It was July 20, 1969 and I was 12 years old…
Like the rest of America, my family and I were glued to the black and white TV set in my living room.
We were all gathered together to watch the lunar landing. The space race between America and the Soviet Union had been going on for more than a decade.
We won the space race but there was something the Soviet space program uncovered. It was a little-known secret therapy that I would later implement in my own medical practice.
This therapy was used by Russian researchers to prevent the loss of bone density in cosmonauts floating in zero-gravity space.
In fact, this space-age technology kept their bones in such good shape that Russian astronauts were able to stay in space for more than 420 days with little or no gravity effects.
American astronauts had to return to earth after only four months.
Today, NASA is investigating this therapy as an effective strategy to not only prevent bone loss, but to reverse it.
The therapy uses a technique called Whole Body Vibration (WBV).
WBV uses an oscillating platform that transfers vibrations up and down your entire body.
These vibrations then produce rapid muscle contractions.
A recent study found that WBV provided significant improvement in reducing spinal and lumbar bone loss.1
Another study published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research found that the therapy prevented bone loss. It not only reversed the decline but actually increased bone density.2
I believe in this therapy so strongly that I recently bought a WBV platform for the Sears Institute for Anti-Aging Medicine.
I recommend it for most of my patients. WBV has been shown to be a potent treatment for:
- Improving joint mobility
- Increasing muscle mass and strength
- Improving balance
- Reducing the stress hormone cortisol
- Improving blood circulation
- Reducing cellulite
- Increasing flexibility and mobility
- Boosting levels of serotonin
- Balancing blood sugar
- Burning fat
And researchers from the University of Texas gave older people WBV training three times a week. It reduced their risk of falling and helped prevent fractures. They also found that WBV improved body balance, mobility, muscle strength and power, bone density, and range of motion in lower limb joints.3
Vibration therapy is one of the easiest ways I’ve found to increase joint mobility, muscle strength and bone density. In just 20 minutes, your muscles can get a tremendous workout. And when you combine WBV therapy with calisthenics, you can dramatically cut the time it takes to see results.
I recommend WBV therapy three times a week for the best results. You can get the benefits no matter what your age or physical condition is.
If you’re in the South Florida area, and interested in trying WBV, just call my staff at 561-784-7852 for more details. They’ll be happy to answer any questions you have. Or you can visit my website at www.searsinstitute.com.
Build Strong Bones that Last a Lifetime
But even if you don’t have access to WBV therapy, you can still build bones of steel in your own home. Here are three things I recommend to keep your bones strong and prevent osteoporosis.
- Use this magic bone supplement. Magnesium is one of the primary minerals found in the bone matrix.
This often overlooked trace mineral is needed for more than 300 biochemical processes in your body, including nerve and muscle function, the immune system, and a steady heartbeat.
Studies show that 80% of Americans aren’t getting enough magnesium. Not only have industrial farming methods stripped the soil of essential minerals like magnesium, the sugar-laden modern American diet prompts your kidneys to excrete magnesium as well.
Leafy greens like kale, spinach and Swiss chard are good food sources. So are quinoa, lentils, almonds, sesame seeds and cacao.
I recommend getting between 600 mg and 1,000 mg a day as a supplement.
Avoid magnesium oxide or glutamate. The glycine, citrate, malate and chloride forms are better choices. Take it with vitamin B6 to increase the amount of magnesium accumulating in your cells.
- If you’re feeling pain, eliminate inflammation with nature’s aspirin. Meadowsweet is used traditionally to treat arthritis and pain in much the same way as aspirin is used. In fact, aspirin was created by studying meadowsweet. And researchers are still trying to create more drugs from it.
But meadowsweet is a great example of why no matter how many times we think we’re smarter than nature, nature is better.
You see, meadowsweet stores its active anti-inflammatories as inactive compounds. So when you ingest them, they go past your stomach intact.
Then your liver safely converts them into the healing inflammation-dousing compounds that really work. The best part is, meadowsweet has none of the side effects over-the-counter synthetic drugs that imitate it have, like ulcers and bleeding.
- Then, build “superior” bones with vitamin K2. This little-known vitamin regulates calcium. It directs it into your bones. I’ve helped hundreds of patients regulate their calcium and stabilize their bones using vitamin K2. A recent study showed that high vitamin K intake means higher bone mineral density, and less bone loss with aging.4 The authors wrote that vitamin K gave people “superior bone properties.”
In America the most popular food sources of K2 are egg yolks, organ meats, grass-fed raw milk and traditionally cultured cheeses like Emmental and Jarlsberg.
You can also supplement with vitamin K2. It comes in several different forms called menaquinones (MK). Look for a supplement containing MK-4 or MK-7. And it’s fat-soluble, so take K2 with a meal to improve absorption. I recommend taking 90 mcg per day.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD, CNS
References
1. Ma C, et al. “Effect of whole-body vibration on reduction of bone loss and fall prevention in postmenopausal women: a meta-analysis and systematic review.” J Orthop Surg Res. 2016;11:24.
2. Good Vibrations. Science Beta.
3. Yang F, et al. “Controlled whole-body vibration training reduces risk of falls among community-dwelling older adults.” J Biomech. 2015;48(12):3206-3212..
4. Guangliang H, et al. “Vitamin K intake and the risk of fractures.” Medicine (Baltimore). 2017;96(17):e6725.