Osteopenia
I suffer from osteopenia and since I react badly to HRT, I am trying to keep the condition at bay with calcium, magnesium and boron supplements. My problem is that the magnesium supplements have an adverse effect on my digestive system and if I take more than 150mg, which I want to do, my stools are too loose. Can you help at all please?
Women start losing bone density from the age of 30 and, as you have discovered, this loss is accelerated by the menopause and the accompanying drop in levels of oestrogen; the female hormone which helps bones absorb calcium from the diet.
The other problem you face is that not all calcium supplements are equal and that the rate of absorption of this mineral depends, in fact, on the levels of calcium-binding substances already circulating in the body. For anyone looking for a calcium supplement to overcome this, Biocalth is a new American supplement which provides calcium that is already bound and thus more bioavailable.
If you plan to stick with your current regimen, you can certainly use Lepicol, made from fibre-rich psyllium husks, to bulk the stools and prevent the diarrhoea you are complaining of. To take it, add water and drink. It costs £7.99 for 180g. Mail order on 0500-127249. I would consider switching to a remedy that has been designed to counter the adverse effects of menopause and the one I rate is Meno Herb.
This is a combination of phytoestrogens which are herbs that work in the body to re-regulate hormonal levels. The way the active agents work is to boost oestrogen levels if they are too low and to reduce them if they are too high. In other words, there is an oestrogenic action but at a much more subtle level than HRT.
What is clever about this specific supplement is that it includes Red Clover which, as well as boosting oestrogen to help your bones absorb the calcium you ingest is also rich in calcium itself. If you are interested in taking both Biocalth and Meno Herb to protect your bones, you can mail order both from Victoria Health (0800-413596).