My Daily Supplements

One of my readers asked me to add more information about supplements. I’ve decided to list all the ones I currently take. This list may provide a start for your own research. Each person’s needs will vary depending on age, sex, diet, and health.

Doctor’s Best Strontium Bone Maker, 2194 mg strontium citrate, 680 mg elemental strontium in two capsules
Nature Made Multi For Her 50+ (contains 22 key nutrients, including 1000 IU vitamin D3, 200 mg calcium, 100 mg magnesium, 80 mcg vitamin K, 2500 IU vitamin A with 60% as beta carotene, 25 mcg vitamin B12, 180 mg vitamin C, 60 IU vitamin E, 15 mg zinc, 70 mcg selenium)
Nature Made Vitamin C, 500 mg
Nature Made Vitamin E, 100 % Natural, 400 IU
Kal Extra-Strength Calcium Magnesium (I take one tablet, which contains 500 mg calcium and 250 mg magnesium.)
Kal Bioflavonoids 1000
Finest Natural Zinc, 50 mg
Finest Natural Selenium, 200 mcg
Nature’s Bounty Lutein, 20 mg
Nature’s Bounty Sublingual Vitamin B12, 2500 mcg (I take one tablet Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.)
Bluebonnet Lecithin, 1365 mg (I take three capsules daily.)
Nature’s Way Primadophilus bifidus

Also look up my previous posts:
03/30/2010 “How Much Calcium Are You Getting?” (Includes IOF’s Calcium Calculator)
03/29/2010 “Strontium With Insufficient Calcium and Magnesium, A Case Study”
03/22/2010 “Strontium And Calcium”

Preniva For Osteoporosis

Recently, Saturday Night Live (SNL) did a skit about Preniva, a drug women don't need for osteoporosis but are scared into taking for our weak bones. Many of you have seen the Sally Field commercials for Boniva and will recognize the pun. Health Freedom Alliance posted the video with an introduction by Drew Kaplan. The Alliance, SNL, and I want people to be wary of tactics used by the big pharmaceutical companies to scare us into taking their sometimes useless and dangerous drugs. They often use celebrities, who may or may not take the drugs themselves, to make us believe they take them and love them. They imply that not taking their drugs could have dire consequences for our health. Follow this link for a real treat:

http://healthfreedoms.org/2010/05/24/snl-gets-it-right/

Proton Pump Inhibitors May Increase Fracture Risk

On May 25, 2010, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it would add safety information about the possible increased risk for hip, wrist, and spine fractures to the prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) labels for Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs), which include esomeprazole (Nexium), omeprazole (Prilosec, Zegerid), and lansoprazole (Prevacid).

PPIs treat conditions such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), stomach and small intestine ulcers, and inflammation of the esophagus. Ironically, PPIs are commonly prescribed to treat side effects, such as dyspepsia or heartburn, commonly associated with bisphosphonates.

Dr. Amar R. Deshpande, an assistant professor of gastroenterology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, said PPIs may disrupt the body's ability to absorb calcium, which, in turn, can increase the risk for fractures. He also believes this class of drugs is overused and often taken for too long.

The FDA is advising consumers to not stop taking PPIs until they have consulted with their doctors. However, patients should be aware of the increased risk for fractures. The highest risk was seen in people taking higher doses of PPIs, or among those who took them for a year or more. For people taking OTC proton pump inhibitors, the FDA said they should only be taken for 14 days to help ease frequent heartburn. If heartburn continues, people should see their doctor. Under no circumstances should over-the-counter PPIs be taken for more than three 14-day periods in a year, the agency said.

Strontium Ranelate Reduces Fracture Risk In The Elderly

According to a study by Ego Seeman et al., strontium ranelate produces an early and sustained reduction of both vertebral and nonvertebral fractures in women 80 years of age and older. More than 30% of all fragility fractures and 60% of hip fractures occur in women aged 80 and older, because of the high prevalence of osteoporosis and high incidence of falls. The aim of this study was to determine whether strontium ranelate, an agent that reduces the risk of vertebral and nonvertebral fractures in postmenopausal women >50 years of age, also reduces fractures in the elderly.

An analysis based on pooled data from two international, phase III, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind studies (the Spinal Osteoporosis Therapeutic Intervention [SOTI] and TReatment Of Peripheral OSteoporosis [TROPOS]) included 1488 women between 80 and 100 years of age followed for three years. Yearly spinal X-rays were performed in 895 patients. Only radiographically confirmed nonvertebral fractures were included.

The risk of vertebral, nonvertebral, and clinical (symptomatic vertebral and nonvertebral) fractures was reduced within one year by 59% (p = 0.002), 41% (p = 0.027), and 37% (p = 0.012), respectively. At the end of three years, vertebral, nonvertebral, and clinical fracture risks were reduced by 32% (p = 0.013), 31% (p =0.011), and 22% (p = 0.040), respectively. The medication was well tolerated, and the safety profile was similar to that in younger patients.

The authors concluded that treatment with strontium ranelate safely reduces the risk of vertebral and nonvertebral fractures in women with osteoporosis aged 80 and older. Even in the oldest old, it is not too late to reduce fracture risk.

J Bone Miner Res 2006;21:1113–1120. Published online on May 8, 2006; doi: 10.1359/JBMR.060404

How Much Calcium Are You Getting?

To determine how much calcium to supplement, first figure out how much calcium you are already getting. The International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) has a calcium calculator to find out if you are getting enough calcium in your diet each day. Remember, women ages 19 to 50 need at least 1,000 mg of calcium daily. Women over 50 need at least 1,200 mg. Here is the link to the calculator:

http://www.iofbonehealth.org/patients-public/calcium-calculator.html

Strontium With Insufficient Calcium and Magnesium , A Case Study

In 2008, Sara S. DeHart, MSN, Ph.D, published "Strontium and Osteoporosis: A Treatment Not Offered to American Women." The article presents her own case study of how she was treated for osteopenia by traditional medicine while continuing to fracture until she learned to treat herself with strontium citrate. I want to emphasize what she wrote about the importance of taking adequate levels of calcium and magnesium, along with the optimum levels of strontium citrate, and what happened to her before she realized this relationship.

"By that time (2006), I’d been investigating alternative therapies and added Strontium Bone Maker (1000 mg strontium citrate, 340 mg elemental strontium per day). I later increased the dosage to 2000 mg daily (680 mg elemental strontium), which is the dosage used in the strontium ranelate clinical trials (Meunier, Roux, Seeman, et al. 2004). The larger dosage led to a drop in my serum calcium level that was sufficient to cause muscle tetany in both hands. (Note I discontinued Actonel in 2007 and the muscle pain decreased significantly.) The larger dosage of strontium with insufficient calcium and magnesium caused the serum calcium level to drop. I increased my calcium + magnesium dosage and the serum calcium and ionized calcium levels returned to normal."

"Currently I am taking Osteo-MINS AM from the Tahoma Clinic in Renton, Washington, (700 mg per 3 capsules), though I have also used Strontium Support (AOR) from a Canadian firm. The Osteo-MINS AM appears to be the better formulation for my highly sensitive muscles. I take strontium two hours before breakfast so that it has cleared my digestive track prior to taking food or any calcium/magnesium. This is an important part of my supplementation program because without it my serum calcium level will drop and that has an effect on muscles throughout the body."

To read the entire article, see http://www.intrepidreport.com/archives/2608