hips. The evaluation process involved taking 4 capsules of
OsteoPhase daily. Eight months after the end of the evaluation – a
full year after the beginning of the trial – a follow up
bone scan revealed that her bone mass score had increased 6 percent
(Fig. 1).
The second subject, a 56-year-old female, also took part in an
early evaluation trial after an Achilles scan revealed a baseline
BMD score of 69. The subject received OsteoPhase for a period
of four months. Two months after the end of the trial a follow-up
Achilles scan revealed a BMD of 75, indicating a significant
10 percent improvement in bone density levels.
Fourteen months after the end of the evaluation
trial, the subject underwent a follow-up scan to measure the potential
residual effects of OsteoPhase. This third test revealed that her
BMD had increased to 77, indicating a long-term restorative effect
on calcium metabolism a full 16 months after her last dose.
Impressed with these results, the subject enrolled
in a second, shorter trial to evaluate the efficacy of OsteoPhase
in combination with another herbal formula called Herbal Boost.
After taking OsteoPhase and Herbal Boost for
two months, a fourth bone density scan revealed a BMD score of
99, indicating bone density comparable to a that of a healthy 30-year-old
female. To confirm the test results, a second scan was ordered,
this time resulting in a BMD of 100, well within the margin of
error and confirmation of the previous score.
At the age of 67, Waltraud H. was bedridden with spinal fractures
caused by extreme osteoporosis. The year was 1998 and a DEXA
bone scan of her left hip had just revealed that her bone density
was only 25 percent of that normal of a typical woman of her
age. To make matters worse, her T-score of -6.2 indicated her
bone density was lower than 99 percent of all women in her age
group.
In June 2005, at the age of 74, Waltraud began
taking OsteoPhase hoping to forestall any further loss in hip bone
density. Three months later, after taking 2 capsules of OsteoPhase
twice per day, a follow-up DEXA scan revealed a 12.3 percent improvement
in hip bone density. Waltraud also reported that she was feeling
stronger, was walking with greater ease, and was generally able
to go about her day with much less pain than before
Waltraud continued taking Osteo-Phase at a rate
of three capsules per day. One year later, at age 75, another DEXA
test scan indicated a significant gain, revealing an additional
22.4 percent increase in hipbone density. During this period Waltraud’s
T-score also improved by 0.8 points.
Currently Waltraud retains 50 percent of the
bone density of a woman her age, compared to seven years previously
when it was down to 25 percent. While her bones are still brittle,
her recent scores reflect a significant 30 to 40 percent reduction
in her risk of suffering a severe fracture, according to data from
a National Osteoporosis Risk Assessment study of 200,000 postmenopausal
women.
OsteoPhase regulates how calcium is used in the
body to accomplish much more than just strengthening bones, as
Waltraud attests in her recent letter. While others may not experience
the same results as she did, her record of significant improvements
as revealed by the DEXA scans illustrate that even those with very
severe osteoporosis and brittle, fracture-prone bones may benefit
from daily use of this unique herbal supplement.
We recently reviewed several density scans from an 89-year-old
man who has been taking four capsules of OsteoPhase daily in
July, 2006. After a second bone density test in June, 2007 he
reduced his dosage to 2 capsules of OsteoPhase per day.
As the chart of his bone density scans shows
(Table 1, above), just six months after he began to take OsteoPhase
his follow-up scan revealed a significant improvement of 5.6 percent
in his lumbar spine and 9.6 percent in the femoral neck of his
left hip bone. The radiologist reading the scan was impressed enough
to add a handwritten note on the report – “marked improvement.” The
report itself indicates that he is moving out of osteoporosis towards
osteopenia.
We continue to receive reports of rapid improvement
in bone density for elderly customers with significant bone loss
[as in the case above.] It is remarkable to see such improvements
for an older person with relatively healthy bone density, and very
significant to see an established trend of dramatic bone loss totally
reversed.
OsteoPhase is very safe for daily use. Additional benefits of regular
use include improved immune system function, enhanced cell regulation,
and improved overall health for both men and women.
Next Issue: Calcium
Dysregulation and Osteoporosis, Conclusion: Understanding DEXA bone density
scores, accumulation of benefits over time, value of calcium
supplements when taking OsteoPhase.
|
