More than 10 million Americans
have the bone-weakening
disease osteoporosis
—approximately 15% of women and
4% of men over the age of 50. Another
34 million or so have osteopenia—
bone density that is below
normal and may lead to osteoporosis.
And every year, two million people
with osteoporosis have a so-called
“
osteoporotic fracture,” usually of
the hip, spine or wrist.
New finding: Experts know that an
osteoporotic hip fracture is disastrous—
12% to 40% of victims die
within six months (partly because
they tend to become depressed and
more sedentary). But when Australian
researchers studied more than
4,000 people age 60 and older for
18 years, they found that almost any
kind of osteoporotic fracture increased
the risk for death. Focusing
on people over age 75, they found
that breaking a wrist increased
mortality risk by 40% in women
and 80% in men…a spinal fracture
doubled mortality risk in both sexes…
and a hip fracture more than
doubled mortality risk in women
and tripled it in men.
Another recent finding: Bone mineral
density (BMD) does not accurately
reflect fracture risk. A dual
energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA)
test measures the BMD in your hip,
spine and wrist. A score of –1 to –2.5
indicates osteopenia…a score under
–2.5 signals osteoporosis. But in one
study, 82% of women who reported
fractures of the wrist, forearm, hip,
rib or spine in the year after a BMD
test did not have scores indicating osteoporosis
(scores of –2.5 or lower).
Overall, BMD predicts only 44%
of fractures in elderly women and
21% of fractures in elderly men.
New thinking: The BMD test indicates
the hardness of bone, imparted
by the minerals calcium and magnesium.
But flexibility is what helps
bones resist fracture—the bone’s
ability to bend a bit and not break.
Flexibility is created by the bone’s
collagen, the protein-rich infrastructure.
To build bone collagen, you
need vitamin K.
THE SECRET BONE-SAVER
Vitamin K (phylloquinone) is a
fat-soluble nutrient (like vitamins
A
and D) found abundantly in leafy
green vegetables. Vitamin K helps
the liver manufacture proteins that
control blood clotting. Vitamin K-2
(menaquinone) is formed in the
body from vitamin K. Vitamin K-2
has many functions, including building
collagen in bone—and preventing
fractures.
New finding: Scientists at Harvard
Medical School analyzed 10 years of
health data on vitamin K intake and
bone health in more than 70,000
women in the Nurses’ Health Study.
Those with the highest intake of
vitamin K had a 30% lower risk for
hip fracture, compared with women
who had the lowest intake. They
also found that women who ate the
most lettuce—the biggest source of
vitamin K in most diets—had a 45%
lower risk for hip fracture than those
who ate the least.
What to do: The government’s recommendation
for daily vitamin K
intake
is 90 micrograms (mcg) to
120 mcg. How do you maximize
your intake? Eat your vegetables!
Top vegetables include kale (1,062
mcg per cup), spinach (889 mcg),
turnip greens (851 mcg), collard
greens (836 mcg), Swiss chard (299
mcg), broccoli (220 mcg), brussels
sprouts (219 mcg), butterhead lettuce
(167 mcg), cabbage (163 mcg)
and asparagus (144 mcg). Among
vegetable oils, soybean oil (3.4 mcg
per tablespoon) and olive oil (8.1
mcg) score highest.
Don’t worry about cooking—it
doesn’t destroy the vitamin.
If you want the greatest peace
of mind about getting sufficient vitamin
K to prevent bone fractures,
you may want to take a daily supplement
of the nutrient.
THE POWER OF MK4
Doctors from England analyzed
the data from 13 studies on osteoporosis
and a form of vitamin K
called MK4. They found vitamin
MK4 decreased hip fractures by
73%, spinal fractures by 60% and
nonspinal fractures by 81%. Compare
those results to the average
John Neustadt, ND ¦ Montana Integrative Medicine
Fracture-Proof
Your Bones
The Most Important Nutrient
Isn’t Calcium
John Neustadt,
ND, a naturopathic physician,
clinical director of Montana Integrative Medicine
and cofounder
of Nutritional Biochemistry, Inc.,
both in Bozeman, Montana. Dr. Neustadt is coauthor
of A Revolution in Health Through Nutritional
Biochemistry and A Revolution in Health
Part 2: How to Take Charge of Your Health (both
from iUniverse). www.montanaim.com.
Copyright © 2009 by Boardroom Inc., 281
Tresser Blvd., Stamford, Connecticut 06901-3229.
www.BottomLineSecrets.com.
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Reprinted with the permission of Bottom Line/Personal
19% decrease in fracture risk from
taking supplements of calcium and
vitamin
D (which aids in the absorption
of calcium).
To help my patients, I developed
a supplement that contains the same
amount and type of the nutrient (45
mg of MK4) used in the clinical trials.
The supplement, called Osteo-
K, also contains calcium, vitamin D,
magnesium and boron (available at
www.nbihealth.com).
If you’re taking corticosteroids:
Medications called corticosteroids
(cortisone, prednisone, hydrocortisone)
are powerful anti-inflammatory
agents. They are synthetic versions of
cortisol, an adrenal hormone. They
often are prescribed to help control
the symptoms of chronic diseases
with an inflammatory component,
such as rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory
bowel disease, lupus and severe
asthma. Taken regularly for six
months or more, corticosteroids can
cause osteoporosis. Additionally, taking
these medicines for more than six
months increases the risk for vertebral
fracture by up to 200%. Clinical
trials have shown that taking 45 mg
daily of MK4 decreases bone loss and
fractures caused by corticosteroids.
Caution: If you are taking the
anticoagulant
warfarin (Coumadin),
talk to your doctor before taking
any type of supplemental vitamin
K, which can block the action of
the drug.
DO DRUGS WORK?
You might think that a vitamin K
supplement
would be a lightweight
compared to the widely prescribed
bisphosphonate drugs, such as
alendronate (Fosamax), risedronate
(Actonel), raloxifene (Evista) and
zoledronic acid (Zometa).
But drugs are less effective at decreasing
fracture risk than vitamin K.
Example: Fosamax decreases vertebral
fracture risk by 47%, compared
with a reduction of up to 60%
for vitamin K.
And the latest research shows
that these bone-building drugs can
hurt your health…
¦ Esophageal cancer. In December
2008, the FDA said Fosamax and other
bisphosphonates might increase the
risk for esophageal cancer—and that
no one with Barrett’s esophagus (an
esophageal problem common among
people with heartburn) should take
these drugs.
¦ Heart problems. People taking
bisphosphonates are twice as likely
to experience life-threatening heart
irregularities
called arrhythmias.
¦ Increased fracture risk. New evidence
shows that people who take
bisphosphonates for several years may
have an increased risk for sudden
fractures during normal activity, such
as standing or walking. Bisphosphonates
improve bone quantity, not bone
quality—and may affect bone growth
in such a way as to eventually create
weaker bones.
¦ Osteonecrosis of the jaw. In this
disease—also called “dead jaw”—sections
of the tissue of the jawbone die
after a major dental procedure, such as
a tooth implant or extraction. People
taking a bisphosphonate have a 4%
risk for this side effect after a dental
procedure—and top dental experts
are warning that anyone about to have
such a procedure should stop taking
the drug at least one month before
the procedure.
Bottom line: Talk to your doctor
about whether a bisphosphonate is
right for you. You could take another
type of bone-building medication,
such as parathyroid hormone, which
decreases fracture risk by 65%. Or
you could add vitamin K to your
regimen.
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