09/23/2018 / By Janine Acero
Osteoporosis is the most common type of bone disease. There are numerous medications and treatments for it, but various natural remedies have yet to be fully explored. In line with this, a new research published in the African Journal of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicines featured some medicinal plants that exhibited potential bone-improving properties without the side effects of conventional medications.
Osteoporosis, which means “porous bone,” is a condition wherein there is an increased bone weakness due to reduced bone density and mass. This makes the bones fragile and brittle, and prone to fracture from accidents such as a fall, or even from minor knocks (in advanced cases). Bone breakage is particularly common in the hip, spine, and wrist. Osteoporosis is often called a silent disease because the sufferer will not feel their bones weakening.
Osteoporosis occurs when the body fails to form enough new bone in place of old ones, or too much old bone tissue was reabsorbed. Sufficient amounts of the minerals calcium and phosphate in the body are essential for normal bone production. Otherwise, the bones may become weaker and affect a person’s overall quality of life.
Advanced osteoporosis is characterized by height loss or gradual curving of the spine, which often leads to a stooped or hunched posture. Majority of osteoporosis sufferers are women aged 50 years and older.
In the study titled Osteoprotective Medicinal Plants – Part 1 (A Human Clinical Evidence-based Review), eight medicinal plants were analyzed for their potential bone-enhancing properties and their abilities to accelerate fracture healing:
The medicinal plants that have been included in clinical studies showed potential in promoting bone formation and acceleration of bone healing in osteoporosis. The results could promote more natural remedies to be the preferred treatments over conventional osteoporosis medications.
Want to know the different ways to naturally heal the body? Head on to ChineseMedicine.news to find out more.
Sources include:
Journals.SFU.ca [PDF]
Tagged Under: alternative medicine, bone density, bone health, bone mass, broken bones, Fractures, herbal medicine, Herbs, medicinal plants, natural medicine, natural remedies, Natural Treatments, osteoporosis, treatments for osteoporosis
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