The first drug of its kind, Prolia was designed to treat and prevent postmenopausal osteoporosis for patients considered to be at high risk of fractures. It’s also marketed as an alternative ...]]> This past June 1st, the FDA approved Prolia ™ (denosumab), a brand new twice-yearly injectable osteoporosis drug by Amgen.

The first drug of its kind, Prolia was designed to treat and prevent postmenopausal osteoporosis for patients considered to be at high risk of fractures. It’s also marketed as an alternative treatment for those who have failed or are intolerant to other osteoporosis drugs.

Is this a time to celebrate, or is Prolia destined to end up in the osteoporosis “Hall of Shame”, along with the rest of Big Pharma’s Superstar osteoporosis drugs? I’ll let you decide, but first, let’s unravel the mysterious and tightly-woven cocoon wrapped around this novel drug.

An Old and Flawed Concept Disguised as Sci-Fi Technology

As if straight out of a sci-fi movie, the Space Agency NASA was involved in several studies related to Prolia. Here’s the scoop: in 2001, Ted Bateman, Ph.D. from Clemson University in South Carolina and Paul Kostenuik, a researcher for Amgen, teamed up to “…use the microgravity environment for evaluation of new pharmaceutical candidates (denosumab) in small mammals. Results may expedite the review of new pharmaceuticals.”¹

They conducted studies on 24 female mice that spent 12 days on the International Space Station shuttle flight STS-108. Study findings confirmed that Prolia did prevent increased bone loss and maintained bone mineralization. So there you have it. The medical establishment is more than willing to send mice to space – but would they consider a natural, safe, and easy treatment? Out of the question!

On the surface, Prolia seems to be a breakthrough and fairly innocuous drug. But is it? As the first fully human monoclonal (laboratory-made) antibody and RANK Ligand inhibitor to be approved as a drug, it certainly sounds very complicated. But it really isn’t. Bare with me… I’ll explain.

Antibodies are proteins produced to neutralize “invaders”, such as bacteria and viruses. RANK Ligand (RANKL for short) is a protein that activates osteoclasts and is involved in immune-response regulation.² As I explain in the Save Our Bones Program, osteoclasts are bone cells that remove old bone by a process called resorption. They make space so that new bone is deposited by osteoblasts, thus replacing old bone. These two processes are known as bone remodeling, the natural way by which bones renew themselves and stay strong, healthy, and more resistant to fracture.

Prolia: Same as Bisphophonates… Only Different

Now back to Prolia. The natural inhibitor of RANKL is osteoprotegerin, a tumor necrosis factor (TNF) cytokine that binds to RANKL, preventing interaction with its receptor-activator RANK on the surface of osteoblasts.³ Cytokines are chemical messengers that help regulate the nature and intensity of an immune response. Remember this for later, because it all ties in together.

So, in plain English, Prolia mimics osteoprotegerin by blocking the effects of RANKL and de-activating osteoclasts. Say “hello” to stalled bone resorption and “good-bye” to new bone deposition. But wait a minute, doesn’t this sound eerily familiar? It should, because bisphosphonates achieve the same end result as Prolia, only through a different biochemical pathway.

At the end of the day, both drugs alter normal bone metabolism, not without potential long-term nefarious consequences. For example, sudden femoral fractures are linked to long-term bisphosphonate therapy, which can be attributed to the lack of bone remodeling. Add to this formula a dose of immune system tampering, and you’ve got yourself a fully assembled health Molotov cocktail.

Studies and Stats

Amgen’s own Press Release states that “Treatment with Prolia resulted in greater bone density, stronger bones, and reduced risk for vertebral, hip and non-vertebral fractures measured at three years.”⁴ It backs up this statement with a study by Cummings et al. published by the New England Journal of Medicine in 2009, titled “Denosumab for Prevention of Fractures in Postmenopausal Women with Osteoporosis”.

And the same Press Release boasts their pivotal three year Fracture REduction Evaluation of Denosumab in Osteoporosis every six Months or “FREEDOM” study (no, this is not a bad joke) with these results:
- 4.8 percent absolute risk reduction of vertebral fractures
- 0.3 percent absolute risk reduction of hip fractures
- 1.5 percent absolute risk reduction of non-vertebral fractures 
- 8.8 percent bone density increase at the lumbar spine, 6.4 percent at the total hip, and 5.2 percent at the femoral neck.

