Researchers have discovered evidence that points to vitamin C potentially protecting bones from osteoporosis, medical studies suggest, quoting findings from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. This discovery may suggest another possible alternative treatment for osteoporosis for patients who doubt Fosamax's effectiveness after three years.As a chronic, age-related disease that weakens the bones in men and women alike, there have been relatively few medications that prevents osteoporosis but virtually none that guarantees a cure; hence, current treatment methods for this condition most often focuses on prevention rather than curing it.
According to the lead researcher Prof. Mone Zaidi, the potential benefits of this therapeutic method for patients suffering with this disease makes the effort of exploring the profound implications of these research findings well worth it. He is a professor of medicine specializing in endocrinology, diabetes, structural and chemical biology and bone disease. He is also the head director of the Mount Sinai Bone Program.
It has long been theorized that taking high doses of vitamin C and maintaining such high levels may lead to denser bone mass and prevent osteoporosis; whereas low levels of vitamin C has always been known to cause brittle bones and scurvy. Vitamin C is thought to stimulate osteoblasts to differentiate into mature bone cells.
The research group focused on studying laboratory mice who had ovaries that were removed, which is known to cause bone brittleness. The mice who received ovariectomies were divided into two sub-groups -- with one fed a steady diet of high dosage vitamin C for over eight weeks and another without. They measured bone mineral density of the operated mice in the lumbar spine, femur, and tibia bones with those of the unoperated control mice.
The operated mice who received vitamin C had roughly similar bone mineral density levels with the control mice. By contrast, the mice with an ovariectomy that were not given vitamin C had significantly lower bone mineral densities than both the control mice and operated mice fed on vitamin C.
The study group acknowledges the need for further research to find more dietary supplements that may provide other benefits for patients. The findings of these studies could be significant to patients on the lower end of the economic margin who find buying medication to be expensive and scarce.
For more information on osteoporosis and Fosamax updates, check out the Fosamax femur lawsuit web blog.
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