What You Should Know About Osteoporosis

The following is an interesting article regarding Osteoporosis written by Junji Takano, a Japanese health researcher involved in investigating the cause of many dreadful diseases. In 1968, he invented PYRO-ENERGEN, the first electrostatic therapy device for electro-medicine that effectively eradicates viral diseases, cancer, and diseases of unknown cause. 
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Reproduced below this article is the comments from the blogger's Great Sifu Dr JB Lim.

When you say "osteoporosis", we immediately think it is caused by lack of calcium. Doctors will recommend you to take more calcium, vitamin D, and sun exposure or sunbath.

However, the latest findings in various hospitals show that the majority of osteoporosis patients are not caused by lack of calcium.

Their bones are complete and absorbing calcium. So what is wrong with them? CT scan results show no signs of osteoporosis, yet, the patients easily suffer from bone fractures. What's going on?

Here, we came to know about a new strain of osteoporosis that was discovered since about two years ago.

The most common type of bone fracture nowadays is "spinal fracture". If spinal fracture occurs, the risk of death is eight times higher than any other type of bone fractures.

What is the reason that bones are weakening? Why do patients suffer from broken spine?

It is an important factor to have bone strength, not just bone density. Bone collagen connective tissues are also an important factor to create flexibility.

Many of us didn't realize this at first sight. In the past, osteoporosis was viewed more on bone strength, and we never hear and realize about these connective tissues.

To improve bone density, it's a common knowledge to do regular exercise and have a higher calcium intake like by eating calcium-rich dried fishes.

But now, we have to think of a new measure to maintain bone collagen connective tissues to have enough flexibility. From this simple measure, you may escape from the risk of death caused by fracture of spinal bones.

To measure or determine strong bone and bone mineral density are not as easy as what you may think.

Clinically, it has to pass various tests.

Well, what is the major cause that leads to reduction of bone collagen connective tissues? Do you believe that it is because of high blood sugar?

The major component of bone, which is about one half of its structure, is calcium, and collagen is the other half. Collagen fibres run through hundreds of bone materials (calcium), and the bones that we know are made.

You can imagine that the bone materials (calcium) are somewhat bonded by collagen and kept with reasonable flexibility. However, when blood sugar increases, the collagen will be joined as if there is an adhesive cement around, and the bone will become brittle.

To avoid the increase of blood sugar, exercise is one of the best things to do. Aside from it, we recommend you to take a balanced diet that contains vitamin B12 and vitamin B6, and foods such as mackerel, sardines, clams, folic acid, broccoli, spinach,garland chrysanthemum, soybeans, and asparagus.

By taking these foods, you can have strong flexible bones.

3 COMMON MYTHS ON OSTEOPOROSIS

1. Myth: Young people should not worry about osteoporosis.

Wrong. You will not realize that you have osteoporosis until you have this condition in advanced stages. That is why it is very important to begin proper nutrition and regular exercise as early as childhood to promote healthy bones.

2. Myth: Only women get osteoporosis.

Wrong. Although less common, men can get osteoporosis, too. 20% of those affected by osteoporosis are men.

3. Myth: Drinking plenty of milk will help you prevent osteoporosis.

Not entirely true. Even though drinking milk is a good way to get calcium, it is not the only factor in preventing osteoporosis. There are others as mentioned in this article.

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Comments from Dr JB Lim:

Sunday, 30 September, 2012 2:35 AM

From: lim juboo

Dear Ir CK,

Thanks for your lecture on clinical nutrition and disease. I thought I left that long, long ago?

Let me add more to your lecture notes.

1. One Japanese study over 35 years ago showed that Japanese girls as young as during their teens already started to lose calcium from their bones. It is thus wrong to believe osteoporosis occurs only in older women after menopause.

2. Osteoporosis has nothing to do with calcium or vitamin D deficiency. There is enough calcium in the diet and in the bones, but because of hormonal imbalance, especially after menopause, the calcium starts to leach out from the bones. It also has nothing to do with inadequate sunlight exposure.

