Minimization of free radical damage by metal catalysis of multivitamin/ multimineral supplements A B Rabovsky1, A M Komarov2, J Ivie1, and G.R. Buettner3 Department of Biochemistry, GWU, The University of Iowa Multivitamin/multimineral complexes are the most common dietary supplements. Besides quality ingredients and the amount of each ingredient in a product, bioavailability is a major concern. Unlike minerals in natural foods that are incorporated in bioorganic structures, minerals in dietary supplements are usually in an inorganic form: sulfates, chlorides, oxides etc. Unfortunately, the majority of minerals in these forms precipitate at the neutral pH of the small intestine, making absorption questionable. In addition, some minerals catalyze free radical generation, depending on their form. Thus, antioxidants in supplements could be oxidized during digestion.

Dear Forum, I have osteoporosis too, and have taken Fosamax. I became concerned about the long term effects and decided to look for an alternative. There is one! I found a Chinese Herbal Medicine called Xianling Gubao. It is hard to find here in the states, as it is under approval by our FDA at this time. It is offered in OTC form in China, however, and I have a supplier there. Unlike many Chinese Traditional Medicines, this one is manufactured by a highly respected firm who does clinical trials to verify the efficacy of their medicines. Xianling Gubao in its trials shows efficacy equal to the biophosphonates! It has no side effects, either! I have decided to try and market it, and have a website. If you are interested, I have links to the clinical trial information. The price is reasonable, considering shipping from China. Feel free to contact me for any information! mikedmonds@verizon.net mountainpharma@gmail.com Sincerely, Mike Here is a link that might be useful: Mountain Herbal Medicines

Hello. Im 43 yrs old. I will start with I have a lot of medical issues and have always been a healthy being from physical labor to foods I ate to exercise. 5'10 120lbs most my life. Had a job doing highway maintenance and a coworker dropped a jackhammer on my head in 99'. Went into landscaping in 2010 and in 2011 woke one morning with what i thought to be a neck cramp sleeping wrong. Nope; herniated disc. Did a cervical fusion at 5/6 february of 2012 and said all looked great healing on xray. Continued to complain of severe pain and weakness. Surgeon kept ignoring it saying its perm nerve damage due to waiting surgery to long. Took a road trip to Florida from Nebraska and back. Both my husband and I having CDL's did the run both ways pretty quick. Big mistake for me. A week later spent 10 days in the hospital with a pulmonary embolism in each lung. Hematologist put me on warfarin indefinately with low dose aspirin for a MTHFR clotting factor. That was the following Sept of 2012. Still continued repeat followups with complaints of pain and weakness. Went to family doc in May 2013 exhausted, fatigued, bones hurt like the flu constantly. My Vit D was at a 7 and min should be 32. Now diagnosed with Vit D deficiency. 5k mg a day plus caltrate D. December 26th 2014 we were hit by a drunk driver. Went to same neurosurgery facility but requested a diff surgeon. After CT scan it showed no bone growth from prior surgery and herniated disc now at 6/7. She was ticked at prior surgeon to not do a CT to check for sure. She did surgery again even with a fatality rate at 70% due to the MTHFR and coming off warfarin and taking lovenox shots in stomach. Cant do ANY lovenox day prior to surgery because causes actual clot in the spine when surgery performed there making risk even higher of fatality. Well she did great. Came out and said the drunk that hit us made me realize pain more so because apparently since no bone grew the screws came loose in the titanium plate and my neck was highly unstable. She didnt use cadaver bone on this one. Ground my hip bone. Actually was the worst pain ever. A year later follow up xray showed bone healing. Vit D at 31 so fam doc ended vit d supplement just continue caltrate d. Another 3 months later still complaining of pain in neck n feels like will collapse forward and choking hard to swallow. Did CT and showed zero bone growth yet AGAIN! WHAT THE HECK?!?! She was asking what im taking. Asked why i stopped Vit D. Was ticked again. Now she sent me to an Endocrinologist. Suspects osteoporosis now. Been on 5k mg Vit D and caltrate 5 months now. Trying to keep bone density up to try surgery one last time. Well went to then again today and now ordered bone density test and says he wishes me to continue Vit D and Caltrate D and now wants to do the Forteo for 2 years then onto the Prolia after that. I will leave reply of this bone density test numbers and after use of each medication to see where exactly if any benefits helped or any side effects. Fingers crossed I live through the next surgery to report about end results but wont be for a while yet. Its necessary to keep my neck from collapsing and severing my spinal chord. Just so everyone is clear why i have to do surgery. Optomistic right? Lol.

Littlebit, did you have a heel or finger scan? My endo says those are essentially worthless, my ob/gyn had put in the finger type equipment for measuring bone density and she was just 'shakin her head, mystified as to why. I wouldn't put much into results you were given if you had other than a Dexa scan. Then a second 12-18 months later so they can compare and see if you are one who just has less dense bones (as you may if Caucasian, small framed, female) or if you are actually losing. Don't panic yet ;) My own doctor not only wanted to begin with the 2 to compare, she wanted them done by the same tech and the same equipment for most accurate comparisons, she doesn't medicate casually.