There is a great deal of osteoporosis news to share this time. For the first time ever new technology allows researchers to see three-dimensional images deep within bone, revealing some until-now unknown effects of Vitamin D deficiency on bones.
Merck continues to flex its strong muscles; a US District Court judge has recently ruled in the drug giant’s favor – again.
And now there are even more reasons not to drink your tap water, as the water safety situation in America is going from bad to worse.
And to keep things lighthearted, today I also share with you an uplifting new personal “discovery”.
So let’s get to the news…
Vitamin D Deficiency Ages Your Bones
“Savers” know that Vitamin D is crucial for bone health, and that the best way to get it is through sun exposure. But a startling new study shows a disturbing effect that a lack of Vitamin D can have on your bones: it prematurely ages them.
Using an innovative type of X-ray that records bone structure on a nano-scale, scientists were able to get a three-dimensional view of features deep inside bone to reveal just what a Vitamin D deficiency can do.
News Excerpt
“Scientists from the University of California Berkeley and University Medical Center Hamburg have now recorded in exquisite detail how lacking this vitamin can impact bone structure.
They recruited 30 subjects — half deficient and half with normal vitamin D levels — and scanned their bones with synchrotron radiation-based microcomputed tomography. …
The bones in vitamin D deficient subjects showed signs of premature aging. Microcracks were larger and more common in these people.
…deep within the bone, mineralization was actually denser by three-fold. Cells responsible for upkeep and remodeling the bone were unable to access these deeper layers in people with vitamin D deficiency, according to the authors.”1
It’s fascinating that the bones of Vitamin D-deficient study participants not only showed signs of aging and microfractures, but were actually denser on the inside. This is very telling, especially if doctors would remove their blinders and pay attention at this brand new study. Here’s why.
If researchers would apply this technology to the bones of those who’ve taken bisphosphonates (such as Boniva, Fosamax, Actonel, and others), they would see similar structural characteristics. This is because bisphosphonates, like Vitamin D deficiency, disrupt normal bone remodeling. So the bone deep inside never gets shed and replaced; it simply gets harder, denser, more brittle and, ironically, more prone to fracture.
But researchers are not likely to head down this path. As I mention in the Osteoporosis Reversal Program, there are two studies that come close to exposing the bone-hardening effects of bisphosphonates. They were done on dogs in 20012 and 20053. Both of these studies found that bisphosphonates suppressed healthy bone remodeling and resulted in thick, brittle bones that were more prone to microfractures.
It’s too bad (but not surprising) that mainstream scientists are reluctant to perform research that might damage the reputation of bisphosphonates.
Big Win for Big Pharma
You may remember Merck’s shameless dodge of justice when a lawsuit was brought by a woman who did not have osteoporosis, but was prescribed Fosamax as a “preventative measure” and subsequently suffered an atypical femur fracture.
Clearly, Big Pharma has a way of eluding lawsuits. A recent court ruling will make it even easier for pharmaceutical companies to dodge liability.
This ruling sets a dangerous legal precedent. As it stands now, the FDA’s approval is considered all that’s needed to warn patients about a drug’s safety. “Savers” know that the FDA’s approval is not a sign of a drug’s safety at all.
Ironically, Merck blamed the FDA… and managed to win the lawsuit!
News Excerpt
“A federal court recently issued a ruling that may allow drug-makers to defend themselves against product liability lawsuits by citing preemption – which is the notion that FDA approval of a drug supersedes state law claims challenging safety, efficacy or labeling. … If a drugmaker can provide “clear evidence” that the FDA would not have approved a unilateral labeling change to include an updated warning, a drugmaker could argue this demonstrated it was impossible to comply with both FDA requirements and a state law finding for a stronger warning.
And Merck won such a ruling. A federal court judge decided that Merck had, in fact, attempted to strengthen the warning about a possible link between its Fosamax treatment for osteoporosis and femur fractures, but the FDA did not approve such an addition to the precautions section of the labeling.”4
As Big Pharma loses more drug patents, sales of name brands will decrease markedly. The FDA will rush to approve new brand name drugs that will line Big Pharma’s pockets. In their haste to get these drugs to market, many safety measures will be side-stepped – yet legally, the FDA’s approval will be considered a sufficient safety warning.
Since no drug is ever 100% safe, you can breathe easy, because there’s an alternative to these medications. The Osteoporosis Reversal Program shows you how to reverse osteoporosis without drugs, and it also shows you how to build your bones through a balanced diet, targeted exercise, and easy lifestyle changes.
Fortunately, there’s no need to rely on the FDA when it comes to drug “safety.”
