Many years ago Dr. Susan E. Brown, PhD began to “rethink” osteoporosis — its nature, causes, prevention, and treatment — starting a revolution in bone health that continues to this day.
Dr. Brown first became interested in bone health when she lost her grandmother, at the age of 102, to complications from a hip fracture. Dr. Brown couldn’t help wondering, how much longer might this alert and active woman have lived had she not fractured her hip? Her interest grew into a compulsion as she sought to understand why the disease existed and what we could do about it.
As an anthropologist using a cross-cultural perspective, Dr. Brown discovered that the nature of osteoporosis is very different than commonly believed. She found that cultures with the highest calcium intake also have the highest osteoporosis rates, despite conventional wisdom that calcium levels dictate bone health. Dr. Brown’s research found that though people in many countries have lower bone density than we do in the United States, their fracture rates are significantly lower. Her research led her to a startling conclusion: the disease of osteoporosis is a preventable disorder created by our lifestyles and eating habits.
Dr. Brown’s “rethinking” has led to Better Bones — a comprehensive, whole-body approach to bone health that reaches beyond the estrogen and calcium myths to truly support healthy bone growth and regeneration through nutrition and lifestyle.
Through more than 20 years of research, Dr. Brown has learned that our bones need a variety of nutrients in addition to calcium to repair themselves, and that the body needs to maintain a balanced pH to prevent further loss of bone.