Alternatives To HRT: How To Protect Your Bones Without HRT And Its Risks

Here's a story with a happy ending. Last week I received an e-mail from an HSI member named CL, who wrote:

'A number of years ago my physician suggested I go on hormone replacement therapy (HRT) since I was 'of an age' at that time. I know it was way before any of the terrible outcomes had shown up. Dutifully I had the prescriptions filled and took the Rx as indicated.

'After about two months I quit cold. I felt terrible - just like a woman does the week before her period. I was annoyed, irritated, not very nice, and felt very uncomfortable physically. On my next visit my physician asked how I was doing on the Rx. I told him all the above. Actually, I told him it made me feel 'bitchy'; he nearly died laughing, but said I did the right thing.

'I guess my bones will disintegrate and I will become a shrunken, but happy, grandmother!'

Of course, CL is referring to the fact that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has been promoted as a way to prevent osteoporosis. But before she begins to shrink, I have some news about a study that may provide her with an alternative to hrt and a happy ending.

Absorption issue
As we age we're more vulnerable to developing a B-12 deficiency because older people produce less of a protein known as intrinsic factor, which is essential for proper B-12 absorption. And because bone loss is also a common part of ageing (especially among women), researchers at the University of California (UC) in the US devised a study to determine if low levels of vitamin B-12 might be associated with bone loss in older women.

The UC team studied a group of 83 women, aged 65 and older, who were not taking hormone replacement therapy. Blood samples were taken to measure for B-12 levels, and bone mineral density (BMD) in the hips was measured at the outset of the study, two years later, and again at three and a half years.

Results showed that women with the lowest levels of B-12 had a significantly higher risk of bone loss and fractures compared to women with the highest levels. Researchers noted that for some women, supplements of B-12 may help slow the rate of bone loss, but specific research to test the use of supplements will be needed to confirm that.

To protein, or not to protein...
Adding sources of B-12 to your diet is easy, as long as you're not a strict vegetarian. The best sources of B-12 are meat, eggs and shellfish. It's no surprise then that in addition to the elderly, B-12 deficiency is also a typical problem among vegetarians.

But is a high protein diet a good way to address bone loss? This question continues to be a controversial topic among nutritionists. Studies have shown that increased protein prompts the body to discharge calcium into the urine. So if you isolate this fact alone, it's easy to jump to the conclusion that protein should be avoided in order to retain the calcium needed for a healthy BMD. But rather than avoid protein, it's actually more important to establish the right amount of protein in a balanced diet.

US physician Dr Jonathan V. Wright, suggests that finding the correct dietary balance is the key to keeping bones healthy. Dr. Wright notes that in order to prevent - and especially reverse - bone loss, the daily intake of vegetables and fruits should be higher than the daily intake of animal proteins and whole grains. He writes that nearly all vegetables and fruits help our bodies retain calcium by inhibiting proteins from flushing calcium from the system.

In addition, Dr. Wright offers these suggestions to promote good bone health:

• Avoid excessive sugar, coffee and dairy (especially milk)
• Exercise has been shown to help keep bones healthy
• Combine magnesium supplements with calcium supplements to improve calcium absorption

Dr. Wright specifically recommends 1,000-1,500 mg per day of calcium, 300-500 mg per day of magnesium, and 50-100 mcg per day of B-12.

I think there's a good chance that if CL tries these simple alternatives to hrt, someday she'll become a happy grandmother, but without the disintegrating or shrinking.