Just One Pill a Week For Strong Bones... Oh Sure!

That one pill a week could be the straw that broke your bones! Fosamax is one of the most popular osteoporosis prescribed drugs and making billions for Merck drug company but is it really effective? Another drug that functions by shutting down one part of the body to overproduce another part. Is that Healthy?  What really happens?

The Fosamax web site advises patients who use this drug to stay fully upright for at least 30 minutes after swallowing a dose. This is necessary to help the pill reach the stomach quickly, otherwise the dose may irritate or even ulcerate the esophagus, prompting heartburn and possible chest pain.

But once Fosamax gets to the stomach and enters the blood stream, some users may wish they'd never swallowed it at all.

This past January (2008), the FDA sent an alert to physicians stating that biophosphonates like Fosamax may cause severe bone pain. But the Fosamax web site takes that warning even further, telling patients who use the drug to contact their doctor in the event of "severe bone, joint, and/or muscle pain."

Biophosphonates increase bone density by tinkering with a remarkable process that keeps bones strong and healthy. We tend to think of bones as static structures, hard as rock, but in fact our bones are alive with a constant turnover of osteoblast cells (which increase bone density) and osteoclast cells (which remove bone). When biophosphonates intrude on this process - boosting osteoblasts by removing osteoclasts - the complex natural balance is put at risk.

How much risk? According to Dr. Joseph Lane of Cornell Medical College, this drug that's supposed to protect bones may actually increase fracture risk.

Based on previous research that shows a potential link between prolonged biophosphonate use and increased risk of thighbone fracture, the Cornell team examined a group of fifteen women who had used Fosamax for an average of about five years. Each of the subjects had also experienced a thighbone fracture. Dr. Lane's analysis showed that ten subjects had a similar, very specific type of fracture. Among these ten, Fosamax had been used for an average of more than seven years.

Dr. Lane explains to HealthDay News that slower bone turnover caused by biophosphonate use may prompt a gradual microdamage in the thighbone. Over time this damage slowly takes its toll, making some patients susceptible to fracture when they experience a fall ? even a very light fall from a standing position.

And then Dr. Lane tells HealthDay exactly what we've come to expect in studies that put a popular medication in a very poor light: Patients who take Fosamax should keep taking it. And he adds: "This is a great drug that does wonderful things."

Right. Please ignore the heartburn, bone pain, and broken legs. (The HealthDay article also notes that Fosamax was recently linked to increased risk of irregular heartbeat.)

But after Dr. Lane completes his genuflection to this wonderful drug, he makes a suggestion that reveals something closer to reality: He tells HealthDay that women who use Fosamax for a long period and have low bone turnover might want to talk to their doctor about taking a "bone holiday," and discontinue use for a year.

The Romantic Fruit
  
Tis the season for this romantic little fruit! This fruit is probably the most often used fruit for romantic interludes.  Some chocolate covered others simply fresh? Little do they know how healthy strawberries are...Well maybe less chocolate would make them healthier!

This time of year finds a lot of these little romantic fruits in our home, but not for long. We have a small strawberry patch that gives us a bowl full ever few day and taste so much sweeter than the ones the store bought ones. Of course ours has seen no fertilizers, chemicals or pesticides, which assures healthy and tasteful nutrients.
  
This time of year Strawberries begin to make their way onto many tables in the form of strawberry pie, shortcake and mixed with other fruits as smoothies or pureed and added to fruit punch. Making for a great sweets treat year round when frozen. Our grandkids love the berries frozen whole to eat like candy, which makes for a healthy body and strong teeth as well as regular bowel habits.
  
 Strawberries contain these teeny tiny seeds that make up their mystic and crunchiness. These berries carry a huge portion of antioxidants. The nutrients known to prevent and/or kill cancers of various types. Loaded with minerals and vitamins that is healthy for every body!
  
Berries of many kinds have been used for centuries as a diarrhea and anemia treatment. Leading me to believe berries and in this instance strawberries are very important in preventing a host of problems.
  
Horticulturists have always known that a seed holds the embryo of new life. Scientists are confirming that berry seeds contain high levels of life prolonging Essential Fatty Acids or EFA?s, just as effective as other EFA bearing nuts and fish, known to be an effective protection against heart disease, diabetes and cancer.
  
Alternative Medicine has always said that health starts in the Intestinal system with absorbing and distributing nutrients through out the body. If in a healthy state the intestinal system has the ability to move along toxins before they can damage the body and the faster this happens the better for your health. Speedy removal of toxins and dissemination of nutrients happen when the intestines contain the proper amounts of probiotic bacteria and the proper fiber is introduced, and these tiny little strawberry seeds assist the probiotics in moving things along swiftly.
  
EFA's and Your Health
  
Essential fatty acids (EFA) found in berry seeds are linoleic, alpha linolenic and oleic acids. EFA's are abundant in the seed oil of berries. Also is a very rich source of alpha and gamma tocopherol as well as y-tocopherol. This tocopherol or Vitamin E rich composition is said to be important in the prevention of degenerative disease such as diabetes. Previous testing established the presence of ellagic acid, a cancer fighting polyphenolic, found and concentrated primarily in the teeny tiny seeds of the berries. Medical research programs studying ellagic acid and demonstrated its ability to inhibit the number and size of chemically induced tumors of the esophagus of rats. (Stoner and Mukhtar, 1995).
  
Fresh strawberries have a delicious naturally sweet taste but there's only about 50 calories in a whole cup! Strawberries are highly nutritious. Eight medium size fresh berries contains about 150% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin C and 20% of folate. They're also high in potassium and a good source of dietary fiber.
  
Choose strawberries with a bright red color and fresh green caps. Since strawberries do not continue to ripen after they've been picked, don't buy berries that are partly white and unripe. The size of a strawberry is not a factor in determining the sweetness or taste. That's determined by the variety of strawberry, weather and growing conditions, and the degree of ripeness when picked. Fully ripe berries, large or small will be equally sweet and flavorful.
  
Do not wash fresh strawberries or remove the caps until you're ready to eat them or use them in a recipe. Store strawberries in a covered container in the refrigerator and use them as soon as possible after you buy them. To wash strawberries, place them in a large strainer or colander and rinse with cool water. Remove their green caps with the point of a paring knife or gently twist and pull them off.
  
 Fresh Strawberry Pie
  
 1 quart strawberries - washed and hulled
 1 T. lemon juice
 1/2 cup sugar
 1 T. cornstarch
 1 baked pie shell
 whipped cream or whipped topping
  
Preparation -
Crush 1 cup strawberries in a food processor or blender. Pour the crushed berries in a saucepan. Add the lemon juice, sugar, & cornstarch. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thickened and clear. Remove from heat & chill. Fill pie shell with whole strawberries and when mixture has cooled pour over strawberries or you can add the strawberries to cooled mixture then pour into pre-baked pie shell. Chill for 1 to 2 hours before serving. Top individual servings with whipped cream or whipped topping. Enjoy!
  
Not only a healthy food but a healthy teeth whitener! A safer alternative to brighten your teeth, you can try this simple trick:
Crush one ripe strawberry and mix it with 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda.
Spread the mixture onto your teeth and leave on for five minutes.
Brush your teeth with a little toothpaste (non-fluoride, of course) and rinse.

This natural mixture works because of the malic acid it contains, which acts as an astringent to remove some of the surface discoloration on your teeth. Though this method is perfectly safe to use on occasion, don't use it too often (no more than once a week) because the acid could potentially damage your tooth enamel.
Lena