“The doctor of the future will give no medicine but will interest his or her patients in the care of the human frame, in a proper diet and in the cause and prevention of disease.”

– Thomas Edison

This month’s case study: ‘Susan’ – a woman with no physical signs of osteoporosis found that she already had low bone density but still in time to take action …

Susan’s Story:

“Having read, ‘Osteoporosis the Silent Epidemic’, I decided to book an appointment with the Dr Marilyn Glenville clinic in order to get a more tailor-made programme. I attended the clinic when I had just turned 42 for an ultrasound heel scan. Although I had no physical signs of osteoporosis, I was keen to check my bone density because I suffered with amenorrhoea (absence of periods) for three years during my twenties.

“I understand now, (but I didn’t at the time), that the amenorrhoea had put me at a greater risk of developing osteoporosis because of the lack of the hormone oestrogen. Oestrogen is an important hormone in bone turnover regulation. If oestrogen is low bone breakdown can increase, which is why the risk of osteoporosis develops after the menopause and during amenorrhoea. The ultrasound scan I had measures the ‘T score’, which compares the bone density with that of the average 30 year old woman (30 is the age when peak bone mass is reached).

“My T score was –1.8, which put me into the category of osteopenia. Osteopenia is pre-condition to Osteoporosis and indicates a softening or lack of calcium in the bone. If I hadn’t taken action I would be at a higher risk of developing osteoporosis after the menopause. I decided that I wanted to improve my bone density as much as I could while still having regular periods through exercise, diet and supplementation.

“Before coming to the Dr Marilyn Glenville Clinic, I was drinking 7 cups of tea and coffee a day and missing the odd meal. My Nutritional Therapist advised me to stop the tea (as the tannin in tea binds to calcium in the foods and limits absorption) and the coffee (as this may increase the excretion of calcium and magnesium in the urine). She also told me not to miss meals and gave me advice on increasing calcium and magnesium rich foods and she also suggested alternative healthy drinks that I could try. We also discussed outdoor weight-bearing exercises (such as walking and running) to stimulate bone renewal.

“She recommend that I take some nutritional supplements, incorporating Meno Plus (multi-vitamin and mineral with good levels of calcium and magnesium), Osteo Plus (calcium, magnesium, vitamin D and boron), Vitamin C Plus and Mega EPA 1000mg (high strength fish oil).

“A year on and I have repeated the ultrasound scan that shows that my T score is now –1.5 (just osteopenic). Not only am I feeling healthier generally, my bone density has increased. I am so glad I made the decision to have a consultation rather than putting it off until it was too late.

“All I can say to anyone reading this, if you have any concerns at all about your bone health, do get it checked because Osteoporosis is a ‘silent’ disease.”

My Comments:

What people need to be aware of is that osteoporosis is a preventable illness affecting many more women 1 in 3 women over the age of 50 in the UK and 1 in 9 men are sufferers. Public awareness and understanding of the illness, however, remains woefully limited: osteoporosis is not just a matter of brittle bones; it can kill – in fact it kills more women than ovarian, cervical and uterine cancers combined. Susan’s story is a good example of how the risk of developing osteoporosis can be minimise by taking action sooner rather than later.

Clearly something in our modern lifestyle is affecting the density and strength of our bones, and only now are we beginning to understand what that might be. The biggest concern is the next generation of girls, whom many will not even reach their peak bone density by the age of 25 because of lifestyle factors such as smoking, lack of exercise, poor diet and dieting due to media pressure to be stick thin.

There are a number of tests available that are extremely useful, giving you invaluable insights into understanding what is going on in your body at the moment and can tell you what vitamin and mineral deficiencies you may have and how rapidly you are losing bone density. Please follow this link if for more information on osteoporosis tests.

The first tip for healthy skin is to eat a good, well-balanced diet. Make sure your diet is rich in vitamins, minerals, and proteins. Eat plenty of vegetables and fruits and don’t forget to drink water. Water is essential to the health of your skin. The more water you drink the better (at least 6-8 glasses per day).

Next, make sure you cleanse your face daily, preferably at the end of the day or at night before bed. By this time, your face needs some good cleansing to get rid of all the dirt and dust that has accumulated inside your pores throughout the day. Night time is when your skin gets to rejuvenate itself, so cleansing before bed is critical to a healthy skin regime. Follow with a good quality natural moisturiser.

Also, it is important to exfoliate at least twice a week. This aids with skin renewal and improves your skin’s elasticity. Elasticity is what makes our skin appear younger, and as we get older we lose elasticity and that youthful ability of our skin to ‘bounce back’ from any damage that may occur.

Finally, a good exercise programme such as aerobics can activate and rejuvenate the skin and improve circulation and blood flow. Also, body sweat triggers production of sebum, which is the skin’s own natural moisturiser.