Save Our Bones Bulletin: Vitamin C Trials For COVID-19 Patients, New Insight Into Bone Stem Cells, Denosumab Study Finds Increased Risk Of Fracture - Save Our Bones

We begin this month's Bulletin with a hopeful note on clinical trials taking place in China to test the effectiveness of high-dose IV Vitamin C infusions as a treatment for coronavirus infection.

Next, you'll learn about what scientists are discovering about bone stem cells and how they regulate bone maintenance and repair.

Then we'll examine an unsettling and potentially dangerous trend at the FDA that is drawing serious criticism from consumer advocacy groups.

And last, you'll get the results of a study on the effects of discontinuing the osteoporosis drug Prolia (denosumab). They reveal just how the damage caused by the drug affects several biological processes in addition to causing harm to bones.

Clinical Trials Of IV Vitamin C Treatment For Coronavirus

Doctors at hospitals around the world are working day and night to treat patients infected with COVID-19, the novel coronavirus that has reached pandemic status. As the death toll rises and the spread of the disease continues, clinical trials are testing a new treatment for severe acute respiratory infection associated with COVID-19– IV infusions of Vitamin C.

Dr. ZhiYong Peng, MD of the Department of Critical Care Medicine at Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University has registered a phase two clinical trial.

Relevant Excerpt:

“The clinical trial description states that vitamin C reduces the inflammatory response, and both prevents and shortens the duration of the common cold. The description further states that insufficient vitamin C is related to an increased risk and severity of influenza infections. The team aims to see if vitamin C has similar effects against viral pneumonia associated with COVID-19.

Currently, there are no effective targeted antiviral medications for COVID-19. The main treatment consists of supportive therapy to manage symptoms.

Participants in the experimental group will receive 24 grams of IV vitamin C per day for 7 days. That's more than 260 times the Daily Value (DV) for vitamin C for adults and children age 4 years old and up, which is 90 mg per day.”4

Dr. Richard Cheng, a US board-certified specialist in anti-aging medicine, posted a video on his YouTube channel announcing that there are now a total of three clinical trials underway in China that examine the effects of intravenous Vitamin C on patients with coronavirus.

The first study measures the effect of 12,000 to 24,000 mg/day of Vitamin C by IV. The second trial plans to give 6,000 to 12,000 mg/day to patients with moderate to severe cases. Dr. Cheng recently shared that a third trial has been announced, but gave no details about the specifics of that trial.5

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is a Foundation Supplement. The Save Institute recommends taking at least 500 mg of Vitamin C per day, but 2000 mg a day is the ideal dosage to maintain healthy bones and a strong immune system.. Natural treatments are a powerful tool for staying healthy and keeping your immune system strong.

Synopsis

As many as three clinical trials are currently underway in China to test the efficacy of high-dose IV Vitamin C infusion as treatment for acute respiratory infection associated with COVID-19.

Researchers Unlocking Secrets Of Bone Repair

A new study has provided insight into potential therapeutic strategies for the treatment of bone damage in adults, particularly in those with osteoporosis.

The research focuses on a little-understood participant in the maintenance and repair of bones: bone stem cells. These cells are found in the bone marrow and also in the outer layer of tissue that envelops bone called the periosteum.

Periosteum stem cells are the least studied, but scientists already knew that they can contribute to the thickness, formation, and repair of bone, making them critical to lifelong bone regeneration in adults. The new study, conducted by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine, has extpanded our knowledge of how these cells function.

Relevant Excerpt:

“Dr. Dongsu Park and colleagues were able to develop a technique in mice to identify different subpopulations of periosteal stem cells, define their contribution to the repair of bone fractures and identify the specific factors that regulate their migration and proliferation under physiological conditions.

The researchers identified a specific subset of stem cells that support bone regeneration throughout a person's life. They also observed that periosteal stem cells react to inflammatory molecules, chemokines, which are normally produced in bone injuries.

In detail, periosteal stem cells have receptors that bind to the CCL5 chemokine. The CCL5 chemokine sends a signal to the cells to migrate to the injured bone and repair it. By suppressing the CCL5 gene in rats, the researchers found defects in bone repair that delayed healing. However, when they gave CCL5 to rats that had lost CCL5, the bones recovered faster.”1

This new identification of different stem cell subtypes and their roles in bone repair and formation provides insight into new therapeutic strategies for the treatment of bone damage and bone loss. The stage is now set for an investigation of how to best support these bone stem cells in rebuilding or improving bone quality, which will unfortunately most likely end up in the creation of a new osteoporosis drug.

Synopsis

Scientists at Baylor School of Medicine have identified bone stem cells in the periosteum (the outer layer of tissue enveloping bone) and their active role in bone repair and maintenance. This reveals another potential avenue for supporting the construction of healthier bone.

Denosumab Discontinuation Increases Fracture Risk

Denosumab is an osteoporosis drug sold under the brand name Prolia by pharmaceutical giant Amgen. It's a twice-yearly injectable drug that deactivates osteoclasts, the cells that resorb damaged bone.

The drug disrupts the bone remodeling process, causing old and damaged bone to remain in place as new bone gets deposited on top of that faulty foundation.

This makes denosumab just as ineffective as bisphosphonates for improving the health and quality of your bones. Knowing this, the result of a new study on the impact of ceasing treatment with denosumab comes as no surprise.

The study, conducted at Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer, Israel, examined data from 3,110 patients who were prescribed denosumab. The researchers found that participants who stopped taking the drug were more likely to suffer a vertebral fracture. Even more disturbing, those fractures were found to coincide with cerebrovascular disease and renal disease— indicating outcomes such as stroke and kidney failure.

