Osteoporosis Prevent Bone Loss And Re Build Bone Tissue
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When we look at the bones from an Ayurvedic perspective, we must firstly understand that the health of the bodies tissues is a direct result of how we digest, assimilate and absorb nutrients from our food. The seven tissue elements of the body 'sapta dhatus' are plasma, blood, fat, muscle, bone, marrow and reproductive fluids. The capacity to digest our food well, affects the quality, quantity, structure and function of each tissue element. Each tissue has it's own 'agni' or fire principle which carries nutrition to that tissue.
Ayurveda gives an in depth understanding of the Anatomy of the bones and also the causes that lead to bone loss. In Ayurveda the Sanskrit name for bone is 'Asthi' when there is bone loss this is known as 'Asthi Kashaya'. According to Ayurveda bone tissue is composed of the elements earth, air and water. The intracellular matrix, which accounts for about 80% is rich in iron, copper, zinc and other minerals. The bones are porous due to the air element which accounts for about 15%, the remaining 5% is considered the 'water element' and this is found in the periosteum.
The strength of our bones is influenced by vata dosha, (Vata = Air + Ether), this means that if we have an imbalance in vata dosha, it will have a direct affect on the health of our bones. The qualities of vata are dry, light, cold, rough, mobile, subtle and clear. If vata dosha in the body is increased, so too will these qualities. You may experience symptoms such as dry skin, anxiety, feeling spacey or light headed, have difficulty focusing / poor sleep, have cold extremities or cracking joints and constipation. Theses are just a few symptoms, vata can easily become aggravated in the body, especially as we age. When we notice these signs, it is our bodies way of trying to communicate with us and let us know that there is an imbalance that needs to be adressed.
Early Signs & Symptoms of Bone Loss:
- Cracking joints, joint pain,
- White spots on nails, brittle nails, ridges and creases on nails.
- Tooth cavaties.
- Hair loss, hair breakage, split ends.
- Lonliness, nervousness, feeling insecure. (Yes our emotions have an impact on our physical health).
What are the early signs of decreased bone tissue 'asthi kasyaya'? We can get an idea of the health of the bones by taking a look at the health of the nails, the hair and the teeth. Signs that show on the nails are white spots, ridges and creases, the nails may become brittle. Teeth might have more cavaties and crowns may fracture. Hair can become brittle or dry and there might be some hair loss. There can of course be other reasons for hair loss, it isn't always an indication of bone loss. If you notice that your joints are cracking or popping a lot, this is a sign that there is air around the joints. Vata (the air element) is increased, and lubrication (snehana) around the joints is decreased. When there is pain along with the popping / cracking that is when you must take it as a warning sign.
As we age we lose bone density, bone construction in the body is a continuos process, our bodies absorb the old tissues and generates new ones. As we age the new tissue growth slows down but the re-absorption continues at the same rate. This process makes bones naturally more brittle as we age. There are many other contributing factors to bone loss, such as,
- Menopause
- Genetics
- Chemotherapy
- Vitamin Deficiency / low calcium
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Alcohol / tobacco
- Health disorders such as celiac disease, IBS, blood disorder, thyroid etc.
When we consider that the 3 main factors in maintaining strong bones are balanced digestion, good nutrition and an active lifestyle with appropriate exercise. We can improve the health of our bones by incorporating the wisdom of Ayurveda into our daily lives. The root cause of any disorder must firstly be considered. There is a Sanskrit sloka in Ayurveda, which reads, 'roga servepe manda agni' this translates as, 'at the root of every disorder there is impaired digestion'. The digestion can become conpromised for many reasons, these could be stress, poor diet, inappropriate diet, poor sleep just to name a few.
When we follow some simple guidelines on a daily basis this can have a huge impact on the health of our bones. There is a saying in Ayurveda 'baked goods=baked bones', when vata dosha is imbalanced, it creates dryness in the body. Any foods that share the same qualities as vata are aggravating and lead to vata imbalances, one of them being ostoarthritis. When we think of baked foods, these would fall under the cateogry of rough, dry and light in Ayurveda. Foods such as crisps, crackers, popcorn, toast and cereals.
Eat warm cooked meals, that are easy to digest.
Chew food well.
Dont drink water for half hour before or after your meals.
Eat at the same times every day, this prepares the body to digest each meal well when we get into a daily ryhthym.
Avoid snacking, this weakens the digestion. If we picture the digestion 'agni' as a fire, what we want is to have that fire strong and ready to receive food at each meal. Resting and not eating between meals for 3 or more hours maintains good strong digestion.
During menopause the decline in eostrogen has a direct effect on the bones and the joints. Eostrogen is by nature, cooling and lubricating and when it declines, the climate of the body becomes drier. We can support this decline in Eostrogen by supplementing with natural herbal eostrogens such as shatavari. We can also eat a diet rich in phytoeostrogens...
Causitive factors-Diet, lifestyle, exercise.
Bibliography-
Vasant Lad (2007). Textbook of Ayurveda A complete Guide To Clinical Assessment, Volume 2. Albuquerque, Wi: The Ayurvedic Press.
Vasant Lad (2002). Textbook of Ayurveda Fundamental Principles, Volume 1. Albuquerque, Wi: The Ayurvedic Press.
Ayureshmi (2025). Why your Joints Make Noise [online] Available at: https://www.ayureshmi.com/post/why-your-joints-make-noise-and-when-you-should-worry-the-ayurveda-chiropractic-truth-about-cracking-joints.