Silica?

[NFrawRUNNER]

OK, I have heard that to reverse osteoporosis one needs to consume foods high in silica.....any ideas as to what these foods might be???? I am on a mission to reverse my condition WITHOUT DRUGS! Although I've done my homework and eaten well + done herbal tinctures and teas, my latest results were WORSE instead of better, which has everyone (but me) freaking out....ROME WASN'T BUILT IN A DAY! So, I will gladly add silica rich foods! but no drugs or hormones.....Actually, I have VERY LITTLE ESTROGEN which is the underlying cause I think for the osteoporosis! Any ideas on balancing hormones????? Thanks everyone as always! ;)

[sport]

Cucumbers are one. Especially the skin.

[Arky]

Horsetail tea (simmer for at least 10mins - this is important), although I realise this may already be part of your diet.

Several members of the nightshade family have shiny skins rich in silicon (e.g. bell peppers).

Apple skins are another source - in fact, many fruits with a shiny skin have good levels of silicon. It may not be an absolute rule of thumb, but it's a good indicator in most cases.

Wild nettles are also high in silicon (as well as being incredibly nutritious in a number of other respects).

A good supplement (not that I generally advocate supplements) is Jarrow Forumlas' 'BioSil', which is a very potent form of silicon. However, I am not sure what raw materials this supplement is derived from so you may want to check for sure if it is vegan, if that's your philosophical outlook. Of course, potent though it is, it lacks the co-factors found in wholefood sources - an important consideration in so much as if you do choose to use the product, it should only be used as an adjunct to wholefood sources of silicon, not instead of wholefood sources!

Lots of informative discussions on this subject area may be found in, and from, the following thread:

http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14517&highlight=transmutation

Interestingly, many naturopaths (Bernard Jensen being a familiar example) have noted the remarkable effects of chlorophyll on the body, from the perspective that it seems to have certain vitamin D-like characteristics. For example, this 'stored sunlight' (which is, essentially, what chlorophyll really is - a direct product of photosynthesis) seems to encourage calcium absorption in a similar way to vitamin D. Amazing. Don't forget that chlorophyll comes wrapped in a package of minerals that will aid in regeneration of virtually all bodily tissues, including bone, so my advice to you is to maximise your greens intake as much as you can, even if you think you get a reasonable quantity already. A good way to make your intake of organic greens more affordable, as you are no doubt aware, is to grow and consume baby greens in addition to your shop bought (or homegrown, ideally!) mature greens. Then, of course, there's wheatgrass.

There are so many schools of thought in raw-foodism, but one thing I have particularly noted about the Living Foods approach, pioneered by the late Ann Wigmore, is that it seems to have the most emphasis on cleansing and rebuilding, through a major emphasis on maximising the greens/chlorophyll part of the raw nutrition equation. While this may not be ideal for a longterm raw food diet, it is an excellent option for regeneration and healing, to begin with (once one's body is thoroughly cleansed, it may be beneficial to marginally increase proportions of fruit and fat consumption, to yield a more satisfying and rounded diet for the longer term).

Yoga is a great low-impact way of exercising your body and using your bones in a weight-bearing manner and don't forget that NASA researchers found rebounding to be one of the very best possible ways for returning astronauts to rebuild lost bone density after long periods in zero gravity. Again, this is relatively low impact.

On the subject of hormone balancing, maca is a supplement you should definitely investigate. You would also be very wise to read the section on hormones in the free .pdf you can download from Jon Barron's site. It's a great read:

http://www.jonbarron.org/ebook.html


J.

[NFrawRUNNER]

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! I have a raw powder formula that contains maca (with hemp and flax) and have read about it's benefits...will check out the site and thanks for the other info. too!

[Arky]

No problem.

Please note that in one of the posts sub-linked to in the thread link I posted above, I recommend that nightshades be avoided. To clarify: this avoidance is with specific regard to joint issues (the tropane alkaloids, concentrated near the skins of many of the nightshade family, can inhibit bodily maintenance of joint tissues. If you do not suffer joint problems then you need not worry about this if nightshades are consumed as part of a balanced diet). However, if your osteoporosis issues do not include joint problems, then you need not worry about these alkaloids and you may comfortably consume nightshades for their beneficial silicon content.

If you don't already own it, I recommend you invest in Paul Pitchford's 'Healing With Whole Foods'. One of the best healing books I ever paid money for - it's fantastic! :)

To reiterate - if you only did 3 things in your life, to improve the condition of your bones, I believe they should be:

1) Eat LOTS of greens. I mean mostly dark green leafy greens, not lettuce (although romaine lettuce is a healthy lettuce, high in silicon, the lettuces, in general, are rather light on minerals - generally, the darker the greens the higher the chlorophyll content and the higher the mineral content). Wild nettles and dandelions are powerful foods in this category, as is organic kale. As well as being extraordinarily nutritious (and thus promoting of healing), greens are chock-full of alkaline minerals which will buffer acids in your body that arise from both acidic foods and from natural byproducts of cellular metabolism. This means that your body will be far less likely to draw upon the calcium reserves in your bones in order to buffer/neutralise these acids. Dark leafy greens are a win, win, win, win, WIN situation. It takes discipline, but if you are serious about fighting your osteoporosis, consume at least a lb of greens per day, and preferably 2 lbs. This discipline will also bring about a host of other wonderful benefits, throughout your body. Just try it and I promise you you will see the absolute truth in this, it's not hot air. Actually, while I'm on this topic, I also recommend you obtain Victoria Boutenko's Green For Life - it's a really readable account of some of the benefits of a high greens intake. However, just doing it, you will notice many positive benefits, even in the short term, alongside the longer-term prospect of healing your bones.

2) Get plenty of weight-bearing exercise - preferably low-impact, for obvious reasons.

3) Get plenty of sunshine. The vitamin D is essential for good bone health.


Please don't underestimate the absolute importance of each of the above 3 points. They are not simply beneficial for your osteoporosis - they are essential and will bring dividends as time goes on. David Wolfe has a great quote in the 6th ed. of 'The Sunfood Diet Success System':

"For every disciplined endeavour, there is a multiple reward" - Jim Rohn


J.

[NFrawRUNNER]

Thanks for the clarifications arky...no joint problems so that's good to know...
Di