Four decades ago I became fascinated with how we gain, maintain, and lose bone mass and bone strength. As a young anthropologist I was struck by the fact that so many individuals in our culture experienced needless low-trauma fractures, yet osteoporotic fractures were uncommon in many other parts of the world. Further, why did so many humans experience needless fracture while every other animal on the planet effortlessly maintained lifelong bone strength?
It was my enduring passion for understanding the essence of bone health and the reasons behind our lack of bone health that led me to establish the Center for Better Bones and the Better Bones Foundation. Over the decades we have worked with thousands of individuals, helping them, case by case, to rebuild and maintain bone strength. At the same time, we have written more than a thousand articles and have produced hundreds of videos—all this with the goal of rethinking osteoporosis . . . its true nature, true causes, and best treatment. This comprehensive rethinking led to the development of our revolutionary, natural Better Bones, Better Body® Program for maximizing bone strength.
To synthesize this learning and experience, I give you “My 10 Truths about Osteoporosis.” I call these 10 statements The Better Bones Revolution Manifesto, and they evolved from decades of rethinking osteoporosis through research and clinical practice. These 10 points summarize what I see as the cutting-edge “Truths” about osteoporosis.
I invite you to sit down with a cup of bone-building green tea and ponder my 10 truths about osteoporosis. I’d love to hear your own truths about osteoporosis, as well as hearing your response to mine.
There is a vast intelligence and order to nature, with a harmony in the way things develop and function. When we listen to this intelligence we can harness the power of nature to heal.
The human body is a supremely complex, constantly interacting intelligent system – a carefully woven fabric of intelligence and information on its own. Our bodies seek well being and survival, doing the best they can under the conditions presented them. This incredibly complex network of self-repair is at work in your body right now at this very moment – and you don’t even have to lift a finger.
It isn’t natural or inevitable for bones to weaken excessively or fracture as we age. With the right support, our skeletons can remain strong and fully functional throughout our entire lifespan – just as nature intended.
Often, simply by the way we live, our medical treatments, the illnesses we have, and the food we eat (or don’t eat), we unwittingly limit bone health. Most often, the loss of bone mass represents a positive coping mechanism on the part of the body. Bone mass is being sacrificed to maintain many internal biochemical balances essential for the body’s survival.
With careful study of each individual case, including appropriate medical testing, the causes of excessive bone loss can most frequently be identified and steps can be taken to deal with these root causes.
Bone is living tissue that is constantly in a state of self-repair. If we give our skeleton the support it needs to fulfill all its many functions, our bones will, in most cases, maintain adequate strength lifelong.
Bone drugs can cause more severe side effects and have fewer benefits than often stated. Bone drugs should be used only after all natural options have been explored and only when truly necessary.
Given that the body is one single interwoven, intelligent system, every action we take to strengthen our bones should also be good for our entire body and as such will increase our overall health and enjoyment of life. This is the Better Bones, Better Body® philosophy.
Today, more than ever, science is uncovering the many nutritional, lifestyle, and environmental factors that provide for the full expression of lifelong bone health.
By taking heart and taking action, each of us can use this knowledge to stay strong and healthy, creating Better Bones and a Better Body.