The Factors That Cause Osteoporosis
We want you to understand the factors that cause osteoporosis. The KadileAtric Power Principle®, wants to educate you about the conditions that affect your well-being. Several factors contribute to an osteoporotic condition. We’ll learn more about those factors here as well as identify the major cause of osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis occurs when the body experiences higher levels of bone absorption in comparison to its levels of bone production. Hormones are responsible for triggering the release of enzymes that stimulate bone production and absorption, and when the hormones are imperfectly balanced, their skewed proportions result in endocrine-related conditions such as osteoporosis.
Estrogen, thyroid, and parathyroid hormones are important in determining the way the body manages bone density. Estrogen is a hormone connected with sexual reproduction in females and is important for their overall gynecological health. Yet estrogen is also connected with bone development, as it inhibits the action of osteoclasts, a bone cell responsible for absorbing bone tissue during bone growth and healing processes. An estrogen deficiency leads to greater bone breakdown.
What intensifies this is the fact that estrogen is also responsible for supporting osteoblasts, cells whose role are the production of bone tissue. The result is that when estrogen levels are low, the body simultaneously experiences bone breakdown and lowered levels of new bone growth. These conditions lead to the development of osteoporosis.
At menopause, women experience a sudden acute reduction in their estrogen production, making them particularly prone to the development of osteoporosis and related illnesses. A little- known fact is that testosterone also has the properties of inhibiting osteoclasts and promoting osteoblasts, yet men have a much lower risk of osteoporosis because their testosterone levels experience no dramatic decline comparable to that which occurs in women at menopause.
A number of hormones are associated with the thyroid gland. These include triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4), and calcitonin. Of all the thyroid hormones, T3 is the most active — as is T4 since it can be converted to T3. Their presence in the bloodstream regulates metabolic processes, which include the breakdown of bone cells, while calcitonin (along with growth-factor interleukin 6, an amino acid byproduct) helps inhibit the production of osteoclasts.
Thyroid stimulating hormone lets the body know when to increase or decrease T3 and T4. If something goes wrong with TSH, this can lead to an imbalance of T3 and T4 in the system. If this imbalance manifests as a surplus, the body responds by breaking down its bone cells. This too can lead to osteoporosis.
Additionally, small glands behind the thyroid gland known as the parathyroid are directly responsible for the production of calcium in the body. Parathyroid hormones affect bone density levels because bones are the predominant storage space for calcium. Parathyroid hormones give the body messages about when to release calcium for usage elsewhere — in muscles or nerves, etc. It also instructs the body to store calcium.
If these hormones malfunction, the body will respond either by releasing its previously stored calcium or by neglecting to store calcium in the bones. Both scenarios lead to bone weakness and osteoporosis.
Several factors contribute to the development of osteoporosis. But there is one factor that carries more responsibility for calcium loss. The major cause of osteoporosis is focal scurvy of the bone. Scurvy is a severe vitamin C deficiency.
While not a hormone, vitamin D also helps the body absorb the calcium it intakes on its own. An individual’s body is able to absorb only about 20 percent of the calcium in the diet. Vitamin D deficiencies aid the development of osteoporosis.
Now that you know about factors that cause osteoporosis, contact us to schedule a consultation to discuss treatment options. Here at The KadileAtric Power Principle®, we go beyond traditional medicine to identify and treat the cause of your condition. We serve patients in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and the surrounding areas.