No Bones About It

Posted by Liz on Jun 14, 2008 in bone health | 0 comments

Estrogen is important for maintaining bone health, in particular, bone density (or the amount of bone present in the skeleton). Although genetics and environmental factors are important, after age 35, women
(and men) start to lose their bone density at a rate of 0.3% to 0.5% a year. This is a natural part of the aging process. However, as estrogen levels decline through menopause, the rate of bone density loss accelerates. In fact, during the first five years after menopause, women can experience as much as a 30% loss of bone density, leading to osteoporosis. The Menopause Blog has a few good entries on osteoporosis and menopause and I encourage you to visit the site.

Meanwhile, it appears that a plant extract that used been used medicinally in Thailand for over a century may have estrogen-like effects on bone metabolism. (Bone metabolism is a term used to describe the continuous cycle of breakdown (or resorption) and build-up (or deposition) that occurs.) Known as Pueraria mirifica (White Kwao Krua), this plant is rich in isoflavones, or plant-derived compounds with estrogen-like activity.

The study, which appeared in the journal Menopause showed that Peuraria mirafica significantly decreased a bone-specific marker involved in resorption compared to placebo, suggesting that there was less bone resoprtion in women given the active treatment.

Although the researchers caution that firm conclusions cannot be drawn from such a small study group (71 women), they are conclude that preliminary findings are hopeful and show that Peuraria mirifica may have some benefits for menopausal health.