Alert! New Study Confirms That Bisphosphonates Cause Microcracks That Weaken Bones

A study has just been released that confirms what Savers have been warned about for years. I have written extensively about the dangers of the osteoporosis drugs developed, marketed and sold by the pharmaceutical industry.

The harmful and paradoxical impact of these drugs on bones has been shown in the results of several experiments, and those findings are underscored and further explained by a new study that was just published.

Read on to learn the latest news that further confirms how bisphosphonates actually increase the risk of fracture and to learn about the exact mechanism by which they undermine bone quality and tensile strength.

The Study

Today’s alert comes courtesy of scientists at Imperial College London, whose findings were published in the journal Scientific Reports. For the study, they took trabecular bone samples from the femoral heads of three different groups of patients:

• Group one had been treated with bisphosphonates and had suffered a fracture
• Group two had suffered fractures, but had not taken bisphosphonates
• Group three was a healthy ageing group who had neither suffered a fracture nor taken bisphosphonates

The quality of this study, and the reason it provides such damning evidence, stems from the information created by comparing the bones of these three groups for similarities and differences. Let’s have a look at the results, in the words of the researchers:

“Bone from bisphosphonate treated fracture patients exhibited fewer perforations but more numerous and larger microcracks than both fracture and non-fracture controls. Furthermore, bisphosphonate-treated bone demonstrated reduced tensile strength and Young’s Modulus. These findings suggest that bisphosphonate therapy is effective at reducing perforations but may also cause microcrack accumulation, leading to a loss of microstructural integrity and consequently, reduced mechanical strength.”¹

In essence, bisphosphonates were causing the study subjects’ bones to develop these microcracks, which lead to the loss of bone quality and tensile strength. It is relevant to mention here that tensile strength is of extreme importance.

Quoting from the Osteoporosis Reversal Program:

“Tensile strength is the ability of a material or member to resist stretching and pulling, and is different from compressive strength. The latter means that a material or member has the ability to resist compression or crushing… Bone compressive strength is always much greater than tensile strength; tensile strength must therefore be of primary concern.”

The study results will be easier to understand when you consider the way in which bisphosphonates attempt to rectify bone loss.

Bisphosphonates: How They (Don’t) Work

Bone is continually rebuilt over the course of our lives. Far from a fixed, unchanging substance, bone is continually in flux. This is what makes bone such a dependable and repairable supporting structure.

The process of bone remodeling is comprised of two main steps: the creation of new bone (bone deposition) and the removal of old bone (bone resorption). When this out-with-the-old and in-with-the-new cycle is functioning properly, our bones stay strong, healthy and quite literally young. But when the two parts of the process fall out of synch, the integrity of our bone is severely compromised.

The bone removal process or resorption is carried out by osteoclasts, creating the “perforations” that the study quote mentions above. Bisphosphonates act as a suppressant to the osteoclasts, reducing the amount of old bone that is removed. In this way, old bone accumulates as the osteoblasts continue to pile on new bone. This is why the bones of the study subjects in the sample treated with bisphosphonates had fewer perforations.

However, the pharmaceutical suppression of osteoclasts simply results in greater bone quantity, instead of stronger, healthier, younger bone. You wouldn’t build a house on a cracked foundation would you? So why would you force your body to build your support system on old, crack-filled bones?

The Mechanics Of A Failure Of Mechanical Strength

The pervasive presence of microcracks in the bones of the study subjects who had taken bisphosphonates begs the question: why would preventing the resorption of old bone cause an increase in microcracks? The answer is quite simple, but perhaps not obvious at first.

The bisphosphonates are not directly causing the microcracks. They’re just preventing those damaged parts of bone from being removed and replaced.²

Of course, functioning osteoclasts are not swooping in and removing perfectly healthy bone! That wouldn’t make any sense. The damaged bone acts as a trigger, stimulating the osteoclasts to remove weakened parts of bone like those with microcracks.³ But, as mentioned earlier, the drugs interfere with the natural function performed by osteoclasts. Without this process, damaged bone accumulates and your bones actually get weaker.

Here’s a good visual description of this process:

“These microcracks are like the small cracks that emerge when you repeatedly flex a plastic ruler — they gradually weaken the structure and may potentially make it more prone to breaking.”⁴

This News Isn’t That New

In the Osteoporosis Reversal Program you’ll find an earlier study that showed the accumulation of microcracks that occurs when bone resorption is blocked. These studies were conducted on the bones of dogs, which have analogous functioning to human bones. They provided evidence of what the Save Institute has been warning about from the very beginning. Pharmaceutical solutions to osteoporosis don’t work, and in fact they cause further damage to already weakened bones.

This new study proves that humans experience the same bone damage that was seen in dogs. This is truly a smoking gun, and should clear any doubts about the dangerous nature of bisphosphonates.

Keep Your Bones Healthy Without Drugs

You can build your bones and keep them strong by allowing the natural remodeling cycle to take place without interference. And with the right nutrients, bone-building exercises, and a holistic approach to bone health, you can have stronger and more resilient bones without ever having to take dangerous osteoporosis drugs.

I know that making changes to dietary or lifestyle habits can seem daunting. But with the Osteoporosis Reversal Program by your side, you’ll get step-by-step guidance, and you’ll quickly realize that the changes are much easier than you thought and really worthwhile.

You deserve to live your best, fullest life, and it starts with taking care of yourself and your bones naturally and scientifically!

Till next time,

References:

¹ Shaocheng Ma, En LinGoh, Andi Jin, Rajarshi Bhattacharya, Oliver R. Boughton, Bhavi Patel, Angelo Karunaratne, NghiaT. “Long-term effects of bisphosphonate therapy: perforations, microcracks and mechanical properties.” Scientific Reports. 06 March 2017. PDF: https://spiral.imperial.ac.uk:8443/bitstream/10044/1/44172/10/srep43399.pdf
² O’Brien, F.J., Brennan, O., Kennedy, O.D. et al. “Microcracks in cortical bone: How do they affect bone biology?”. Current Osteoporos Reports. 2005. 3:39. Web: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11914-005-0002-1
³ Dieter Kardas, Udo Nackenhorst. “Studies on Bone Remodeling Theory Based on Microcracks Using Finite Element Computations.” PAMM 9(1):147 – 148. December 2009. Web: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/230089019_Studies_on_Bone_Remodeling_Theory_Based_on_Microcracks_Using_Finite_Element_Computations
⁴ “Drug used to treat weak bones associated with micro-cracks.” Kate Wighton. Science Daily. March 1, 2017. Web: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/03/170301092704.htm