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On this week’s episode of the Stronger Bones Lifestyle Podcast, I welcome back one of the most popular and thought-provoking guests, Dr. Jeff Gross, to dive deep into a topic that affects every single one of us: the broken healthcare system.
For too long, many patients have walked into their doctor’s office only to be handed a prescription and sent on their way. Pills over prevention, quick fixes over root-cause solutions. But why is this the default model of care, and what can we do about it?
How Did We Get Here?
Dr. Gross explains that the system’s cracks run deep, stretching back to how medicine has been taught for over a century. From the Flexner Report of the early 1900s to the rise of Big Pharma’s influence in medical education, physicians have been trained to look for diseases and match them with drugs or surgeries—rather than explore lifestyle, nutrition, stress, and prevention.
Evidence-Based or Evidence-Biased?
The conversation highlights how the term “evidence-based medicine” has been misused. While randomized, double-blind trials are considered gold standard, they don’t always reflect real-world complexity. Doctors often rely on observation, experience, and critical thinking to guide care—yet much of that has been overshadowed by insurance restrictions and pharma-driven research.
The Patient Experience: Pills, Pressure, and “Kool-Aid”
Too often, women (especially those 50+) are pressured into bone drugs like bisphosphonates, Prolia, or hormone therapies without being given all their options. Some even feel bullied by their doctors into treatment with fear-based tactics. Dr. Gross reminds us that true medical practice should be about partnership, informed consent, and options—not scare tactics or 10-minute encounters dictated by EMRs.
The Economics of a Broken System
From shrinking Medicare reimbursements to insurance companies dictating care, both doctors and patients are trapped in a system designed around profit, not people. Dr. Gross and Debi discuss how concierge and direct-pay models are growing—offering more personalized care, though often at a higher price point. For many, a high-deductible, catastrophic insurance plan plus investing in prevention may be the smarter way forward.
Prevention as Power
At the heart of this discussion is a call for patients to take charge of their health. Instead of waiting for a diagnosis and a prescription, focus on:
- Lifestyle habits: Sleep, stress management, movement, and nutrition.
- Functional medicine approaches: Looking for the why behind symptoms.
- Prevention over reaction: Investing in wellness tools like infrared saunas, high-quality supplements, or regenerative therapies.
Key Takeaway
The healthcare system may be broken, but your health is still in your hands. By questioning, learning, and seeking out physicians willing to think critically (and beyond the pill), you can chart a path that supports long-term bone health, vitality, and well-being.
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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.