So far, so good, especially for those who don’t mind being “guinea pigs” in exchange for short-term rewards. Because the biggest cause for concern with Prolia is its potential side-effects.

A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing

Even though Prolia doesn’t accumulate in the body and has no known esophageal side effects as is the case with bisphosphonates, it boasts a rather long list of undesirable – and sometimes dangerous – potential side effects. In its shadow, bisphosphonates almost seem to be the lesser of both evils, and that’s no small feat. You’ll soon know why.

The most common side effects of Prolia are back pain, arm and leg aches, elevated cholesterol, general musculoskeletal pain, bladder infection, and pancreatitis.⁵

And as disclosed on the Prolia website (http://www.prolia.com), it can cause serious side effects because it “is a medicine that may affect your immune system” (remember the cytokines?).

These are the main side effects listed by Amgen:

• Low calcium levels
• Serious skin, lower abdomen, bladder, or ear infections
• Dermatitis, rash, or eczema
• Inflammation of the inner lining of the heart (endocarditis) caused by an infection
• Severe jaw bone problems such as osteonecrosis of the jaw.

And for dessert, Amgen serves up a cautionary statement: that “it is not known if the use of Prolia over a long period of time may cause slow healing of broken bones or unusual fractures.”

So it looks as though…

The More Things Change, the More they Stay the Same

Like bisphosphonates, Prolia opens the door to a wide array of opportunistic health problems, many of which can (and trust me, will) get covered over with yet more drugs.

And let’s not forget that this drug interferes with the body’s natural immune system, which is the obvious reason for many of its most dreaded side-effects. In fact, roughly one year before its approval, FDA reviewers expressed concerns over Prolia’s activity against an important immune system modulator.⁶

But evidently, those concerns were shoved to the side and quickly forgotten. It seems as though the medical establishment considers drug side-effects – no matter how terrifying – an unfortunate “numbers game”. Applying its skewed logic, it accepts that there will always be some unlucky patients that will get stuck with irreversible damage, such as osteonecrosis or endocarditis – the latter potentially resulting in heart valve destruction or even a stroke.⁷ The unsuspecting victims are written off as inevitable casualties of war, losing their battle, but helping win the war against “disease”.

Don’t Get Fooled by Confusing Double-Speak

It almost seems as though well-meaning scientists focus so disproportionately on solving bone health issues using hi-tech tools, that they lose sight of the risk vs. reward ratio. That’s why together at Save Our Bones, we expose the truth and dispel misconceptions, especially as they relate to brand new drugs.

Let’s face it: two injections a year may sound like an appealing solution to finally conquer osteoporosis. But the bad news is the potential high price to pay. So I urge you to consider your acceptable options and weigh the consequences of your decision. Also, please share this review with anyone you think may benefit from it.

And ALWAYS remember the good news: the Save Our Bones community is here for you and your bone health, with proven natural bone health strategies that work with your body… not against it.

References

¹ Commercial Biomedical Testing Module: Effects of Osteoprotegerin on Bone Maintenance in Microgravity (CBTM). http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/science/experiments/CBTM.html].

² Lacey DL, Timms E, Tan HL, Kelley MJ, Dunstan CR, Burgess T, Elliott R, Colombero A, Elliott G, Scully S, Hsu H, Sullivan J, Hawkins N, Davy E, Capparelli C, Eli A, Qian YX, Kaufman S, Sarosi I, Shalhoub V, Senaldi G, Guo J, Delaney J, Boyle WJ . Osteoprotegerin ligand is a cytokine that regulates osteoclast differentiation and activation. Cell. 93:165–176. 1998.

³ Nakagawa N, Kinosaki M, Yamaguchi K, Shima N, Yasuda H, Yano K, Morinaga T, Higashio K. RANK is the essential signaling receptor for osteoclast differentiation factor in osteoclastogenesis. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications. 253:395–400. 1998.

