Alternative therapies for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a medical condition that affects millions of men and women. People with this condition have low bone mass, which places them at increased risk for bone fracture after minor trauma. The surgeries and treatments required to repair and heal bone fractures involve long recovery periods a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nutrition reviews 2012-01, Vol.70 (1), p.22-40
Main Authors: Banu, Jameela, Varela, Erika, Fernandes, Gabriel
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alternative medicine
Asteraceae
Biological and medical sciences
Bone and Bones - metabolism
Bone density
Bone Density Conservation Agents - adverse effects
Bone Density Conservation Agents - therapeutic use
Bones
Disease prevention
Fabaceae
fatty acids
Feeding. Feeding behavior
Female
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Humans
Male
Older people
Oleaceae
Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis - prevention & control
Osteoporosis - therapy
Phytotherapy
Plant Extracts - therapeutic use
plants and plant compounds
Ranunculaceae
Rosaceae
Treatment Outcome
Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems
Vitaceae
Zingiberaceae
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Summary:Osteoporosis is a medical condition that affects millions of men and women. People with this condition have low bone mass, which places them at increased risk for bone fracture after minor trauma. The surgeries and treatments required to repair and heal bone fractures involve long recovery periods and can be expensive. Because osteoporosis occurs frequently in the elderly, the financial burden it places on society is likely to be large. In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration has approved several drugs for use in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. However, all of the currently available agents have severe side effects that limit their efficacy and underscore the urgent need for new treatment options. One promising approach is the development of alternative (nonpharmaceutical) strategies for bone maintenance, as well as for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. This review examines the currently available nonpharmaceutical alternatives that have been evaluated in in vitro and in vivo studies. Certain plants from the following families have shown the greatest benefits on bone: Alliceae, Asteraceae, Thecaceae, Fabaceae, Oleaceae, Rosaceae, Ranunculaceae, Vitaceae, Zingiberaceae. The present review discusses the most promising findings from studies of these plant families.
ISSN:0029-6643
1753-4887
DOI:10.1111/j.1753-4887.2011.00451.x