Here's a nice new study from Russia. Only the translated abstract is available to me. Basically it's a randomized controlled trial of a tailored multi-ingredient supplement for prevention of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. There are about 100 women in each of three arms of the trial: 125 getting the supplement, 111 getting only a calcium supplement, and 96 getting nothing. The supplement, called vitrum osteomag - some sort of proprietary formulation I'm sure - contains "600 mg calcium (1500 mg calcium carbonate), 200 IU of cholecalcepherol, 40 mg of magnesium, zinc (7.5 mg), copper (1 mg), manganese (1.8 mg) and boron (250 mcg)." Women taking this stuff did quite well, with an increase in bone mineral density of 1.5% after 12 months. That's really remarkable, in my opinion. Bisphosphonate drugs like Fosamax increase bone mineral density on the same order, a few percentage points. And this supplement probably isn't likely to rip apart your esophagus like Fosamax can. What we're probably looking at is the restoring of subclinical deficiencies of at least some these nutrients. Certainly it's a fact that most people are vitamin D deficient anyway.
Now I'm not saying people shouldn't take, or should stop taking Fosamax. Despite its documented toxicities, it's usually worth it to take it, when one considers the toxicity of death by hip fracture, which probably scores pretty high when one thinks of toxicity in general.
Merck, the manufacturer of Fosamax, in fact has perceived at least some of this reality, and has started including vitamin D along with some preparations of the drug.
More power to them. [Clap clap clap.]
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