3. Osteoporosis may also be partly due to the lack of exercise especially at old age when males and females become less capable of heavier exercises than younger adults.

4. Osteoporosis may also be due to renal dysfunction when the kidneys cannot reabsorb the calcium leached out in the urine and have them re-deposited back into the bones.

5. Osteoporosis cannot be solved by advising the patient to drink more milk or eating a diet rich in calcium. As already mentioned, there is already enough calcium in the diet. The problem is, the calcium cannot stay put in the bones, but starts to de-mineralize out from the bones into the blood, and out into the urine.

6. Doctors who advice patients to drink more milk, are dead wrong. They only put the patients at risk of hypercalcaemia (elevated calcium in the blood), and renal calculi (kidney stones).

7. The consumption of soya maybe the key in the defenses against osteoporosis. Soya is very rich in isoflavones which is a phytoestrogens. This is a plant oestroge similar in biochemical action to the mammalian oestrogen. That could replace the decline of the women’s own hormone at old age. The parathyroid gland that plays a part in calcium metabolism may need to be studied also, and the role in the development of osteoporosis.

8. Not just that. The isoflavone in the soya, particularly the genistein and daidzein, are able to block the growth of estrogen-receptor positive and negative breast cancer cells.

9. In short, a diet rich in soya (taufu), is breast cancer preventive, as well as protective against osteoporosis.

10. The final 10th point, continue to lead an active physical life at old age, and not just sitting down every day and night watching Chinese and Korean movie, Animal Planet, or NatGeo Wild over Astro, or play with computers or mail to buddies all the time.

Jb

Prime Minister & Bank

Najib walked into a CIMB branch to cash a cheque. He approached the cashier and said, "Good morning, could you please cash this cheque for me?"

Cashier: "It would be my pleasure Sir. Could you please show me your ID?"

Najib: "Well I didn't bring my ID with me as I didn't think there was any need to. I am Najib, the Prime Minister!"

Cashier: "I’m sorry, but with all the regulations, monitoring, of the banks because of impostors and forgers, etc. I must insist on proof of identity."

Najib: "Just ask anyone here at the bank who I am and they will tell you. Everybody knows who I am."

Cashier: "I am sorry Prime Minister but these are the bank rules and I must follow them."

Najib: "I need this cheque cashed."

Cashier: "Perhaps there’s another way: One day Tiger Woods came into the bank without ID. To prove he was Tiger Woods he pulled out his putting iron and made a beautiful shot across the bank into a cup. With that shot we knew him to be Tiger Woods and cashed his cheque.

Another time, Lee Chong Wei came in without ID. He pulled out his racquet and made a fabulous shot where the shuttle landed in my cup. With that spectacular shot we cashed his cheque. So sir, what can you do to prove that you, and only you, are the Prime Minister?"

Najib stood there thinking and finally said: "Honestly, I can't think of a single thing I'm good at."

Cashier: "You have proven it. Will that be large or small notes, Prime Minister?"

(Courtesy of forwarded mail from Leo Nathan)

Stroke Caused by Neck Massage

The blogger received the following report about “Singapore banker becomes half-paralysed after neck massage in China” from an e-buddy Leo Nathan. He then sought comment/advice from Dr JB Lim on the suggestion of another e-buddy David Chen. The response from Dr Lim is reproduced below the report.

SINGAPORE - After a particularly painful neck massage, a 40-year-old banker from Singapore suffered a stroke and became a paraplegic consequentially.

Mr Lin claims that his doctors suspect that the excessive force used in the massage broke a blood vessel and resulted in a stroke.

He is now deaf in one ear and is undergoing therapy to regain movement in the left half of his body, Chinese Daily Lianhe Wan bao reported.

According to the paper, Mr Lin is an assistant director of a department in a bank, and was in China recently to visit some friends.

