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MAINTAINING HEALTHY BONES:
AN
HERBALIST PERSPECTIVE
Article by herbalist
Dave
Hawkins, MH, CNC
Since the
health of the body is reliant on all of the body systems
working synergistically together it is hard to isolate one
system without having an impact on the entire body. I
always think of the bones or skeletal system as our
structural framework wherein lay the foundation for the
rest of our body. This article will look at the major
players when it comes to the nutrients required to maintain
proper bone health so that we can prevent many of the
debilitating bone and joint disorders that plaque our
modern day society.
We will also
look at the biochemical markers that are indicators of
weakness and address how plants can make a positive impact
on the reversal and prevention of bone diseases, such as,
arthritis, osteoporosis, osteomalacia, gout etc.
Lets begin by
looking at our bones and see what is required. Bone is
living tissue that is constantly being torn apart and
rebuilt. This process continues our entire life and is
managed by many systems in our body. The minerals necessary
for bone development consist of calcium, magnesium, silica,
boron, manganese, zinc and copper. Vitamin C, D, B6 and
folic acid are also necessary vitamin components.
A person can
get these through supplementation but my belief is that
diet is a better solution, especially if there are no
symptoms showing signs of deficiency and the person is not
following the SAD (standard American diet) high in animal
products, refined fats and sugars. When we begin to
understand that nutritional deficiencies are the root cause
of many of the disease processes it makes sense to rule
that out. Diet is the best way to accomplish this because
the plant chemistry is intricately tied to body chemistry.
This is where body PH comes into play. The SAD diet is a
highly acidic diet. Think for a moment about acid and how
it affects things. Acids tear down or aid degeneration.
Without the
proper alkaline minerals, which come from our fruits and
vegetables, these acids do not get neutralized therefore we
see pain and inflammation due to degeneration processes.
There’s one dietary factor that is detrimental to our
mineral and bone health and that substance is soda pop.
Sodas are very acidic, approximately 2.8 on the acid scale.
It requires alkaline minerals of sodium, calcium, magnesium
and potassium to balance the effects of drinking sodas.
Where do you think these minerals come from? Your bones and
muscle tissues.
When it comes
to body physiology there are a few players that affect bone
health. The endocrine and digestive systems along with
collagen building processes are the main ones. First let’s
look at he endocrine system
which consists of the adrenal-pituitary-thyroid-parathyroid
glands. These glands are involved in many aspects of bone
health. Briefly the adrenals help maintain the proper
mineral balance through proper kidney functions; they also
are involved with the stress response hormones.
The thyroid and
parathyroid work with the hormone calcitonin and others to
signal osteoblasts (bone building) and oesteoclasts (bone
tear down), which is a constant process. The trace mineral
boron is involved in these processes. It is interesting to
note that on a hormonal level estrogens slow bone
resorption and progesterone increases bone building.
The digestive
system is also necessary in making sure the good nutrient
rich foods are broken down and absorbed by the body. The
hydrochloric acid in the stomach is important for mineral
breakdown followed by the proper enzymes to aid absorption
across the colon wall. The antacid,
and h2 receptor drugs have a history of creating mineral
deficiency due to blocking of the hydrochloric acid
production. This can be a problem especially in
osteoporosis.
Let’s now look
at nutrient rich foods and botanicals as a way to assure we
are getting what we need. Beginning with foods the alkaline
fruits and vegetables provide the minerals especially if
they are organically grown. The green leafy chard, kale,
collards, cabbage, the root vegetables of carrots, turnips
and parsnips, the berry fruits are all necessary on a daily
basis. The whole grains of rice, barley, wheat and oats
provide necessary proteins. These dietary recommendations
can be found in most health books so we will move onto the
herbal kingdom.
When it comes
to using herbs I like to research how traditional plant use
dealt with bone and structural issues.
Let’s look at nutrient herbs, anti-inflammatory, diuretics
and blood purifiers. I like to recommend the use of nettle,
alfalfa, and kelp mainly for their high mineral nutrient
proportions.
When
recommending herbs for pain and inflammation we use cayenne
pepper, ginger, turmeric, rosemary, and green tea. These
herbs work as pain relievers due to many actions, one being
a natural cox-2 inhibitor (kind of like Celebrex and Vioxx).
The plant enzyme bromelain from pineapple stems is also
beneficial but needs to be taken on an empty stomach. I
also use analgesics like willow bark, meadowsweet and
wintergreen.
For removing
and neutralizing acid waste, dandelion, birch, celery seed,
red clover have been used for years by many cultures by
aiding the liver detox processes. Diuretics also work in
eliminating waste and we use uva ursi, parsley leaf,
marshmallow root, and nettle to name a few. There are many
choices that can be made for the herbal kingdom.
Another area I
like to address is the endocrine system and making sure the
glands are functioning properly. For the adrenals I like,
eluethero senticoccus (formerly Siberian ginseng), rhodiola
(artic root), licorice root, ashwaganda (winter cherry) and
wild yam root.
For proper
thyroid function kelp, dulse and mullein leaf are
beneficial.
As you can see
there are many benefits to bone health just by using plants
either as foods or herbs. Each individual is unique to the
necessary nutrients required and lifestyle is a major
player in determining which avenue to begin.
When one is experiencing symptoms of bone disorders
the protocols become specific to them.
The whole
concept is to prevent them in the first place. As
Hipprocrates stated “let thy food be thy medicine and thy
medicine be thy food”
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