⁴ http://wwwext.amgen.com/media/media_pr_detail.jsp?releaseID=1433162

⁵ http://www.centerwatch.com/drug-information/fda-approvals/drug-details.aspx?DrugID=1104

⁶ http://www.medpagetoday.com/ProductAlert/Prescriptions/15486

⁷ http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001098.htm

Also, I heard your message loud ...]]> I loved hearing from all of you on my sesame seed article. It’s great to see how many of you in our active worldwide community are following Step 3 of the Save Our Bones Program and looking for additional ways to use the Foundation Foods.

Also, I heard your message loud and clear – you want more articles about specific foods. So here’s another in what will be a series on bone-supporting Foundation Foods. I give you… the cucumber.

Paul Bragg, a pioneer in healthy eating back in the 1920’s, said:

“There is nothing more nourishing for the skin to have than the liquid juice from the cucumber. The nutrition-rich water that it contains, when taken into the body, adds lustre to the hair, sparkle to the eye, color to the lips, tone to the skin, and spring to the step.”

As poetic as that sounds, there’s solid science behind it. These cool, crunchy treats are alkalizing, and their skin is loaded with…

Silica for Healthy Bones

As we age, our bones tend to become less dense. And our hair drier and nails more brittle. Does this have to happen? No. Feed your body what it needs, and you can keep your strong bones and the glow of youth long into your “senior” years. One of the things your body needs is silicon, often referred to as silica.

The loss of bone density, as well as the dry hair and brittle nails, happens in part because our bodies lose silica as we age. To replenish your store of silica, look no further than the humble cucumber, which has extremely high levels of silica.

Silica aids in bone health in two major ways:

It’s instrumental in collagen formation. Collagen is a fibrous protein that is responsible for holding us together. Without this connective tissue, we would essentially fall apart in a gooey mess.

It facilitates the assimilation of calcium. Without adequate silica, our bodies can’t make use of bone-building calcium, and it can be leeched from the bones.

If you’ve heard about silica/silicon, you may be wondering what the difference is. Here’s the scoop. Silicon is one of the most common elements found in the Earth’s crust, but it’s never seen in its raw state. Silicon combines with oxygen to form a silicate ion (SiO4). Silica-rich rocks include obsidian, granite, and sandstone. In the human body, silica is a vital component of collagen and is found in all our connective tissues. For the purposes of this article, I’ll use silica, but don’t be confused the next time you see one or the other.

Cucumbers also contain magnesium, which works in synergy with calcium to keep bones healthy. I go over magnesium and how it assists in bone health in more depth in the Save Our Bones Program.

Cucumber Tidbits, Trivia & Cautions

Did you know that cucumbers are really fruits, and that they’re close relatives of that other cool summer treat, watermelons?

Most of cucumbers’ nutrients, including most of the silica, are in the skin, so to get the most out of your cucumbers, don’t peel them. If you can get organic, unwaxed cucumbers, you can safely eat the skin. Otherwise, make sure you use a vegetable wash to get rid of the wax and other toxins.

Even though cucumbers don’t have a ton of fiber (about 1 gram in an average cucumber), the fiber they do contain can hold up to 30 times its weight in water. Wheat bran, usually considered a star in the fiber universe, holds only four to six times its weight in water.

Many popular cucumber recipes involve pickling, or the use of vinegar. The acidifying effects of vinegar neutralize the cucumbers’ health benefits. If you want to enjoy a vinegary cucumber dish, substitute apple cider vinegar, which is alkalizing and will actually boost the nutritional value of your dish.

Other Benefits of Cucumbers

Cucumbers’ flesh is almost 96% water, which makes them extremely hydrating. Perfect during a detox regimen and for maintaining that healthy, youthful glow. In addition to water, cucumber flesh contains ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) and caffeic acid, both of which can be helpful in counteracting water retention.

You’ve probably heard of putting cucumber slices over your eyes to reduce swelling – well, it actually works!

The caffeic and ascorbic acids in cucumbers make them effective for soothing tired eyes, taming the ouch of sunburn and other burns, and providing soothing relief for many types of dermatitis. Next time you burn yourself, reach for a cucumber.

Note: Even though coffee contains caffeic acid, caffeic acid has no relation to caffeine.

