If you’re like most women, you worry about bone density.
And I understand your concern. Bone loss can start as early as your 30s. And after the age of 50, one in three women will experience a bone fracture.
But Big Pharma’s bisphosphonate are not the answer. These are the most commonly prescribed meds for osteoporosis. And they’re worth about $8.5 billion per year to the drug companies.
Here’s the problem…
Osteoporosis drugs lead to MORE fractures. Drugs like Fosamax, Boniva, Actonel, and Reclast are the perfect way to create brittle, crumbling bones. Here’s how they work…
Your bones have cells called osteoclasts. Their job is to remove old bone tissue. This makes room for other cells called osteoblasts to build new bone.
Big Pharma drugs work by poisoning osteoclasts. They cut off their blood supply. The cells stop removing the old tissue. Your bones get denser but they’re really building up old bone. After a while, the old bone tissue becomes brittle and fragile, like glass. It’s not as strong as the newer bone that would have formed without the drugs.
In fact, you are over 90 times more likely to have a rare bone break if you take bone drugs.1 One report in the New England Journal of Medicine looked at women taking bisphosphonates. Of those who broke a bone while on the drug, over 65% had a very rare fracture in the middle of their thigh.2
I don’t prescribe these drugs. Instead I help my patients build strong bones with a completely natural hormone.
I’m talking about melatonin.
You probably know melatonin as the “sleep hormone.” It helps your body cycle down every night so you can rest.
But new research shows that melatonin is also a powerful force in your bone-building process. Let me explain…
Researchers from McGill University noticed that melatonin production in your body begins to decline at around the age of 50. That’s just about the same time that women are often diagnosed with osteoporosis. It’s no coincidence…
You see, your bones are built up by osteoblasts during the daytime. They are broken down by osteoclasts at night. But as you age, you sleep less. While you’re awake at night, osteoclasts are more active. They break down more bone at night.
When the McGill researchers gave older rats melatonin, it helped regulate their sleep. Their bones became denser, less brittle and more flexible.3
The link between low melatonin and fractures has been proven in real women. Harvard researchers studied more than 38,000 postmenopausal women. They found that those who had worked night shifts for long periods of time had more wrist and hip fractures. The night work disturbed their melatonin secretion.4
Your body produces melatonin naturally. But by the time you reach 50 or 60 you produce only a fraction of the melatonin you did when you were 20 years old. Your levels also drop with stress and if you take beta blockers, aspirin, or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
My 4-Part Plan to Build Strong Bones
I help patients build strong bones naturally by increasing melatonin. Here’s what you can do:
1. Keep your bedroom dark. Any light at all, no matter how little, can disrupt the production of melatonin. Lights in the room while you sleep can suppress melatonin by more than 50%. So get rid of the night light. And if you can’t get your room completely dark, wear a sleep mask.
2. But get some sunshine. Spending time outdoors each day in natural sunlight triggers melatonin. Your pineal gland stimulates production of the hormone as the sun sets and lights dim. Melatonin then signals your body that the sun has gone down and it’s time to prepare for sleep.
3. Eat melatonin-rich foods. Tropical fruits help boost your levels of melatonin. Pineapples, bananas, and oranges can more than double your blood levels.
And tart cherries contain up to 13.5 nanograms (ng) of melatonin per gram. That’s more than the level usually found in the bloodstream. Tart cherry juice has been found to increase sleep time by 34 minutes. It can also speed up falling asleep in just seven days.5 Drink 8 ounces in the morning and two hours before bed.
4. Take melatonin supplements. I recommend you start with 0.5 mg and work your way up to 3 mg a day. But get the right kind…
When you take melatonin by mouth, it breaks down in the liver. Most of it never gets to the bloodstream. Look for a spray, drops, or a sublingual that melts under your tongue. It’s easier to absorb and works fast. Take it 20 minutes before you want to fall asleep.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD, CNS
1. Tamminen I, Yli-Kyyny T, Isaksson H, Turunen M, Tong X, Jurvelin J, Kröger H. “Incidence And Bone Biopsy Findings of Atypical Femoral Fractures.” J Bone Miner Metab. 2013.
2. Lenart B, Lorich D, Lane J, et. al. “Atypical Fractures Of The Femoral Diaphysis in Postmenopausal Women Taking Alendronate.” NEJM. 2008.
3. Isabel F Tresguerres, Faleh Tamimi, Hazem Eimar,et al. “Melatonin dietary supplement as an anti-aging therapy for age-related bone loss.” Rejuvenation Research. 2014.
4. D. Feskanich, S. E. Hankinson, and E. S. Schernhammer, “Nightshift work and fracture risk. The Nurses’ Health Study.” Osteoporosis International. 2009.
5. Howatson G, Bell PG, Tallent J, Middleton B, McHugh MP, Ellis J. “Effect of tart cherry juice (Prunus cerasus) on melatonin levels and enhanced sleep quality.” Eur J Nutr. 2012.