Osteoporosis is a slow-moving, chronic bone disease in which bone destruction exceeds bone production. In osteoporosis, the bone tissue is weakened to such an extent that it is less resistant to stress and therefore breaks more quickly. One in three women and one in twelve men experience it. Good nutrition, exercise and additional supplementation with nutrients and herbs contribute to the prevention of osteoporosis.

Major risk factors for osteoporosis and bone fractures include:

• Aging (from 40-45 years);
• (Post)menopause (estrogen drop): around menopause, bone resorption increases by up to 85%;
• Low testosterone levels (in men);
• Predisposition (previous bone fracture in the immediate family);
• Use of corticosteroids, antidepressants (SSRIs), anticonvulsants, antacids (proton pump inhibitors), heparin, cyclosporine and other medications that affect bone quality;
• Little exercise;
• Tendency to fall (due to muscle weakness or balance problems); low muscle mass;
• Thin build, underweight;
• Smoking, high alcohol intake, high caffeine intake, high salt consumption;
• Non-optimal nutritional status (too much or too little calcium, vitamin D and other nutrients important for bone metabolism).

Food supplements and culinary herbs

Oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPC) from grape seeds inhibited bone resorption in an animal model of osteoporosis, partly by scavenging free radicals and inhibiting proteolytic enzymes involved in bone resorption. Pomegranate extract has a higher antioxidant activity than red wine or green tea and also has a beneficial effect on bone metabolism in an animal model of postmenopause.Furthermore, culinary herbs such as turmeric, sage, dill, parsley, rosemary and thyme have been shown to inhibit bone resorption in an animal model of postmenopausal osteoporosis. Turmeric inhibits the activation of NF-kappaB, which is associated with inflammatory diseases such as osteoporosis.Other herbs and spices known to also significantly inhibit NF-kappaB activation and thus possibly prevent osteoporosis are ginger (gingerol), garlic (diallyl sulfide, ajoene), cloves (eugenol), cumin, anise, fennel. , basil and rosemary. In in-vitro research, an ethanol extract of cinnamon (Cinnamomum cassia) significantly increased the activity of osteoblasts (bone formers).

Medicinal herbs

Regular (synthetic) medications against osteoporosis have some side effects; safer, natural alternatives are desirable. Various medicinal herbs (extracts) have had a significant bone-sparing effect in animal studies that serve as models for postmenopausal osteoporosis: Maca (Lepidium meyenii), red clover (Trifolium pratense), black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa), the Ayurvedic herb Cissus quadrangularis, the Greek herb Onobrychis ebenoides and the Thai herb Pueraria mirifica. Black cohosh and Pueraria mirifica may also help against bone loss due to low testosterone levels.The Ayurvedic herb Wedelia calendulacea is used in countries such as India and Bangladesh for liver complaints and menorrhagia, among other things. In an animal model of postmenopausal osteoporosis, the ethanol extract of Wedelia calendulacea had significant osteoporosis inhibitory activity. The researchers think that phytoestrogens (isoflavones, wedelolactone) in the herb are responsible for the protective effect.Animal studies have confirmed that various traditional Chinese herbal formulas significantly protect against osteoporosis. These include formulas such as Dae-Bo-Won-Chun, Shu Di Shan Zha, Shen Gu, Kami-kihi-to and others. An animal study also showed that traditional Chinese and Japanese herbal formulas (Unkei-to, Hachimijiogan, Juzen-taiho-to), which have been used for centuries for gynecological disorders, could completely counteract the accelerated bone loss caused by oophorectomy. The herbs are probably as effective as 17β-estradiol.According to Western scientific standards, the herbs mentioned have not yet been sufficiently researched and human studies are not yet available. More research into active ingredients, mechanism of action, safety and clinical effectiveness is therefore needed.

Some scientific studies

• Phytother Res. 2001 Feb;15(1):53-7. Antiosteoporotic activity of Dae-Bo-Won-Chun in ovariectomized rats.
• Effect of ethanol extract or Lepidium meyenii Walp. on osteoporosis in ovariectomized rat. Journal of ethnopharmacology. 2006 April 21, v. 105, issue 1-2
• J Reprod Med. 2003 Sep;48(9):729-34. Unkei-to for correcting luteal phase defects.
• J Ethnopharmacol. 2009 Jul 15;124(2):176-81. Hachimijiogan (Ba-Wei-Di-Huang-Wan), a herbal medicine, improves unbalance of calcium metabolism in aged rats. This herbal mixture contains Rehmannia and Astragalus root