Selecting and Storing Cucumbers

True to their “cool as a cucumber” reputation, cucumbers don’t like heat, so make sure to keep them in your refrigerator – they’ll stay fresh for several days.

Once you’ve sliced into a cucumber, be sure to put it into a sealed container or wrap it tightly in plastic.

Don’t let your cucumbers sit at room temperature for too long, or they’ll lose their crispness.

Puffiness is a sign that they’re getting long in the tooth. Cucumbers should be firm, and a bright medium to dark green.

How to Enjoy Cucumbers

Cucumbers are one of my favorite veggies, so I try to incorporate them into my meals every chance I get. Here are a few examples and I’d love to hear some of your ideas:

I add a few slices of raw cucumber to veggie burgers instead of pickles.

One of my go-to quick meals is a healthy cucumber sandwich. I use hearty, alkaline sprouted whole-grain bread and spread on some of my homemade tahini. Then I layer on sliced, unpeeled cukes, tomatoes and onions and top it off with fresh alfalfa sprouts – is your mouth watering yet? If you don’t have access to sprouted grain bread, any whole grain bread will do.

I sometimes juice cucumbers along with other bone healthy Foundation Foods for a refreshing taste and an additional nutritional boost.

And now, I’d like to share a very special cucumber salad with you. I know you’ll love it as much as I do:

“Being heavier helps fend off osteoporosis, for example, because a little extra mass helps strengthen bones” (http://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/fat-acceptance).

There you have it. In the words of Women’s Health Magazine, ...]]> If you thought that mainstream medicine can’t get any wackier, well… it has. Here’s a line from a recent Women’s Health Magazine article:

“Being heavier helps fend off osteoporosis, for example, because a little extra mass helps strengthen bones” (http://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/fat-acceptance).

There you have it. In the words of Women’s Health Magazine, being overweight may be great for your bone health.

This is such an outright distortion of the truth that I feel I have to set the record straight.

Put on the pounds to pack on the bone density; or don’t?

First, let’s take a look at an excerpt from the Merck Manual of Health & Aging (Section 3, Chapter 22. Risk Factors for Osteoporosis. Merck Research Laboratories. 2005). You surely know by now that Merck is the maker of Fosamax, the osteoporosis drug “wunderkind” boasting billions of dollars in sales since its debut in 1995:

“Thin people tend to have less dense bones than heavier people. Part of the reason is that body weight puts stress on bone, stimulating it to form more bone.”

Based on the above information, which was obediently adopted by mainstream medicine’s seemingly insatiable appetite for half-truths, it appears that if you want to stave off osteoporosis, you’d be smart to put on the extra pounds and join the already too large overweight population.

Is this one more example of warped scientific conclusions, or could it be that osteoporosis is the ultimate medical renegade challenging a universally accepted health rule? After all, it is no secret that thin people are generally healthier than overweight people and have a greatly reduced risk of falling prey to chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.

Predictably, there is no shortage of studies attempting to answer this question. And they all have one thing in common: they contradict each other. Many conclude that those who are overweight don’t have any bone health benefits over their thinner counterparts. But several other studies show exactly the opposite, with some scientists attributing the increased density to higher levels of leptin, a hormone that among other things, regulates appetite and metabolism and is produced in larger quantities by plus-sized people.

Breakthrough technology provides a common-sense conclusion

One breakthrough study tackled this issue and quite conclusively demonstrated that excess body fat is actually detrimental to bones, as it is to just about every other body organ and biological process. And no less important is that this study finally elucidates why.

Scientists at the University of Georgia pioneered the use of a unique type of bone scanning equipment to research the link between bone health and excess weight. Instead of the usual two-dimensional scans, they used three-dimensional bone scans.

After adjusting for differences in muscle mass surrounding the bone of the 115 study participants, the results showed that the bones of those with high body fat were nine percent weaker than those of normal body fat participants.¹ While the women in this study were merely teenagers – 18 and 19 years old – their bones had stopped growing and age-related bone loss had not yet begun.

The study authors briefly point to Wolff’s law of bone formation, which I cover in detail in the Save Our Bones Program. In short, Wolff’s confirmed theory – which dates back to the 19th century – postulates that bone growth is stimulated by the constant force applied by muscles. Since overweight people typically have more muscle surrounding their bones than thinner people, prior to this study many researchers arrived to the skewed conclusion that being overweight is good for bone health.