Water Contamination Alert: Imminent Danger in the USA
I never recommend drinking tap water, since the supplemented fluoride and chemicals harm your bones and your overall health. Now there is yet another reason why you should avoid it. The treatment plants and pipeline structure in America are failing – and fast – giving rise to a grave situation.
News Excerpt
“‘This is serious, and if it's not fixed, we could see a breakout of diseases from unsafe water,’ said Shafiqul Islam, a professor and director of the Water Diplomacy Initiative at Tufts University.”5
Across the country, water pipes are breaking at an alarming rate. And it’s going to cost a lot of money to get to the heart of the problem and fix it.
News Excerpt
“The Environmental Protection Agency released a report in April saying the U.S. water infrastructure would need $384 billion in upgrades from 2011 through 2030. That's up from the $335 billion the EPA projected in 2007 for the same time period.”5
Pure drinking water is essential to life. In The Missing Link, a bonus report included with the Osteoporosis Reversal Program, the hazards of tap water are decoded in detail, and many scientific sources are cited to explain just how unhealthy tap water is, and why. The information in The Missing Link is even more relevant now, in light of this latest news.
As explained in the Osteoporosis Reversal Program and in The Missing Link, distilled water with a few drops of lemon juice is still the purest and best drink for your bones.
Music to Your Ears
I promised you some lighthearted “news” at the end of this post.
So on a brighter note, I’ll share with you a great song by a band called Of Monsters and Men. My sons introduced me to this excellent musical group, whose talented five members hail from Iceland. The band formed in 2010 and has since won many awards for their music.
One of their songs I’ve been listening to lately really surprised me when I found out the title… check it out. I love their folksy and melodic style. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
Have a listen to “Your Bones” by Of Monsters and Men below:
Till next time,
References
1 Bjorn, Busse, et al. “Vitamin D Deficiency Induces Early Signs of Aging in Human Bone, Increasing the Risk of Fracture.” Science Translational Medicine. 10 July 2013; Vol. 5, Issue 193, p. 193re88. Web. https://stm.sciencemag.org/content/5/193/193ra88
2 Mashiba, Mori, Burr et al.. “The effects of suppressed bone remodeling by bisphosphonates on microdamage accumulation and degree of mineralization in the cortical bone of dog rib.” Journal of Bone and Mineral Metabolism. 2005.
3 Mashiba, Turner, Hirano et al.,” Effects of suppressed bone turnover by bisphosphonates on microdamage accumulation and biomechanical properties in clinically relevant skeletal sites in beagles.” Bone. 2001.
4 Akpan, Nsikan, PhD. “Dark Aging: Too Little Sun, Vitamin D Deficiency Makes Bones ‘Look’ Older And Osteoporosis-like.” Medical Daily. July 10, 2013. Web. https://www.forbes.com/sites/edsilverman/2013/07/09/what-liability-merck-wins-a-key-ruling-that-bolsters-pharma/
5 Koba, Mark. “Got Water? Keeping It Flowing Could Get Expensive.” CNBC News. 14 June 2013. Web. https://www.cnbc.com/id/100813305 (remember to cite properly)
Thank you for all of the great information that you share!
My son also introduced me to this band, they are really awesome.
Hi! Vivian,
I Really Liked “YOUR BONES’ By “OF MONSTERS AND MEN”! It Has A Very Likable And Calming Tune! THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR SHARING IT WITH US.
LOVE, LESLIE (MS. L. CARMEL)
how much vitamin D should we get daily?
Janice, here is an excerpt from a blog post I wrote on Vitamin D:
“We know that we need vitamin D, and we also know that it’s ideal to get as much of it as possible from the sun. And what we can’t get from the sun, we must get from supplements. Start by looking at the amount of sun exposure you get. If you live in a sunny climate and spend a lot of time outdoors, you may need only a baseline level. The bare minimum is 400 IU per day and you should increase the amount as you feel necessary depending on your sun exposure, which may vary according to the seasons.”
You can read the rest of the post here:
https://saveourbones.com/the-latest-news-on-vitamin-d/
That should help give you some guidelines!
dear vivian,
just listened (and even sang along) to this beautiful music…the lyrics made me weep.
thank you for everything you do, and thank you for sharing this.
f.b.
what are porous bones, can they be treated for adults? what kind of treatment?
Dr. I would like your advise what are porous bones and how these affect adult women. Thank you.
Porous bones is to my understanding osteoporosis, just a different term for it.
If tap water is considered unsafe.
Just drink California wine!