There, he visited a massage parlour to get a foot massage. Upon the therapist's recommendation, he decided to try a neck massage instead.

After the massage, he felt okay. But three days later, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in the left side of his head, and woke up to find that his left ear was deaf.

He also couldn't move the left side of his body, and was unsteady in his gait.

He recalled: "I felt very afraid. It all happened so fast, it was really like a bolt from the blue."

As he was not in condition to be moved, he could not return home immediately for treatment. Mr Lin was sent to a hospital in Hong Kong and hospitalised for about two weeks until doctors deemed him fit for a flight home.

Mr Lin told the Chinese Daily that his doctors suspect that when he underwent the neck massage, the massage therapist tore the vascular wall of an artery accidentally by using too much force.

The damage resulted in the blockage of the artery passage, causing the blood flow to be disrupted.

Recovery

According to his doctors, Mr Lin suffered vertebral artery dissection, which is a flap-like tear of the inner lining of the vertebral artery - a blood vessel that is located in the neck and supplies blood to the brain.

After the tear, blood enters the arterial wall and forms a blood clot, thickening the artery wall and often impeding blood flow. This can result in intermittent or permanent stroke symptoms such as difficulty speaking, impaired coordination and even vision loss.

According to medical resources, it can be caused by physical trauma to the neck, such as a car accident.

Currently, Mr Lin is undergoing treatment at Tan Tock Seng Hospital's rehabilitation ward.

Last month, he began a "walking" rehabilitation treatment, where he is assisted in walking back and forth along a set path. Doctors said this will help speed up the recovery process.

On August 24, Mr Lin was discharged from hospital. Although he is still easily fatigued, he is now able to walk without the need for crutches.

-Your Health, Asia One

Sunday, 23 September, 2012 9:01 PM

From: lim juboo

I really cannot comment on this as I have not come across such a case before, nor have read this in the literature.

I am not sure if excessive force used in the massage can even tear an internal blood vessel and cause a blood clot? Blood vessels are quite elastic and rubbery and are not easily torn even by hard rubbing especially from outside the body.

A blood vessel usually can only be ruptured by some sharp objects such as a knife or torn apart say in a motor vehicle accident. The vessels are quite well protected inside, and are not easily torn even hard rubbing. At best, any hard pressure applied from outside may temporarily impede the flow of blood to the brain.

This may cause a person to faint provided all the vertebral vessels to the brain including both the carotid arteries on both sides of the neck are all blocked off at the same time.

But this cannot cause a CVA (cerebral vascular accident – stroke). How is it possible to break a vertebral vessel by just massaging the neck? There is no evidence in the literature on this possibility.

This case is an isolated one, and should be classified under ‘case study’ rather than an accepted epidemiological norm. You need very large scale studies over very long periods – longitudinal cohort studies to prove what the patient believes or what his doctor’s suspect. You need to apply the Null Hypothesis in the study to prove this. There is no evidence that neck massage causes stroke? This is the first time I heard about this.

Even if the vessel was torn by excessive pressure during a massage, the blood may not necessary form a clot. Internal bleeding may be possible, especially under the skin causing bruising and purpura (purple marks due to subcutaneous bleeding) by hard banging with a blunt object.

Moreover, the victim felt okay after the massage, but it was only 3 days later when he woke up to find his left ear deaf.

A blood clot normally takes place within 5 – 8 minutes of a vascular injury, and not 3 days later. This is clearly not consistent with what we know. Even if you have a small cut on your finger, bleeding will automatically stop within 8 -10 minutes at most as the clotting mechanisms come into play unless you have a bleeding disorder (example: hemophilia). Exactly how long it takes to form a blood clot depends on the prothrombin time and platelet activation to form a fibrinogen which is around 10 – 15 seconds, and not 3 days.

Tens of thousands of people go for massages everyday throughout the world without incidence of strokes occurring.