But this study found stunning evidence of an important variable to this equation. As Norman Pollock, the lead author of the study explains:

“When we corrected for the amount of muscle, we found that overweight people were not making as much bone as they should for the amount of muscle that they had. Researchers hadn’t observed that in the past, because they weren’t using the three-dimensional scan.”

And Richard Lewis, one of the co-authors and professor of foods and nutrition in UGA’s College of Family and Consumer Sciences comments that:

“The exact mechanisms by which excess fat hinders bone strength are unclear, but studies of obese rats show that they produce more fat cells in the bone marrow and fewer bone cells. Because fat and bone cells derive from the same precursor, it may be that fat-cell production is favored over bone-cell production in overweight people as well.”

Common sense backed by good science blows away flawed conclusions

This is a perfect example of how we must always question study results that defy logic and ignore the principles of our integrated biology.

How to stay at your ideal weight

Here are two comments that members of the Save Our Bones community posted on one of my other blog posts:

“I am so grateful to have found you and I’ve quit taking Fosamax. I even feel better since I quit about 1 month ago. I’ve been trying to eat healthier and have even lost almost 10 lbs. in the last month. Thank you for your research. I look forward to more of your findings!”

- Rita Hoffman (Submitted on 4/10/2010)

“It has helped not only my osteoporosis but my cholesterol has come down since my last visit to the doctor which i have been seeing six months, and lost 20 lbs as well thank you.”

- Elisa Olgin (Submitted on 1/14/2010)

You see, the beauty of the Save Our Bones Program is that it not only increases your bone density, but it also balances your entire body. So if you’re looking to shed some pounds, the balance you achieve with the program will get you there. And if you’re at your ideal weight, that’s where you’ll stay, and you’ll feel better than ever.

Leave your comments below and feel free to tell your story. Till next time…

References


¹ Pollock N, Laing E, Baile C, Hamrick M, Hall D, Lewis R. “Is adiposity advantageous for bone strength? A peripheral quantitative computer tomography study in late adolescent females”. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 86, No. 5, 1530-1538, November 2007.

Founding the Save Our Bones community has led me to cross paths with many remarkable people.

Let me tell you about a special person whom I’ll never forget. It all began two years ago, when Robina, a member of the Save Our ...]]> This time I write to you with a heavy heart…

Founding the Save Our Bones community has led me to cross paths with many remarkable people.

Let me tell you about a special person whom I’ll never forget. It all began two years ago, when Robina, a member of the Save Our Bones community contacted me. We began corresponding by email and a couple of months later, we met for the first time during one of my travels to Canada.

Thus began a marvelous friendship with Robina and her husband, the world-renowned Dr. Robert Bruce Salter.

I got to know Dr. Salter, both as a friend and as the Orthopedic Surgeon, professor, author, and scientist he was.

Although he held many prestigious honors such as being named one of the 10 most outstanding scientists of the past 80 years, and being inducted into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame, he remained a genuine and humble man.

I consider myself privileged for having had the opportunity to be a part of Dr. Salter’s circle of friends. I have many fond memories of our conversations where he shared his knowledge with me and expressed his views with deep enthusiasm. He told me once, that I, like him, did not accept the conventional “wisdom” and for that reason and against all odds, discovered a method that works.

You see, Dr. Salter searched – and discovered – new horizons in orthopedics that improved the lives of thousands of people around the world. He revolutionized orthopedic surgery and his medical textbooks are used around the world and have been translated into six languages.

So it was with great sadness that I learned of his passing on May 10th.

Please click here to read about Dr. Salter’s amazing life and his unequaled achievements.

His legacy is much more than new and improved joint healing methods and unique surgical techniques – Dr. Salter embodies the true essence of a brilliant mind that never settled for mainstream answers.

Dr. Salter will continue to be an inspiration to me and to thousands of others who insist on finding the untold truth about health and disease. I am truly honored by his endorsement of the Save Our Bones Program and will cherish the time we spent together forever.

My deepest condolences to Dr. Salter’s wife, Robina, a dear friend of mine and faithful companion of Dr. Salter till his last breath. May he rest in peace and may all his family be blessed.

