If you are taking bisphosphonates – the medication commonly prescribed for osteopenia or osteoporosis – you may wonder what role bonebalance has alongside this? In fact, bonebalance is the perfect complement to your bone health regime and can be safely taken alongside your medication for added benefits.
This ‘belt and braces’ approach can work well as bonebalance and bisphosphonates work in very different ways to boost bone density and health.
How they work
Bisphosphonates aim to hold onto existing ‘old’ bone tissue by slowing the rate that bone is broken down in the body by blocking a protein involved in bone breakdown. This maintains bone density and reduces your risk of a broken bone.
By contrast, the bioactive collagen peptides in bonebalance work by boosting the buildup of healthy new bone tissue. Its one and only ingredient, FORTIBONE®, does this by stimulating the bone-forming cells, known as osteoblasts, to maintain the bone matrix stability. bonebalance also supports the production of collagen within the bones, giving them greater strength and flexibility.
As bonebalance and bisphosphonates target different processes in the body along different pathways, they won’t interfere with each other or reduce the effectiveness of either action. Importantly, bonebalance has no contraindications with any medication, you’re perfectly safe to take both.
What are the most commonly prescribed bisphosphonates?
There are a number of different bisphosphonates, typically given as a tablet or injection, including:
- Alendronic acid
- Ibandronic acid
- Risedronic acid
- Zoledronic acid
They are not universally popular for two main reasons. Firstly, there is a strict regime for taking the medication in tablet form and the discomfort of having the injection. Secondly, side effects are quite common including problems swallowing, pain in the bones, joints, muscles and stomach, heartburn and nausea.
Easy does it
By comparison, bonebalance is well tolerated and gentle on the stomach. It’s also easy to take simply by dissolving 5g a day in a drink or adding it to a smoothie or yogurt.
IMPORTANT! If you’re already taking prescription medicine for your osteoporosis, it’s important to let your GP or consultant know that you’re adding bonebalance to your regime. It’s also important that you continue with your prescription medication and speak to your GP or consultant before making any changes!
Bisphosphonates take between six months and a year to show any improvement and could be prescribed for a few years, depending on the severity of your bone loss.
bonebalance is a longer-term solution although research indicates that the bone cells start to respond to FORTIBONE within a matter of weeks.
The measurable bone mineral density (BMD) results from both approaches are usually noticed between DEXA scans, which are undertaken every two years.
Short vs Longer Term Approach
As medicated drugs, bisphosphonates are not intended for use long-term. Having had the desired effect, they are usually discontinued. However, as bone cells are remodelling every day, it makes sense to encourage healthy growth every day too.
As a 100% natural Food for Special Medical Purposes, bonebalance can be taken for years to provide on-going support for healthy bones. Working in tandem with other healthy nutrients, bonebalance draws them into the bones and holds them there making it a valuable addition to your daily diet.
It makes sense to tell your medical practitioner that you’re taking bonebalance, even though you don’t need a prescription.
To conclude, bisphosphonates can help to slow your bone loss in the short term but shouldn’t be taken for long periods. While the medication holds onto your existing bone cells, bonebalance can help produce fresh, healthy new bone tissue that will stand you in good stead for the longer term and give your bones their best chance of being strong and resilient for many years to come. This, in turn, will bring you confidence and help you maintain your mobility and independence into older age, long after your use of bisphosphonates ends.