Healthcare providers must remember the vast majority of cerebral vascular accidents (CVA) or strokes are due to more realistic causes such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, obesity, over-eating, the lack of exercise, sedentary lifestyle, stress, free radical damage from food and medication, smoking, and aging.

These are the recognized and well-established root causes on why people get a stroke or cardiovascular events rather than blaming it on traditional massages which do far more good in relaxing a stressed out body, and a sense of well-being.

Healthcare providers should educate the public on more recognized causative factors than single out isolated cases for which there is no definitive evidence. A stroke caused by a body or neck massage would be more an academic interest to a clinician than an accepted norm as a significant wide-spread public health problem.

Doctors must also look at the statistical probability that this patient was already going to get a stroke in 3 days time anyway, whether or not he went for the massage. It probably was already imminent for him, and this would have no bearing with his massage.

In short, a lot of people suffer from stroke these days because of bad lifestyles, and not because they went for a neck or body massage. The aetiologies for CVA from these other factors have already been mentioned. They may not even go for any massage in their entire life.

If people are afraid, then do not go for massage at all, or tell the masseur not to massage the neck, or just message it lightly.

Dr. JB Lim

Spiritual Advice

A woman was sipping on a glass of wine, while sitting on the patio with her husband and she said, "I love you so much, I don't know how I could ever live without you."

Her husband asked, "Is that you or the wine talking?"

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She replied, "It's me..... talking to the wine."

(Courtesy of forwarded mail from Annie Lee)

Who Packs Your Parachutes

(Courtesy of forwarded mail from Jason Gan)

Motion Induced Blindness - Car Drivers Beware!

In a motor accident, wherein a speeding car hits a slower moving vehicle coming from the side, the speeding car drivers often swear that they just didn’t see the vehicle coming from the left or right.
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Well, they aren’t lying. They really don’t see the vehicle coming from the side, in spite of broad daylight. This phenomenon on the car drivers’ part is known as “Motion Induced Blindness”. It is unbelievable but it is true, and it is definitely frightening. Armed forces pilots are taught about motion induced blindness during training, because it happens faster at high speeds; and to some extent it is applicable to car drivers also, especially the fast ones. So, if you drive a car, please read this carefully.

Once airborne, pilots are taught to alternate their gaze between scanning the horizon and scanning their instrument panel, and never to fix their gaze for more than a couple of seconds on any single object. They are taught to continually keep their heads on a swivel and their eyes always moving. Because, if you fix your gaze on one object long enough while you yourself are in motion, your peripheral vision goes blind. That’s why it is called motion induced blindness. For fighter pilots, this is the only way to survive in air; not only during aerial combat, but from peacetime hazards like mid-air collisions as well.

Till about three decades ago, this “heads on swivel & eyes moving” technique was the only way to spot other aircraft in the skies around.

Now-a-days they have on-board radars, but the old technique still holds good. Let me give you a small demonstration of motion induced blindness. This is the same demonstration that is used for trainee pilots in classrooms before they even go near an aircraft. Just click on the link below. You will see a revolving array of blue crosses on a black background. There is a flashing green dot in the center and three fixed yellow dots around it. If you fix your gaze on the green dot for more than a few seconds, the yellow dots will disappear at random…, either singly, or in pairs, or all three together. In reality, the yellow dots are always there. Just watch the yellow dots for some time to ensure that they don’t go anywhere!

http://www.msf-usa.org/motion.html

You can alter the background color or the rpm of the array by clicking the appropriate buttons.

So, if you are driving at a high speed on a highway and if you fix your gaze on the road straight ahead, you will not see a car, a scooter, a buggy, a bicycle, a buffalo or even a human being approaching from the side. Now reverse the picture. If you are crossing a road on foot and you see a speeding car approaching…, there’s a 90% chance that the driver isn’t seeing you, because his/her peripheral vision may be blind! And you may be in that blind zone!

(Courtesy of forwarded mail from David Chen)

Beware of Grape Fruits

(Courtesy of forwarded mail from Cheong Queng Fong)