Vivian Goldschmidt, MA
Founder

This past Saturday was ...]]> A Saturday Night Live writer may be part of the Save Our Bones community. Here’s why I’m saying this. I’ve always been a big fan of Saturday Night Live, especially the older seasons. I remember watching John Belushi and laughing until my throat hurt.

This past Saturday was no exception. I watched Saturday Night Live player, Abby Elliott, perform a skit strikingly similar to an article I wrote a few weeks before. It’s a brilliant and accurate spoof of Sally Field as a scaremonger for Big Pharma.

Watch it here:

The Saturday Night Live spoof picks up on an increasingly obvious strategy applied by the makers of osteoporosis drugs. You see, the pharmaceutical giants unabashedly use scare tactics on women to convince them to take the osteoporosis drugs. They portray us as fragile beings that need to take synthetic drugs to prevent deadly fractures.

And here’s the big question: if these drugs were to give good results without any terrible side-effects, wouldn’t it be enough to have doctors prescribe them? Why do they need to spend millions to prey on their potential customers using scare tactics?

The answer is quite simple: as I’ve reported numerous times on this website and in the Save Our Bones Program, these drugs can actually do more harm than good.

But fortunately, the osteoporosis world is changing. And you can see it in the media. As time goes by, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for the mainstream medical establishment to sweep the truth about osteoporosis under the rug.

Indeed, these are exciting times for us because we are witnessing – albeit at a slow pace – how it is impossible to repress the truth. I’ll have more for you soon on how the media is slowly beginning to catch up to us in the Save Our Bones Community.

On her way to work in the morning, Average Jane stops at the ...]]> Today we’ll take a peek at the daily menu of Average Jane and why it’s so devastating to her bone health. I’ll also reveal what the the S.A.D. really is, and why you must stay away from it.

On her way to work in the morning, Average Jane stops at the diner and orders the breakfast special: sausage patties with two fried eggs, home fries, white toast with American cheese, orange juice from concentrate, and several cups of coffee.

She arrives to the office and once she settles in, she keeps her coffee mug full throughout the morning and nibbles on a few of her favorite cookies.

If she’s too busy to go out to lunch, she orders in a pizza with a diet soda. Or if she is lucky enough to go out to lunch, she gets a pastrami sandwich with mayo and mustard at the corner deli.

Before taking the train back home, she stops at the coffee shop for a quick pick-me-up: a donut with coffee. Dinner is usually a frozen TV dinner, macaroni and cheese out of a box, or a hamburger. Her favorite late night snack is one or two scoops of ice cream with whipped cream and sprinkles..

If you find the above menu a tad repulsive, you’re absolutely right. This eating pattern is completely out of tune with your bone health and your general health as well.

The eating habits of Average Jane are typical of the Standard American Diet (S.A.D.). This diet is the launching pad to poor nutritional choices responsible for a myriad of health problems, including osteoporosis. Unfortunately, this diet is creeping into many other parts of the world, causing an epidemic of chronic “diseases” in places where they did not exist before.

Let’s take a look at the three main characteristics that shape the Standard American Diet

1. Aesthetics

Food choices are made based on their exterior appearance. Any blemishes, irregularities in shape, or color imperfections are considered detrimental, so food is expected to look consistently perfect. Packaged foods are acceptable, even encouraged, due to the simplicity of preparation. The more intricate and decorated the container, the more appeal the food has. Taste, aroma, and nutritional benefits are secondary to looks.

2. Technology

Food preservation is considered an added advantage as compared to the natural state of foods. Frozen, canned, or ready-to-eat processed foods are more appealing than a fresh product. Preservatives, taste enhancers, and food colorants are accepted since they enhance the aesthetics; they are perceived as palatability enhancers, and give consistent and predictable results.

3. Disconnection from health

Like Modern Medicine, the S.A.D. ignores the basic premise that food is one of the main contributors of health. It simply relates food to weight gain or weight loss, its interaction with prescription drugs, and to certain flawed concepts for food avoidance based on superficial observations or one-sided studies.

