If you have read my book, The Whole-Body Approach to Osteoporosis, you know that I focus on therapeutic targets (especially lab test results) to design bone-strengthening therapy and monitor progress.
One of the tests I look at when evaluating patients with bone loss is the CBC (complete blood count) and specifically the index, RBC (red blood cell) count. People with osteoporosis often have lower RBC counts than individuals with normal bone density. The reason for this seems to be two fold: 1) lower sex hormones, estradiol and testosterone (a risk factor for osteoporosis), in both women and men is correlated to higher bone marrow fat, and 2) chronic systemic inflammation and higher oxidative stress (also risk factors for osteoporosis) lead to a build-up of bone marrow fat and PPAR-
gamma (nuclear) receptors. High levels of bone marrow fat (over 50%) crowds out the hematopoetic stem cells that form RBCs. The PPAR-gamma receptors, when activated, pull a "molecular switch" that converts mesenchymal stem cells into fat cells instead of bone-forming osteoblasts.
One of the tests I look at when evaluating patients with bone loss is the CBC (complete blood count) and specifically the index, RBC (red blood cell) count. People with osteoporosis often have lower RBC counts than individuals with normal bone density. The reason for this seems to be two fold: 1) lower sex hormones, estradiol and testosterone (a risk factor for osteoporosis), in both women and men is correlated to higher bone marrow fat, and 2) chronic systemic inflammation and higher oxidative stress (also risk factors for osteoporosis) lead to a build-up of bone marrow fat and PPAR-
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| More than 50% bone marrow fat (round white objects) in severely osteoporotic bone |
In plain English...this means that low RBCs in people with osteoporosis can mean higher rates of bone loss, lower rates of bone formation, deficient levels of sex hormones, and higher chronic systemic inflammation. Proper therapy not only increases RBC levels over time, but also improves skeletal health and reduces fracture risk.
OsteoNaturals OsteoStim is a unique complex designed to repress PPAR-gamma activity, lower free radicals and oxidative stress (thus, chronic systemic inflammation), reduce osteoclastic bone resorption, stimulate osteoblastic bone formation...and yes, increase RBCs.
