Here’s yet another common condition barely mentioned in off-grid medicine texts, and yet it affects 20% of women over the age of 50 and 4% of men.[1] This silent condition develops when new bone tissue production doesn’t keep up with the loss of old bone tissue.[2] As a result, bones become more brittle and fragile, increasing our risk for disabling fractures.
Conventional treatment for osteoporosis management and prevention includes medication, exercise, and a healthy diet.[3]
Symptoms
In the early stages, osteoporosis is usually unnoticed. There is no fever, pain, or discomfort to warrant seeking medical care.[4] However, loss of height and stooped posture suggest a loss in bone density.[5] [6] Usually, however, symptoms don’t come to light until a bone is easily fractured or there is back pain that is later determined to be caused by a compression fracture in the spine.[7] [8]
Advanced osteoporosis increases the risk of compression fractures, which can occur in the course of everyday life, even with sitting or rolling over in bed.[9] [10] Osteoporosis-related fractures occur most often in the wrist, hip, and spine.[11] [12]
Risk factors
· Post-menopausal woman[13] [14] [15]
· Being white or Asian[16]
· Family history of osteoporosis or hip fractures[17] [18]
· Age, over 50 years[19]
· Vitamin D deficiency[22] [23]
· Hormone levels, too little estrogen or testosterone[24]
· Thyroid hormone, too much (natural or synthetic) contributes to bone loss[25] [26]
· Too much hormone from the parathyroid or adrenal glands also contributes to bone loss[27]
Diet
· Low calcium intake, even in younger years, plays a significant role[28]
· Eating disorders[29]
· Gastrointestinal surgery, including those aimed at weight loss or treating medical conditions[30] [31]
Medications
Medications implicated in osteoporosis include:
· Anti-seizure[32]
· Diuretics[33]
· Steroids, long-term use of corticosteroids like prednisone and cortisone, whether taken by mouth or injection, disturbs the bone rebuilding process[36] [37]
· Transplant rejection[38]
Medical conditions
· Ankylosing spondylitis[39]
· Arthritis[40]
· Cancer[41]
· Diabetes[44]
· Inflammatory bowel disease[45] [46]
· Kidney or liver disease[47]
· Rheumatoid arthritis[50]
Lifestyle choices
· Alcohol use, more than two drinks per day[51] [52]
Prevention
· Good nutrition[57]
· Calcium, individuals aged 18-50 need 1000 mg per day. Women need 1200 per day when they turn 50, men when they turn 70.[58]
· Vitamin D, 600 IU per day, increases to 800 IU per day at the age of 70. Up to 4000 IU per day is safe, those living at northern latitudes and/or with limited sun exposure need more than the minimum.[59]
· Regular exercise, including a mix of strength training, balance exercises, and weight-bearing[60] [61]
· Healthy lifestyle[62]
Herbal and alternative therapies
· Chrysanthemum[63]
· Magnesium oil[64]
· Mormon tea[65]
· Onion[66]
· Russian olive[67]
[1] Zia Sherrell, How common is osteoporosis, Medical News Today, 6 January 2023, https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/how-common-is-osteoporosis#summary (accessed 10 February 2026).
[2] Osteoporosis, Cleveland Clinic, 26 November 2025, https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/4443-osteoporosis (accessed 10 February 2026).
[3] Osteoporosis, Mayo Clinic, 17 December 2025, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/osteoporosis/symptoms-causes/syc-20351968 (accessed 10 February 2026).
[4] Osteoporosis, Cleveland Clinic.
[5] Osteoporosis, Mayo Clinic.
[6] Osteoporosis, Cleveland Clinic.
[7] Osteoporosis, Mayo Clinic.
[8] Osteoporosis, Cleveland Clinic.
[9] Cynthia Koelker, Armageddon Medicine, 2012, 272, 315, 383.
[10] Joseph Alton, et al., Survival Medicine Handbook, 2021, 335.
[11] Osteoporosis, Mayo Clinic.
[12] Osteoporosis, Cleveland Clinic.
[13] Koelker, 412.
[14] Osteoporosis, Mayo Clinic.
[15] Osteoporosis, Cleveland Clinic.
[16] Osteoporosis, Mayo Clinic.
[17] Osteoporosis, Mayo Clinic.
[18] Osteoporosis, Cleveland Clinic.
[19] Osteoporosis, Mayo Clinic.
[20] Osteoporosis, Mayo Clinic.
[21] Osteoporosis, Cleveland Clinic.
[22] Koelker, 50.
[23] Osteoporosis, Cleveland Clinic.
[24] Osteoporosis, Mayo Clinic.
[25] Osteoporosis, Mayo Clinic.
[26] Osteoporosis, Cleveland Clinic.
[27] Osteoporosis, Mayo Clinic.
[28] Osteoporosis, Mayo Clinic.
[29] Osteoporosis, Mayo Clinic.
[30] Osteoporosis, Mayo Clinic.
[31] Osteoporosis, Cleveland Clinic.
[32] Osteoporosis, Mayo Clinic.
[33] Osteoporosis, Cleveland Clinic.
[34] Osteoporosis, Mayo Clinic.
[35] Osteoporosis, Cleveland.
[36] Osteoporosis, Mayo Clinic.
[37] Osteoporosis, Cleveland Clinic.
[38] Osteoporosis, Mayo Clinic.
[39] Osteoporosis, Cleveland Clinic.
[40] Osteoporosis, Mayo Clinic.
[41] Osteoporosis, Mayo Clinic.
[42] Osteoporosis, Mayo Clinic.
[43] Osteoporosis, Cleveland Clinic.
[44] Osteoporosis, Cleveland Clinic.
[45] Osteoporosis, Mayo Clinic.
[46] Osteoporosis, Cleveland.
[47] Osteoporosis, Mayo Clinic.
[48] Osteoporosis, Mayo Clinic.
[49] Osteoporosis, Cleveland Clinic.
[50] Osteoporosis, Cleveland Clinic.
[51] Osteoporosis, Mayo Clinic.
[52] Osteoporosis, Cleveland Clinic.
[53] Osteoporosis, Mayo Clinic.
[54] Osteoporosis, Cleveland Clinic.
[55] Osteoporosis, Mayo Clinic.
[56] Osteoporosis, Cleveland Clinic.
[57] Osteoporosis, Mayo Clinic.
[58] Osteoporosis, Mayo Clinic.
[59] Osteoporosis, Mayo Clinic.
[60] Osteoporosis, Mayo Clinic.
[61] Osteoporosis, Cleveland Clinic.
[62] Osteoporosis, Mayo Clinic.
[63] Jong Min Baek, et al., Dual Effect of Chrysanthemum indicum Extract to Stimulate Osteoblast Differentiation and Inhibit Osteoclast Formation and Resorption In Vitro, Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2014, https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2014/176049/ (accessed 10 February 2026).
[64] Magnesium, National Institutes of Health, https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional/ (accessed 10 February 2026).
[65] Michael Moore, Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West, 2003, 167.
[66] YY Law, et al., Consumption of onion juice modulates oxidative stress and attenuates the risk of bone disorders in middle-aged and post-menopausal healthy subjects, Food and Function, February 2016, Vol 7 No 2, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26686359/ (accessed 10 February 2026).
[67] M Farzaei, et al., A comprehensive review on phytochemical and pharmacological aspects of Eleagnus angustifolia L., Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, November 2015, Vol 67 No 11, https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jphp.12442 (accessed 10 February 2026).
