Bare Bones
As they get older, so many of my patients start to worry about osteoporosis. Unfortunately, a lot of doctors jump the gun and prescribe patients -- especially older women -- drugs that are supposed to prevent bone loss the minute they hit 50 (and sometimes even earlier). But recent research has shown that some of those drugs can actually cause additional bone problems that are just as serious, like jaw decay.
In fact, researchers have linked one drug in particular, called Fosamax, to more than 2,400 cases of jaw decay. Similar results were seen in patients who took different drugs in the same class as Fosamax, called biophosphonates. The problem was especially common among cancer patients who received biophosphonates through an IV to treat bone tumors or excessive calcium in their blood.
Another study showed that after five years on Fosamax, some women's bones were actually in worse shape than before. This probably happened because the drug works by getting in the middle of the body's bone maintenance system, which consists of a simultaneous building up and breaking down process. But the drug only enhances the building part of the process. So in some people -- and we don't know how to identify them before it happens -- the drug actually causes things to go haywire, resulting in excess breakdown of bone.
Now get this: Research tells us that to prevent one hip fracture in women who already have osteoporosis, you'd have to treat 100 women with Fosamax for 3 1/2 years at a cost of $300,000. That's just to prevent one hip fracture among 100 women! I call that needle-in-the-haystack medicine.
These results are discouraging and scary. Doctors should definitely be wary of prescribing these drugs. Whenever possible, the best way to cure bone loss will always be to stop it before it starts.
That's why I can't stress enough the importance of getting the right amounts of calcium (about 1,200 mg) and magnesium (600 mg) every day. Even more important than calcium, though, is vitamin D (1,000 IU of the D3 form every day). As we age, our bodies' ability to make vitamin D decreases, so supplementation is essential, in addition to a vitamin D-rich diet and getting enough (but not too much) sunlight exposure. And vitamin D plays a vital role in helping your body absorb the calcium that your bones need to stay strong.
A few good ways of getting your vitamin D include eating fatty fish like salmon or mackerel a few times a week and spending a safe, healthy amount of time in the sun (about 20 to 30 minutes, three to five days a week, with a bare face and arms and no sunscreen). And if you live north of the Mason-Dixon line, you should also take vitamin D supplements from November to March, since the sunlight just isn't intense enough in the winter to make a difference, no matter how long you spend outdoors.
As far as getting your calcium, in addition to taking supplements, yogurt, milk, orange juice, salmon, cheeses, and oysters are all good foods to try.
Vitamins for your outsides
Even I've been known to fret over gray hairs, and I don't have many patients over 60 who don't wish they could get rid of liver spots and skin discolorations.
Well, we don't just have to sit back and watch as our youth passes us by -- and you don't have to undergo painful surgeries to hold on to at least some of your charms. I know some nutrients and natural remedies you can use to clear up a few minor blemishes, and take a few years off your face in the process.
Topical vitamin K -- Research has actually shown that topical vitamin K can help diminish the dark circles and bags that appear under our eyes as we age. Some people inherit this problem. For others, too little sleep can be the culprit, or can just make an already existing problem worse.
Try the Reviva Vitamin K Cream from Life Extension Foundation (which you can get from www.lef.org), or Vitamin K Dark Circle Diminisher from St. Ives, which you should be able to find at your local drugstore.
Topical vitamin C -- Topical vitamin C can protect your skin from damage caused by prolonged sun exposure. It also has a little palm oil added in, which enhances your skin's ability to absorb the vitamin C.
This stuff also fights off the free radicals that cause premature aging and even cancer. It's known to decrease fine lines and wrinkles and lessen the severity of sunburn. Try the dermatologist-designed products by Clinical Creations. You can find them at Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Sephora, or online at www.clinicalcreations.com. If you don't have a computer, call (888)823-7837.
These products are pretty pricey, but if you can afford it, then the results are definitely worth it. Topical vitamin A -- Vitamin A-based creams (usually available by prescription) have been shown to reduce the fine facial lines from sun damage and aging. Retin-A is the most popular product, but it can cause skin irritations and sun sensitivity. Renova is less irritating and has the same active ingredient -- tretinoin -- which helps speed up the replacement of old, damaged skin cells with new cells. Both of these are available by prescription only.
As always, I recommend that you work with an experienced dermatologist who can help guide you.
A whole lot of dieting with little to show for it
I've talked before about how fad diets rarely work, especially for the long term. And yet, for some reason, people keep on trying them. But slowly it seems like Americans are starting to see how fruitless these diets really are.
A recent survey by the Pew Research Center shows that about a quarter of all American adults are currently on some kind of diet. But on average, most of the dieters are still 29 pounds heavier than they would like to be. Many of them feel that their diets just aren't working, and many admit that even though they're dieting, they're not exercising enough -- or at all.
I know it's no fun to hear it -- especially since you hear it from me all the time -- but those extra pounds aren't just going to slide off simply because you're on the trendiest new diet, I don't care what they're doing in the Hamptons or South Beach. And when these fad diets don't keep their promises, most people just give up. Meanwhile, no one is reinforcing the right kind of weight loss -- a healthy diet and plenty of exercise.
One book that I do swear by is Eat, Drink, and Weigh Less: A Flexible Way to Shrink your Waist Without Going Hungry, by Dr. Walter Willet. This book -- and Dr. Willet's advice -- is based on the best available science, and it'll help you figure out the healthiest weight loss strategy that works for you. He doesn't talk about dieting. Instead he focuses on a healthy way of eating that you can enjoy for the rest of your life.
