| New research suggests that taking antioxidants may | | | | part of the body's inner workings. Bones cannot |
| prevent bone loss in menopausal women, one of the | | | | continually generate unchecked, after all, or we would |
| primary health concerns associated with this condition. | | | | soon literally be swallowed by our own skeletons. But |
| Every year, 500,000 American women suffer at least | | | | once estrogen levels decrease, and osteoclast |
| one fracture of the vertebrae, and 300,000 sustain | | | | activity increases, osteoblasts – cells that |
| hip fractures. Fractures related to osteoporosis, or | | | | develop bone – simply cannot keep pace. |
| the thinning and weakening of bones, amounts to $10 | | | | One advantage of estrogen therapies has been to |
| billion every year in national healthcare costs, and | | | | keep the activity of the osteoclasts at bay. Such |
| approximately $977 million in Texas alone. In fact, 1.9 | | | | therapies are controversial, though. While maintaining |
| million Texans suffer from osteoporosis or bone loss | | | | levels of estrogen may reduce some of the |
| at any given moment -- and they're not all | | | | uncomfortable symptoms of menopause and |
| menopausal women. That means in every city and | | | | decrease chances of heart disease and osteoporosis, |
| small town -- from Dallas, to Houston, to Austin, to | | | | they have also been linked with certain cancers. So |
| the Eastern plains -- someone is significantly affected | | | | what if bone loss could be minimized, or better yet |
| by weakening bones. The repercussions this has for | | | | halted, by a different method? |
| not only the personal health of these individuals and | | | | The Sir Joseph Hotung Centre for Musculoskeletal |
| their families, but also on the health insurance and | | | | Disorders, at St. George's University of London, |
| healthcare industries, are huge. | | | | believes it may have a way. In other tissues, |
| The past ten years of study have indicated that | | | | estrogen "opposes the activity of reactive oxygen |
| prevention early on in life is the best medicine. | | | | species," or ROS, which, in turn stimulate NfKB -- a |
| Menopausal women are, indeed, the most affected, | | | | major intracellular signal that activates osteoclasts. In |
| and ladies in their premenopausal years do | | | | experimental mice with ovariectomies, antioxidant |
| themselves a favor when they watch their calcium | | | | defenses in bone marrow decreased, while |
| and vitamin D intake, as well as their levels of | | | | administering estrogen to them increased these |
| physical exercise and sunlight exposure -- all factors | | | | defenses. "What," you say. "Come again?" |
| believed to affect the formation of bone. Menopausal | | | | The theory states that estrogen may inhibit the |
| osteoporosis, then, is the result of bone levels | | | | activity of the osteoclasts by "opposing" the activity |
| achieved before menopause, and the rate at which | | | | of ROS, which stimulate NfKB, which then activates |
| bone tissue deteriorates afterwards. The stronger | | | | osteoclasts. By increasing antioxidant defenses in |
| and denser the skeleton becomes in youth, the more | | | | bone marrow (done through estrogen or the |
| material the body has to work with later on in life. | | | | administration of certain antioxidants), the |
| While levels of calcium, vitamin D, exercise, and | | | | degeneration process of bone may be halted or |
| sunlight exposure are key factors affecting skeletal | | | | slowed. In other words, antioxidants may, in the end, |
| health, pregnancy, nursing, immobility, and low | | | | have the same effect as estrogen therapy. Giving |
| estrogen levels may also weaken bones. Contrary to | | | | ascorbate or N-acetylcysteine (types of antioxidants) |
| appearance, bones are not inanimate structures, but | | | | to ovariectomised mice, actually prevented bone loss, |
| are living tissues, constantly undergoing a cycle of | | | | a significant finding considering that most treatments |
| breakdown and regeneration. This process must be | | | | can only slow bone loss, at best. |
| balanced; if breakdown of cells occurs at a faster | | | | The implication is that bone loss may be treated with |
| rate than the body can rebuild and replace them, | | | | antioxidants, versus other synthetic therapies. While |
| then thinning of the tissues occurs. Therefore, | | | | further experimentation is needed, it's a phenomenal |
| processes to ensure healthy regeneration are | | | | breakthrough in Western medicine. Indeed, boneset -- |
| essential. | | | | a plant believed to be high in antioxidants -- has been |
| All that hard work shoring up on bone tissue shows | | | | used by Native American peoples to treat and speed |
| its greatest benefit during menopause, when | | | | the healing of broken bones. The growing friendship |
| estrogen levels plummet. Estrogen, or oestrogen, | | | | between natural medicine and Western science just |
| appears to inhibit the activity of osteoclasts, cells | | | | may produce treatment options in the coming years |
| that reabsorb bone tissue during the process of | | | | we never would have thought possible. |
| osteoclasis. Normally, this reabsorption is an essential | | | | |