The S.A.D. myths

1. It’s OK for humans to be guinea pigs

Until the 20th century, no civilization has ever been exposed to this kind of “man-made” nutrition. So this quasi-synthetic diet can be considered one of the biggest and perhaps most dangerous experiments in human history as it relates to health. The current osteoporosis epidemic is a good example of the health distortions that can occur with this type of flawed nutrition.

2. Tampering with whole foods improves their quality

The purposeful fragmentation of food renders it unwholesome and for that reason it can’t (and obviously doesn’t) support the biological processes necessary to maintain even the most basic level of good health. Not surprisingly, the S.A.D. has opened the flood gates to a myriad of chronic “diseases”, which more often than not, are the manifestation of the struggle of the human biology at the cellular level to survive in a toxic and nutritionally deficient environment. Osteoporosis is most certainly a “modern disease” brought about by the S.A.D..

3. An imbalanced diet is irrelevant to health

The excessive emphasis on acidic foods consumption, such as animal protein in the form of meats and dairy products, grains, and sweetened foods and drinks produces a biochemical imbalance in the body. The lack of fruits and vegetables in this diet plunges the pH levels to unsustainable low levels. This leads to a state of chronic metabolic acidosis, which is one of the major culprits of bone loss leading to osteoporosis.

4. Chemicals in the food supply are a sign of scientific advancement

Chemical additives are highly acidifying substances that alter the chemistry of foods and rob them from their life-sustaining qualities, thus greatly affecting your bone health. As far back as 1963, Dr. Chauncey Lake, who was the President of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, issued a rare warning. He said that:

“General use of new chemicals in large quantities has created a new hazard –subclinical poisoning – so insidious, that physicians cannot connect the poison to the ailment.” (Ruth Winter, Poisons in Your Food: The Dangers You Face and What You Can Do about Them. Three Rivers Press. 1990. Page 4).

Are you a victim of the S.A.D.?

Unfortunately, modern medicine doesn’t make the connection between food and health. Instead, when problems arise, it deems our biology as “defective” and attempts to artificially “fix it” with synthetic drugs. This is wrong, and the results speak for themselves.

That’s why I’m so glad you’re part of this community as we spread the truth about bone health and expose the lies. We know better, and that’s why on this website and in the Save Our Bones Program we take a radically different approach to bone health. We understand that osteoporosis doesn’t reflect a “defect” in our biology, but is merely a biochemical imbalance, caused by diet, lifestyle, and other environmental factors, resulting in excessive bone loss as the body attempts to correct it.

The bad news is that the Standard American Diet is one of the main culprits of the biochemical imbalance. But the good news is that correcting it is easy with a few simple dietary changes that include the Foundation Foods, and other simple bone health-enhancers – and I’m happy to report that more and more in our community are doing just that.

So stay away from the S.A.D., follow the Save Our Bones Program and you’ll have happy and healthy bones. As Hippocrates said, “Let food be your medicine”.

Feel free to share your thoughts or any experiences you might have had with the S.A.D. by leaving a comment below.

How about a “retired” flying nun, Sally Field, touting the benefits of Boniva (ibandronate), the first once-a-month ...]]> An 800 pound gorilla recommends investments; talking babies discuss online stock trading; a gecko works for a car insurance company; a duck wants you to buy disability coverage… What will they think of next?

How about a “retired” flying nun, Sally Field, touting the benefits of Boniva (ibandronate), the first once-a-month bisphosphonate? Take a look at one of the ads for Boniva below:

Partial Transcript

“I always thought that calcium, vitamin D, and exercise would be enough to keep my bones healthy. Boniva works with your body to help stop and reverse bone loss… I was able to stop and reverse my bone loss, and studies show that after one year on Boniva, nine out of 10 women did too. I’ve got this one body and this one life, so I wanted to stop my bone loss. Ask your doctor if Boniva is right for you.”

