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I want to talk about something that’s been frustrating me for years: how we’re diagnosing osteopenia and osteoporosis. It’s not just outdated—it’s disempowering. Women are being scared into believing they’re fragile and breakable, and it’s all based on technology and methods that are decades old. That stops here. In this episode, I’m sharing why we need to rethink bone health and how you can take charge of your body and your bones.
When it comes to bone health, we’re doing it all wrong. From the moment you get a diagnosis, the system sets you up to feel powerless. I’m here to help you flip the script.
- DEXA Scans: The Flawed Gold Standard We’re still using DEXA scans to diagnose bone health, even though they’re based on 40-year-old technology that can be wrong up to 70% of the time. Worse, the focus is on bone density—not bone strength or quality, which are what really matter when it comes to fracture prevention.
- Fear Is the Real Danger Words like “severe osteoporosis” scare women into moving less, which only accelerates bone loss. Doctors sometimes even make comments like, “You’ll break a hip within the year,” which only adds to the fear. That’s unacceptable. Fear isn’t just disempowering—it’s harmful.
- The Why vs. The What The medical system is obsessed with the “what” (osteopenia or osteoporosis) and managing it with pills. But that doesn’t address the “why” behind bone loss—like poor gut health, inflammation, or lifestyle factors. Until we dig into the why, we’re stuck chasing symptoms instead of solving the problem.
- A New Way Forward I’m a huge advocate for the REMS ultrasound, a tool that measures bone strength and quality rather than just density. And I can’t say enough about functional medicine—it’s a game changer for finding the root causes of bone loss and building a personalized plan to reverse it.
- It’s All About Lifestyle Let’s focus on what really works: a lifestyle approach. Your bones are built from the foods you eat, but they can’t get there without a healthy gut. Movement matters too—your bones need resistance to get stronger. And don’t forget about managing stress, sleeping well, and optimizing digestion. When you address these areas, you’ll feel stronger—not just physically, but mentally and emotionally too.
Why This Episode Matters:
If you’ve ever felt scared, frustrated, or overwhelmed by a diagnosis of osteopenia or osteoporosis, I recorded this episode for you. You are not fragile, and you are not powerless. You can take control of your bone health, starting today, by understanding what’s wrong with the current system and making empowered, informed choices.Actionable Insights:
- Demand Better Diagnostics: Look into the REMS ultrasound—it’s a much better tool for understanding your bone health.
- Dig Into Your Why: Work with a functional medicine practitioner to uncover the root causes of your bone loss.
- Build a Bone-Friendly Lifestyle: Eat nutrient-rich foods, focus on gut health, move your body daily, and manage your stress.
- Advocate for Yourself: Build a respectful partnership with your doctor, but don’t be afraid to explore alternative approaches that work for you.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Oxalates, also known as oxalic acid, are naturally occurring compounds found in many plants, vegetables, and fruits. They are part of a plant’s defense mechanism against predators and can be found in high concentrations in foods like spinach, rhubarb, beets, nuts, chocolate, tea, and certain beans.
Regarding bone health, oxalates can bind to minerals such as calcium in the gut, forming calcium oxalate. This compound is not easily absorbed by the body, meaning the calcium that could have been utilized for bone strengthening is instead excreted. This process can potentially lead to lower calcium availability for bone health, which can be particularly concerning for individuals at risk of osteoporosis or other bone-related issues.
However, for most women, dietary oxalates do not pose a significant threat to bone health, especially if their diet is balanced with enough calcium and they do not have a history of kidney stones.
Your gut is crucial for stronger bones for several reasons:
- Nutrient Absorption: The gut is where most nutrient absorption occurs. For bones to be healthy and strong, they need a variety of nutrients, particularly calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and vitamin D. A healthy gut efficiently absorbs these essential nutrients from your diet and facilitates their transportation to the bones.
- Gut Microbiome and Bone Health: Research has shown that the gut microbiome (the community of bacteria living in your intestines) can influence bone density. Certain gut bacteria help in producing short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) like butyrate, which have been shown to promote bone health. SCFAs can enhance the absorption of minerals necessary for bone strength and play a role in reducing inflammation, which can negatively affect bone health.
- Hormone Regulation: The gut helps regulate hormones that are involved in bone metabolism, including insulin, thyroid hormones, and sex hormones like estrogen. For example, estrogen is vital for bone density, and gut health can influence estrogen levels through the enterohepatic circulation, where estrogens are processed in the liver and intestines.
- Reducing Inflammation: Chronic inflammation, which can stem from poor gut health, is linked to many conditions that compromise bone strength, such as osteoporosis. A healthy gut helps to reduce systemic inflammation, protecting bones from inflammatory damage.
- Immune System Modulation: The majority of the immune system is located in the gut. An imbalance in the immune system can lead to autoimmune conditions, some of which affect the bones. Maintaining gut health helps to ensure the immune system works correctly, protecting against autoimmune reactions that could impact bone health.
In essence, maintaining a healthy gut contributes significantly to stronger bones by ensuring the effective absorption of vital nutrients, regulating hormones, reducing inflammation, and supporting a healthy immune system. Therefore, a diet rich in bone-healthy nutrients, prebiotics, and probiotics, along with lifestyle factors that promote gut health, is key to maintaining strong bones.