With an increase in joint replacements among an increasingly younger generation, the question of why has to be asked. The ability to do these seemingly amazing surgeries is wonderful, but why are so many having deterioration of their joints and bone structure?
For most of us, when we think of the immune system, bones aren’t high on our list of important organs. Science has been looking more and more into how our bones are critically linked to immunity. We do see the connection of bone marrow and the production of blood, but there’s far more.
We possess two types of bone cells. Remember, bones are living structures which undergo the same breakdown and replacement as all the rest of your cells. One type of bone cell is the osteoblast. This cell is responsible for creating bone. The other cell is the osteoclast. This is the cell which clears away old bone cells to make way for the new.
Osteoclasts are related to macrophages. These are the cells which give your immune system the ability to clear away debris as a result of damage or inflammation. With inflammation in the system, and especially in bone, the osteoclasts rule the day. This is a foundation of osteoporosis. Taking a drug like Fosamax only shuts down this component of immunity.
So you see, immune dysfunction and excessive inflammation are directly linked to an eventual destruction of bone and cartilage. Because of new awareness in this area, there’s arisen a new field known as osteoimmunology, which has been exploring the immune system and its impact on bone health.
I’ve seen where patients eating a diet which promotes inflammation increases chronic joint pains. In these patients, stopping the inflammation promoting foods caused the pain to stop. For many of these patients grain is a major culprit. In others it’s sugar or dairy. Just taking anti-inflammatory drugs fails to address and stop the degeneration of joints and bone.
Chronic inflammation disrupts the balance between osteoblasts and osteoclasts. Restructuring of bone can’t keep up with the tearing down process. Inflammatory cytokines have been identified as culprits in the destruction of bone. Diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and others are a result.
Within the bones resides the marrow which is responsible for producing of blood. The bones give rise to the hematopoietic, or blood creating stem cells. Bone cells create the environment which nourishes these stem cells. These stem cells are vital organs involved in the creation of immune cells like lymphocytes and phagocytes.
The bacterial colonies in the digestive system interacts with bones and influences the immune efficiency of bones. Prebiotics, probiotics, dietary fibers and long chain fatty acids, which maintain the proper bacterial flora in the gut, can assist in the maintenance of bone health and mass. The prebiotic inulin can actually increase bone mineral density.
With aging, many times the health of the digestive system becomes compromised. Poor dental health coupled with improper food choices and low stomach acid can eventually lead to bone degeneration. Consumption of excessive sugars not only alters intestinal flora, but leads to increased inflammation. This combination can increase the activity of osteoclasts to arrest inflammation, but then allows bone to degenerate as the rebuilding activity of the osteoblast cells is inhibited.
With all of this in mind, reducing inflammation by eliminating inflammatory foods in the diet and improving digestion is primary, with using anti-inflammatory nutrition like turmeric and boswellia next on the list. Repairing gut flora and improving bowel function is required if long standing restoration is expected. Remember, your gut rules over your health.
All of these measures can be addressed very well by considering a purification program which eliminates inflammatory foods and repairs digestion.
For most of us, when we think of the immune system, bones aren’t high on our list of important organs. Science has been looking more and more into how our bones are critically linked to immunity. We do see the connection of bone marrow and the production of blood, but there’s far more.
We possess two types of bone cells. Remember, bones are living structures which undergo the same breakdown and replacement as all the rest of your cells. One type of bone cell is the osteoblast. This cell is responsible for creating bone. The other cell is the osteoclast. This is the cell which clears away old bone cells to make way for the new.
Osteoclasts are related to macrophages. These are the cells which give your immune system the ability to clear away debris as a result of damage or inflammation. With inflammation in the system, and especially in bone, the osteoclasts rule the day. This is a foundation of osteoporosis. Taking a drug like Fosamax only shuts down this component of immunity.
So you see, immune dysfunction and excessive inflammation are directly linked to an eventual destruction of bone and cartilage. Because of new awareness in this area, there’s arisen a new field known as osteoimmunology, which has been exploring the immune system and its impact on bone health.
I’ve seen where patients eating a diet which promotes inflammation increases chronic joint pains. In these patients, stopping the inflammation promoting foods caused the pain to stop. For many of these patients grain is a major culprit. In others it’s sugar or dairy. Just taking anti-inflammatory drugs fails to address and stop the degeneration of joints and bone.
Chronic inflammation disrupts the balance between osteoblasts and osteoclasts. Restructuring of bone can’t keep up with the tearing down process. Inflammatory cytokines have been identified as culprits in the destruction of bone. Diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and others are a result.
Within the bones resides the marrow which is responsible for producing of blood. The bones give rise to the hematopoietic, or blood creating stem cells. Bone cells create the environment which nourishes these stem cells. These stem cells are vital organs involved in the creation of immune cells like lymphocytes and phagocytes.
The bacterial colonies in the digestive system interacts with bones and influences the immune efficiency of bones. Prebiotics, probiotics, dietary fibers and long chain fatty acids, which maintain the proper bacterial flora in the gut, can assist in the maintenance of bone health and mass. The prebiotic inulin can actually increase bone mineral density.
With aging, many times the health of the digestive system becomes compromised. Poor dental health coupled with improper food choices and low stomach acid can eventually lead to bone degeneration. Consumption of excessive sugars not only alters intestinal flora, but leads to increased inflammation. This combination can increase the activity of osteoclasts to arrest inflammation, but then allows bone to degenerate as the rebuilding activity of the osteoblast cells is inhibited.
With all of this in mind, reducing inflammation by eliminating inflammatory foods in the diet and improving digestion is primary, with using anti-inflammatory nutrition like turmeric and boswellia next on the list. Repairing gut flora and improving bowel function is required if long standing restoration is expected. Remember, your gut rules over your health.
All of these measures can be addressed very well by considering a purification program which eliminates inflammatory foods and repairs digestion.
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