So I decided to create my own ad for Boniva… but with a big twist

You see, my Boniva ad actually tells the truth. So now, without further ado, here is my new and accurate Boniva advertisement starring Sally Field:

Sally Field is sitting on her patio couch wearing white jogging pants and a blue t-shirt, her legs curled up on the seat. On top of a small coffee table in front of her, there is a thick and dried-up tree branch and a thin twig. As Enya’s inspiring “Only If” plays softly in the background, she says:

“I always thought that osteoporosis was a disease, and when I was diagnosed with it, my doctor told me that ONLY once-a-month Boniva could reverse my bone loss. At first I believed my doctor, but soon after – fortunately before filling my prescription – I discovered that he was wrong. I read on the internet that osteoporosis is not a disease and that there is a natural and drug-free way to reverse it. I was surprised to learn that Boniva can actually do more harm than good…”

Now there is silence, except for the music crescendo, as Enya sings “If you really want to, you can hear me say; only if you want to will you find a way.” Sally sits up straight and crosses her legs. The music volume is lowered and Sally goes on:

“Taking Boniva makes your bones more prone to fracture, and here’s why this happens. Exactly like its main competitors, Fosamax, Actonel, and Reclast, Boniva works against natural bone metabolism.

You see, Boniva binds to the bone matrix and stops normal bone resorption by inhibiting bone cells known as osteoclasts. Bone resorption is a necessary process to have strong and healthy bones because osteoclasts remove old bone to make space for new healthy, and more resilient bone tissue to be deposited in its place.

As a result of taking Boniva, new bone formation is greatly depressed, and your bones become old and dried-up with long-term accumulation.”

Sally picks up the thick branch and holds it in front of her with outstretched arms

“If you really want to you can seize the day”, Enya sings… Sally smiles and cracks the branch in half and holds the broken pieces in her hands:

“Take a look at this old and dried-up branch and notice how easily I split it in half. That’s exactly what happens to your bones: because Boniva stops your bones from renewing themselves naturally, they look thicker but become brittle.

This detrimental process takes a couple of years, and that’s why scientific studies showing density improvement when taking Boniva focus mainly on short-term results. Even though bone volume does not increase, bone is more densely packed and looks denser. But this stops after a while.

Like you, I want to reverse osteoporosis, but I don’t want to get fooled by a synthetic drug that offers short-sighted help. And what’s more, unlike my doctor, I believe that bone quality is more important than quantity. After all, my goal is to prevent fractures…”

Sally places the broken branch on the table and takes the thin twig in her hands. She tries to crack it, but it is flexible and instead of breaking, it gracefully bends. She continues:

“Now watch how this thinner but young and healthy twig resists breakage. Of course, you want your bones to be like it. So next time your doctor recommends Boniva, feel free to ignore him like I did, and opt for a natural and drug-free way to strengthen your bones.”

The music stops.

Sally gets up and walks away

The screen becomes black and a large Poison warning sign appears with a disclosure that reads:

“Even though this drug has been approved by the appropriate government agency to treat, cure, and prevent osteoporosis, you are basically on your own. Neither the agency nor healthcare practitioners, the latter with very few exceptions, care if you will suffer side effects when taking Boniva. After all, it’s a numbers game.

Moreover, the agencies involved can ignore new research showing detrimental effects of this drug, and even if those are confirmed, may simply issue a warning. Also, you must remember that the makers of Boniva have a lot more money than you, by the billions, and can therefore successfully fight any lawsuit by hiring the best lawyers.”

This remains visible on the screen while a woman’s voice is heard saying:

“If you are looking for a short-term osteoporosis ‘quick-fix’ and still want to take a chance with Boniva, please note that you are risking the following side effects, many of which may be irreversible: nausea, abdominal pain, flatulence, diarrhea, severe constipation, inflammation and ulceration of the esophagus, chest pain, heartburn, difficulty swallowing, skin rash, eye problems including vision loss and blurred vision, generalized pain of the muscles, joints, and/or bones, decreased mobility of joints, blood clotting disorders, anemia, dental problems, numbness, tight muscles in the face, seizures, irritability and unusual thoughts and behaviors, altered taste, atrial fibrillation, jaw pain, osteonecrosis of the jaw.

Additionally, as is the case with all bisphosphonate drugs, Boniva interferes with Coenzyme Q10 (ubiquinone) production, an essential antioxidant that performs many important functions in the body. To find out more about how Boniva can ruin your life, please call the toll-free information line at 1-800-4NO-LIES.”

The screen fades to black.

Now that would be truthful advertising. As always, let me know what you think by leaving a comment below.