Relevant Excerpt:

“Older adults who discontinue denosumab are at greater risk for major osteoporotic fractures and multiple vertebral fractures than those who persist with treatment, according to findings from a real-world database analysis published in Bone.

“This study provides data on the real-life incidence of multiple vertebral fractures following denosumab discontinuation that was awaited by researchers and clinicians in the field since the first reports in 2015,” Liana Tripto-Shkolnik, MD, MMedSc, deputy director of the division of endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism at Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer, Israel, told Endocrine Today. “We showed, for the first time, that among discontinuers, risk factors for those fractures were renal and cerebrovascular disease.”'3

If this study sounds like it's making the case for never stopping denosumab once you've started, consider that the study was supported by Amgen, and the study's authors received personal fees from both Amgen and Eli Lilly.

These study findings have a clear takeaway for the careful reader: denosumab is detrimental to your bones and your body. The drug creates unnatural and unhealthy bones and ceasing treatment requires conscious care to avoid fracture as the damage to bone quality is reversed. The correlation to cerebrovascular disease and kidney disease further points to the damage this toxic drug does to the entire human body.

Synopsis

A study found that ceasing denosumab treatment increases the risk of vertebral fractures, cerebrovascular disease, and kidney disease. This triumvirate of negative health outcomes shows the damage that denosumab does to the body, and underscores the importance of avoiding osteoporosis drugs, and the care required to help the body to recover when you stop taking them.

What This Means To You

Aside from the ongoing Vitamin C infusion trials, the stories in today's Bulletin paint a stark picture. While exciting research is pushing forward our understanding of how our bones function, Big Pharma continues to produce harmful drugs that have a wide range of health consequences.

Fortunately, the ongoing search for non-pharmaceutical interventions continues to support the Save Institute's proven approach to safely and naturally preventing and reversing osteoporosis.

References

1 https://www.gilmorehealth.com/researchers-at-baylor-college-of-medicine-discover-how-to-improve-bone-repair/

2 https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-12-06/fda-is-green-lighting-drugs-at-breakneck-speed-and-raising-alarm

3 https://www.healio.com/endocrinology/bone-mineral-metabolism/news/online/%7B86d72f7a-0cd4-4c3d-b42d-cb567d1fafa6%7D/denosumab-discontinuation-increases-risk-for-major-osteoporotic-vertebral-fractures

4 https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=228745

5 https://orthomolecular.org/resources/omns/v16n12.shtml

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Comments on this article are closed.

  1. Margaret

    Thanks again Vivian for your invaluable advice. I have been taking organic seaweed for a couple of years now. I have arthritis but no osteoporosis thankfully! The seaweed is harvested from the shores of our outer islands (Scotland) so good to have something local and natural. I am 70 years going on 71 now.

  2. Vivien S W

    Vivian
    I am so very, very interested in stem cell regeneration treatment.
    Your updates etc is so appreciated
    Thank you

    • Vivian Goldschmidt, MA

      You’re welcome, Vivien!

  3. Barry & Anita Solomon

    I wish there were more studies not
    Funded by big Pharma
    about Prolia
    I take it and have gone from Osteoporosis to Osteopenia
    I was warned by my endocrinologist not to stop it or go to a bisphosphonate and wean off that.

    • Susan Hughes

      I’ve been on Prolia for two years I tried stopping one shot last year and my bone test showed a decrease in bone density. I eat well and exercise every day , but that wasn’t enough to prevent loss of bone. Your protocol was ineffective for me.Stopping it now seems to be more harmful since I can’t go back. Can you offer any advice? Many women must be wondering about this recent study with no definitive answer.
      Thank you for the work you are doing.
      Susan Hughes

  4. Jane Jacobs

    Hello! My question is, Is Natural Calm Ionic Magnesium Citrate Powder bad for the bones? Medicinal Ingredient: Magnesium Carbonate. Non-Medicinal Ingredient: Citric Acid. I have Osteoporosis and Inflammatory Bowel Disease. I take the Calm at bedtime. Please explain. thank you, Jane (Yukon Territory, Canada)

    • Vivian Goldschmidt, MA

      Jane, the most bioavailable form of magnesium is an amino-acid chelated formula, such as magnesium bisglycinate. Magnesium citrate is the second choice, but you might as well get the most out of your supplements, so I suggest you switch.

      You can read more about the benefits of magnesium and the foods that contain it here:

      https://saveourbones.com/3-common-health-conditions-caused-by-magnesium-deficiency/

  5. jj

    I would laugh with joy if scientists found and confirmed a natural, inexpensive remedy such as vitamin C or a plant based remedy for the pandemic. It would be especially satisfying if Big Pharma could not make money on it.

  6. Ginger McConnell

    What brand of calcium supplement to you recommend?

  7. Rebecca B

    I’ve been taking prolia for a few years. What will happen if I quit? I have also been taking strontium boost and algae cal for 3 years.

  8. Mary

    Having discontinued taking Prolia 18 months’s ago and having read the above article regarding increased bone damage, as well as cerebrovascular and renal damage by withdrawing from taking the drug. I would like to know how long do these conditions continue if one takes appropriate action such as the Dencersize and recommended nutrition, and no drug treatment.
    Keep strong! Mary F

    • Vivian Goldschmidt, MA

      It was a very good move on your part to discontinue Prolia, Mary. The study does not provide the specific information you’re asking. However, it makes sense that when you transition to a drug-free, healthy lifestyle, the risk for disease (including cerebrovascular and renal damage) can be greatly diminished. So stay on track and stay strong!

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