Customer Reviews

Preventing and Reversing Osteoporosis : What You Can Do About Bone Loss--A Leading Expert's Natural Approach to Increasing Bone Mass

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This book offers advice that you won't hear from the average doctor. Every patient with osteoporosis has already heard the advice "take more calcium and excercise more", but this author suggests that in addition to adhering to that advice, folks should also take additional mineral supplements (including strontium, boron, and several others, many of which the author documents to be at least as important as calcium in building bone density). The author also explains exactly why progesterone (not progestin) is a good thing to take and documents its lack of side effects (which I'm happy to report has been my experience). No one had ever told me there are natural compounds other than calcium which are important (perhaps crucial!) to building and maintaining strong bones. I am so grateful I stumbled upon this book.

I found out at age 28 that I had osteoporosis. Within a couple of years of reading this book and following its advice, my bones have actually become denser and I have had no fractures. I am happy to say that thanks to this author I have been able to avoid taking bone-building drugs, many of which can have strong side effects.

Your bones will thank you for reading this book!!

This is an excellent resource geared toward a nutritional approach to osteoporosis and bone health. Gaby delves in detail into each vitamin and mineral (and hormone) crucial to the building and maintaining of bone, sometimes exhaustively. He cites numerous nutritional studies from reputable medical journals and builds a comprehensive vision of nutrition's role in the prevention or reversal of this terrible condition. What this book isn't, is a holistic program for osteoporosis. Gaby only cursorily mentions the role of exercise and spends less time on the various medications available than other resources. Still, since supplementation, other than calcium and Vitamin D, is often not accorded the role it deserves, this book serves a vital role for persons with this disease. A good investment.

This book is well written, well referenced, comprehensive, thoughtful, and very valuable for anyone with osteoporosis. It's packed with useful information that makes a difference and goes far beyond the standard medical blather of eating dairy products, taking 1500 mg. of calcium a day, taking estrogen, and exercising (and being no more specific than that). Read this book!

The essential ingredients for preventing and reversing osteoporosis are nutrition and exercise. But far too many people are led to believe that the only nutrient required is calcium. In this excellent book Dr. Gaby -- a highly-regarded nutritional expert -- points out the importance of other nutrients including magnesium, boron, vitamin D and other vitamins and minerals. If you are serious about preventing or reversing osteoporosis I beg you to read this book and follow Dr. Gaby's advice.

This book was published in 1995 (so of course was written in about 1993-94) so its information is very out of date. Since that time technology has introduced the BMD bone density scan, and the pharmaceutical industry has developed and promoted the use of bisphosphonates such as Fosamax and Evista. These two developments alone have rendered this book totally out of date and therefore not useful, in my opinion. Also, the information is not evidence-based, most of his recommendations are based on anecdotal and observed results, rather than on scientific studies. What he has to say is interesting, sometimes even fascinating, but is it accurate? For example, his recommendations on caffeine are based on the result of an "experiment" of giving three cups of coffee to five women. I don't consider that evidence-based medical protocol.

A vastly better source of information is The Myth of Osteoporosis, by Gillian Sanson, published in 2003. Her book is exhaustively researched, she cites medical and research studies involving hundreds and thousands of subjects, she covers the newest technologies and medications. The only thing missing from her book (because it was published a few years ago) is the very latest information about the potential dangers of Fosamax and the class-action lawsuits about the death of bone in the jaw that has caused people to have their jaws removed. She provides excellent suggestions for improving bone health, including exercise, dietary changes, supplements, and other ways to beat osteoporosis. She doesn't say that osteoporosis is a myth, she just debunks some of the myths surrounding this condition. I highly recommend this book over the Gaby book.

Of course nutrition is most important and I absorbed a lot of the information about vitamins and minerals needed. He went into so many side issues on womens' health (such as Toxemia during pregnancy) rather than being specific to osteoporosis, which is my main concern right now. I have osteoporosis and am not thinking about getting pregnant at this age. I thought he'd be more direct about exercise and advice along those lines. Doctors speak immediately about Fosamax and I wanted his opinion on that. When the book ended, I felt unsatisified.

This was copyrighted in the early 1990s and there has been a lot of new information about bone density/HRT since that time. It does have thorough, clearly written information about a nutritional approach to preserving bone density.

Even though this book was published in 1994 and thus doesn't include some of the latest research on osteoporosis, I found it incredibly helpful in understanding this disease as well as other health issues I face. Because it addresses other health issues, it helped me to understand how one problem may impact bone health, though it may not necessarily be the direct cause of osteoporosis. I was particularly impressed with the section on food allergies and want to try to implement his elimination diet in some way. I have long suspected that I have some other food allergies and wonder if they might be a contributing factor to the osteoporosis? Since I am also hypothyroid I appreciated his discussion of this issue, also the constant references to absorption and resorption.

It is one of the few health books I have read from cover to cover in the last few months. There is a lot of information in the book. I did occasionally find some of the explanations a bit technical for me, but it showed me that the writer has a good understanding of the topics he discusses, and I am sure they are helpful to other readers. I certainly would not let that stop me from highly recommending this book. I also appreciated his discussion of the medical profession's resistance to alternative healing.

When I found out that I had osteopenia, I conducted extensive research on the Web, looking for solutions. Time and again, "Preventing and Reversing Osteoporosis" surfaced as a highly-recommended source - so often that I decided to start with that book.

I took note of all the recommendations, such as exercise and diet, and I brought the list of recommended supplements to my doctor. He agreed that I should try it.

Two years later, my bone scan score improved dramatically; to the point where I am now considered to have "normal" bone density for my age.

I recommended it very highly.

About six months ago I was told that I had osteopenia and almost went into a panic. This book educated me on the possible ways that this condition could be reversed before more bone loss could occur. The book was clear and concise in discussing natural approaches, nutrition and scientific studies and how to apply them in everyday life to obtain possitive results.