If you've been prescribed an osteoporosis drug such as Fosamax, Actonel or Boniva, it is very important that you understand how these drugs work before putting them into your body.

Web MD describes biphosphonate drugs as:

"antiresorptive medicines, which means they slow or stop the natural process that dissolves bone tissue, resulting in maintained or increased bone density and strength."

I'm sorry to say, you're only getting half the story here. Using these types of pharmaceutical drugs is the worst way to attempt to treat or prevent osteoporosis and I'll tell you why.

Even though they will increase your bone density, these drugs are poison!

They work by killing off certain cells in your bones called osteoclasts. Osteoclasts destroy the bone as part of the natural bone regeneration process. Killing off these cells means you are left with only osteoblasts, which will increase bone density but not bone strength.

As a result, your bones lose their natural ability to build new bone and readjust to the constantly changing forces applied.

Now you have thicker bones with less strength, which actually increases your risk of bone fractures. Additionally, these drugs have been linked to some terrible side effects, including increased risk of ulcers and:

• Eye problems such as blurry vision, pain and swelling
• Thigh bone fractures and osteonecrosis of the jaw
• Liver damage and renal (kidney) failure
• Atrial fibrillation
• Esophageal cancer
• Hypocalcemia (blood calcium levels are too low)

Another disturbing fact?

Fosomax is in the same chemical class (phosphonate) as the soap scum cleaner you use in your bathroom! I'm sorry to say, it isn't surprising that the pharmaceutical companies have never put that little tidbit of information on your prescription drug label.

Steer Clear of Steroids

According to a study done at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, there is a strong link between osteoporosis and the use of steroids:

"High-dose cortisone is the second most common cause of osteoporosis, and we currently have no real treatment for this serious side effect," says senior author Steven L. Teitelbaum, M.D., Messing Professor of Pathology and Immunology.

"Given how frequently these drugs are used to treat many different conditions, that's a major clinical problem."

The conclusion of the study revealed that although the steroid cortisone appears to inhibit the ability of osteoclasts to dismantle old bones in genetically normal mice, the inability of the skeletal structure to renew itself may cause bones to weaken dramatically from aging and stress.

If you suffer from an autoimmune disease such as rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, multiple sclerosis or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, click on the links above for natural alternatives for healing.

On the other hand there is one steroid hormone that will likely help build bone and that is progesterone. Many pre and post menopausal women are deficient in this important hormone.

• Gluten Intolerance and Bone Loss
• Is your stomach often upset?
• Chronic gas, nausea, bloating, diarrhea, constipation and brain fog could all be signs of an undiagnosed gluten intolerance.

Gluten is a protein found in grains such as wheat, rye and barley. According to statistics from the University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center, an average of one out of every 133 otherwise healthy people in the United States suffer from celiac disease (CD) but previous studies have found this number could be as high as 1 in 33 in at-risk populations.