Natural Health October 2017

PREVENTION & Remedies
Esther Peh
Naturopath and Nutritional Therapist
Spectrum of Life (SOL)
The word ‘Osteoporosis’ literally means
‘porous bone’. It is a condition where a
person gradually loses bone material so
that his or her bones become gradually
more fragile. As a result, they are more
likely to break.
Bone is made of fibres of a material
called collagen filled in with minerals
– mainly calcium salts – rather like
reinforced concrete. The bones of
the skeleton have a thick outer shell
or ‘cortex’, inside which there is a
meshwork of ‘trabecular’ bone.
Osteoporosis is a major public
health concern worldwide. Although
osteoporosis is more prevalent in women,
it can also affect men. This disease can
occur at any age and in any racial
or ethnic group. However, it is more
common in postmenopausal women,
especially Asians and Caucasians.
In Malaysia, it is estimated that
by year 2020, about 3.3 million
Malaysians will be above 65 years of
age. Urbanisation and extended life
expectancy contribute to the increased
incidence of osteoporosis. Hip fractures
due to osteoporosis affected 88 men
and 218 women per 100,000 in
Malaysia. Of these patients, 63% were
Chinese, 20% were Malays and 13%
were Indians. No Malaysian data was
available on the incidence of other types
of fracture due to osteoporosis.
Risk Factor
All of us are at risk from osteoporosis as
we get older, but there are some people
who are more at risk than others. These
are some of the factors which can make
a difference:
1. Oestrogen deficiency
Woman who have had an early
menopause (before the age of 45),of
a hysterectomy (removal of the womb)
where one or both ovaries have been
removed are at risk.
2. Lack of exercise
Exercise keeps the bones strong – both
as they are developing and throughout
adulthood. So, anyone who does not
exercise, or has an illness which makes
it difficult for them to move about, will
be more likely to develop osteoporosis.
Women who sit for more than nine hours
a day are 50% more likely to have a hip
fracture than those who sit for less than
six hours a day.
3. Poor diet
A diet that does not include enough
calcium and vitamin D intake can
encourage osteoporosis. Nutritional
deficiencies, anorexia or bulimia are risk
factors for osteoporosis.
4. Heavy smoking
Smoking increases the risk of
osteoporotic fractures by up to 1.5
times. Smoking lowers BMD due
to decreased calcium absorption.
Cigarette smoking also increases the risk
for osteoporosis by decreasing blood
circulation to the bone. Tobacco also
lowers estrogen levels in women.
5. Heavy drinking (alcohol)
A high alcohol intake reduces the ability
of the body's cells to make bone
6. Steroids (prednisolone)
If someone takes prednisolone over a
long period of time, they can become
osteoporotic. It has been estimated that
30% to 50% of patients taking longterm
systemic steroids will eventually
experience a fracture.
Other medications that can cause
osteoporosis are anticonvulsant drugs
(such as phenytoin, phenobarbitone,
carbamazepine and primidone),
heparin (a blood thinner) and
medroxyprogesterone (the main
ingredient of an injectable depot form for
birth control).
7. Family history
Osteoporosis can run in families. This is
probably because there is an inherited
factor that affects the development of
bones.Both men and women with a
maternal family history of hip fractures have
a greater risk for developing osteoporosis.
8. Previous fractures
People who have had a low trauma
fracture are at greater risk of having
another fracture.
Natural Health * October 2017 VOL 84
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