Don’t we have to look at bones of healthy primitive people and see if their bones were strong? I doubt they drank distilled water but probably spring water or water from rivers and streams which were probably filled with the inorganic minerals. Just curious about this thought.
That is something i wonder about to, I have drank rain water nearly all my life, I live in the country in Australia & that is how we have always got our water, catch the rain off the roof into tanks, of course most places have had flouridated water connected now for years, but if your raised on rain water you can’t stand the taste of it so it’s just used for washing, showers etc. the rain water is saved for drinking & cooking.
Also most rivers & streams now days are very polluted with chemicals etc, they would have been very pure once before population increases.
That song was beautiful, Vivian!! Thank you so much. Pamz
I TOOK FOXAMAX FOR 8 YRS, HAVING PROBLEMS WITH TRYING TO GET A DENTAL IMPLANT. WENT OFF FOXAMAX 2 YRS AGO. I DO HAVE OSTEOPOROSIS. DR. PUT ME ON CALCITONIN-SALMON 200 UNITS SP, NASAL SPRAY. HE SAID I HAVE TO BE ON SOMETHING TO HELP MY BONES. I TRY TO EAT HEALTHY AND RECENTLY HAVE BEEN DOING EXCERCIS. i DON’T RECALL READING IN YOUR NEWS LETTER THIS TYPE OF CALCIUM MED. FOR BONES. PLEASE ADVISE ME ON WHAT TO DO, DO I TAKE IT OR NOT, SO CONFUSED. THANKS….P.S. LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR NEWSLETTER EVERYDAY, THANKS AGAIN
Ginnie, I do not recommend calcitonin salmon. There are so many better options for getting the calcium you need!
LOVED THE SONG, ITS A REALISTIC PRESENTATION OF LIFE. yOU DO GREAT WORK, KEEP IT GOING
Hi Vivian,I thank the Lord for You for everything that you do all the work and the searching for the different news that comes out conserning us with osteo.What I would like to know as I just turned 86 this month and taking D3 1000 UI in the morning and 1000 UI in the evening for me since I read just now it seems as that amount is not enough please advise me I would really appreciate Your answer Vivian thanking you in advance God bless You
Carmen, my advice on Vitamin D dosage are: use common sense. We know that we need vitamin D; we also know that we get it mostly from the sun (ideal) and from supplements (less ideal, but necessary). We also know that it’s a fat soluble vitamin, which means that it accumulates in the body. For this reason, I do not recommend the kind of megadoses you’re talking about.
There is no cookie-cutter recommendation for everyone, since each of us spends time in the sun for varying times (or no time at all). Hence, and with the knowledge that you can always safely take the RDA of 400 IUs (as per the Osteoporosis Reversal Program), you can build from there depending on the seasons and your exposure to the sun.
For more on Vitamin D, please read my blog post on this topic: https://saveourbones.com/the-latest-news-on-vitamin-d/
Have a wonderful week!
If you’re calling what she’s doing, megadoses, then I’m really doing the wrong thing! I’ve been told now that D turns on the bone growth systems and therefore it hardens the blood vessels. I live in an area that isn’t really sunny all the time, but have to get more sun, I guess. I understand that K2 is the important thing, now.
Regarding “Hold On to Your Heart”… although the melody was pleasant, I cannot comprehend the lyrics and it actually kind of creeped me out. Kind of pessimistic and gloomy.
But! I thank you for the excellent information!
No worries, Lynn! Not everyone likes the same music. That’s one of the diversities that makes life interesting. 🙂
Thank you, as always, for your great information. I really liked the music, too!
Enjoyed the Article. So informative. Loved the music. It was great. Also found the news about water very interesting. It was something I didn’t know. Thanks Vivian Bless You!
Hi Vivian thank you God for the wonderful time and work that you do to help us.My question is how much vitamin D3 should I be taking I just turned 86 years old this month and I’m taking 1ooo UI in the morning and 1000 Ui at night and I have osteoporosis I dont think that its enough I thank You in advance Carmen
Beautiful song! MANY THANKS, dear Vivian!
I feel so fortunate to have such a source as this for the latest updates. Wish I could send them all to my doctor.
The music is beautiful and meaningful as it calls us to honor our humanity and connectedness to all of Creation.
I hope I am keeping my acids and alkalines in balance sufficiently. 80/20 is a challenge and hard sometimes to assess.
Thank you.
Dear Vivian,
Ordered your book when I was diagnosed with osteopenia. Started on supplements “Ultimate Bone Support” plus take Vitamin D3 – 2000 mgs daily. Unfortunately, I was diagnosed in 2011 with breast cancer, treated with Arimidex which worked for 14 months. Started experiencing acute back and rib pain in Oct 2012 and was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer that had spread to my (almost entire) spine and joints. I was treated with Xeloda, which worked to control the spread for 6 months and then I was switched to Tamoxifen. I have also been prescribed Zometa IV monthly for one year, then every 3 months. Am now on 8th month of the initial 12. I continue taking the “Ultimate Bone Support” since I believe it’ll help with my bones – especially most vertebra that have tumors. And, of course, take immune supporting enzymes, vitamins, minerals, etc. Do you have any words of wisdom for me?
Madeline, I am so sorry you’re experiencing cancer – but you sound like you are fighting the good fight! An alkalizing diet and excellent nutrition are extremely important to help your body fight the cancer. I wish you a full recovery!
I am going right out and see if I can find a CD by Monsters and Men Thank you
Enjoyed the song!
People with a magnesium deficiency will have trouble raising their Vitamin D3 levels. Unfortunately blood tests do not accurately measure magnesium. You have to measure interstitial magnesium. Very few labs do it.
I read the only true way to measure Mg deficiency is to take a tissue sample from the leg muscles. No thank you very much. When my leg muscles begin to ache or get jumpy, I take Mg. Much easier test.
Great info…Thanks.
Thank you for the “Your Bones” video, I enjoyed it very much.
Have a Blessed day!
The ideal is to get a blood test called 25 Hydroxy D. Some insurance plans will cover it and others won’t. The results will tell you if your absorbing D. I never get sun so I take 5000 IU’s. I’m trying to get to 50+ in my lab results. Between 50 and 70 is the number to fight diseases. Probably closer to 70.
For every 1000 IU’S we take it should convert to 10 pts. Where I live the sun is too strong for me, but I try to get a few minutes each day to enhance the D absorption.
A friend of mine plays tennis in the sun almost daily and still wound up extremely deficient in D. We can’t go by the amount of sun we get. The blood test is the only way to really know.
The only trouble with taking such high doses is that D turns on the bone forming systems in the body and can turn the blood vessels to bone too…Hardening the blood vessel walls…the very thing we are trying to avoid with a good diet.
I also take K2 with my high dose of D3. Plus a little sun. I wish I could do more sun. It supposedly is the best way to keep our levels up.
This is exactly what I’m doing, per the advise of a Dr. who specializes in preventive medicine. I hope it will help. My situation had deteriorated enormously in spite of the healthy food and exercises I’ve been doing.
All of this just goes to reinforce my commitment. Thank you for the updates.
Vivian,
I note your suggestion that we all distil our drinking water, however I read a report on water purification about this – cant find it now – the Fluoride is carried over into the distilled water, apparently the only way to remove the Fluoride, from tap water, is to use a Reverse Osmosis filter. As our water is from our own well it’s free of chemicals, my only concern is when visiting friends in Texas, their on city water.
Jonathan.
My husband told me of a study done in the UN and for the last 20 years they have promoted distilled water for bone health and have determined that it also leaches minerals out of the bones. Is this true? I actually like distilled water and my husband thinks spring water is better for my bones. Which do you recommend and why?
Rose, I understand your confusion, especially since we have all heard how important minerals are to our bone health. But the minerals found in spring water are derived from rocks and other inorganic sources, and therefore are not absorbed well by the body.
Distilled water is pure H2O. And it is neutral to acidic (pH); leaning more towards acidic. Adding a few drops of lemon juice alkalizes it. Pure water is more beneficial than mineralized water with inorganic minerals. 🙂
I want to order trueoesteo yet find your website too difficult onavigate.
Pamela, Just as a help, True Osteo’s web site is http://www.naturecity.com. But I think if you go to the article and click on the highlighted in orange True Osteo, it should take you there also. Have a great day!
Thank you Terry! For more information, Pamela, you can also click here:
https://saveourbones.com/confused-about-calcium-read-this/
How much vit D do I need. I am 65 with osteoporosis.
Diane, according to Jeff T Bowles you can safely be taking upwards of 10,000iu of Vit D3 daily as long as you take some Vit K2 as well. I recently purchased Jeff’s book from Amazon & available for the Kindle reader.
The book is called ” The miraculous results of extremely high doses of Vit D3″ and is a result of his over one year experiment on taking the vitamin himself.
I’ve been taking 10,000 iu daily for the past few weeks and have noticed subtle changes already.
Vit D3 is more of a hormone than a vitamin. Big pharma benefits from people slapping on sunscreen & fearing the sun. Educate yourself & tell everyone you know what is revealed in that book and others like it.
Challenge consensus reality & enlighten yourself.