Rhizoma Drynariae Osteoporosis, Osteopenia remedy

Rhizoma Drynariae Osteoporosis, Osteopenia remedy. Many  Western researchers have a growing interest in remedies used in other parts of the world. Much of this interest began when U.S. President Nixon traveled to China and was introduced to TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine).

It is not only Traditional Chinese Medicine that Western researchers have been studying.  They have also been examining practices of Ayurvedic medicine and the practices of aboriginal tribes as well as a host of herbal concoctions used by herbalist through out the world.  As a result, those wanting to reverse Osteopenia or Osteoporosis, without using Western pharmaceutical drugs, now have access to many traditional herbal remedies that have strong scientific evidence for their effectiveness.  The herb, Rhizoma Drynariae Osteoporosis, Osteopenia is one of these remedies.

Background.  Drynariae (or Basket ferns) are not found in Europe nor are they found in the Americas. These plants only grow in tropical environments, usually in rain forests - ranging from equatorial Africa to tropical South and East Asia.  Rhizoma Drynariae Osteoporosis plant also grows in Australia and Oceania.  It is usually found  growing on rocks or trees. And in recent years it has been found in areas that have been cleared for building or when building has already taken place, it is sometimes found on brick walls surrounding a home. So it is a common plant in its native climate - so common that like dandelion in the West, people can ignore is medicinal power.

For most Europeans and North Americans, the use of the Rhizoma Drynariae Osteoporosis, Osteopenia fern is new. In fact many North American and European doctors have never heard of nor seen one of these plants!  (If you want to learn more about these special ferns, you can find a write up about them on Wikipeida. Go to: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drynaria )  But if you are main interest is their use for reversing bone loss in read on.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) remedies are classified as Ying tonifying or Yang tonifying. Rhizoma Curculiginis (Xianmao)  and Rhizoma Drynariae (Gusuibu) are both classified as 'Yang-tonifying' herbs. And both herbs are reputed to strengthen bones.

In Western medicine researchers classify bone loss remedies as either stimulating Osteoblasts, to produce more new bone as does the drug Teriparatide or by slowing the work of removing old bone as do the class of drugs called Bisphosphonates. These bisphosphonate drugs, such as Boniva, Fosamax, Reclast  and others slow the removal of old bone.)   After reading research about Rhizoma Drynariae Osteoporosis drug, it appears that this remedy would be grouped with drugs that stimulate our Osteoblasts to be more active and so grow new bone. However, I have not seen any medical paper that makes that claim directly.

(One of the difficulties I sometimes experience in doing this web site is that by including remedies from Auydevic medicine, herbal medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, I sometimes come across remedies that have not yet be studied by Western researchers. I list these remedies on the site BUT I am always happy when a reader sends additional references or new information about such treatments. )

1. I want to supply you with EVERY remedy, no matter its medical origins,  that has had success in addressing bone loss in women and men AND

2. I have advised (begged?) you to discuss with your health care provider anything you read here and/or any  steps you plan to take for increasing your bone density.I am a scholar, a reader of research studies. I am NOT a licensed medical provider and, as I have often said, no one should take any information from this web site as medical advice. 

Only your licensed medical provider can give you such advice. I can provide information from published medical, scientific studies that you can bring to your health care provider for his/her review and advice.

(Hmmm. Some of you may be tired of reading this disclaimer. I say it so often. But it is important. I read, summarize studies. I do not and can not give medical advice to anyone.  Only your licensed health care provider can do that. Period.)

The first reference I found  about Rhizoma Dryunariae Osteoporosis, Osteopenia said that it increased trabecular bone density by more than 6%. That, to me, seems really significant. So I decided to investigate further. Here are summaries of two studies I found:

 1. "This investigation aims to assess the systemic effect of extracts of Rhizoma Curculiginis and Rhizoma Drynariae on bone histomorphology and formation, and their local effect on bone healing.

For the investigation of the systemic effect,  thirty 8-week-old male BALB/c mice were divided into three groups: (1) control group, ten mice fed daily with distilled water;
 (2) Rhizoma Curculiginis group, ten mice fed daily with distilled water mixed with Rhizoma Curculiginis extract;  (3) Rhizoma Drynarie group, ten mice fed daily with distilled water mixed with Rhizoma Drynarie extract. The mice were
fed for five weeks before sacrifice.

Twenty micro-tomographic slices with an increment of 0.25 mm were prepared to cover  the proximal end of the left tibia of each mouse. Quantitative morphometry of the bone structure was performed. For the  investigation of the local effect on bone healing, two bone defects (5 x 10 mm) were created in the parietal bone of each
of the three New Zealand white rabbits.

Two defects in the first animal were grafted with collagen matrix with Rhizoma
Curculiginis extract; two defects in the second animal were grafted with collagen matrix with Rhizoma Drynarie extract; two defects in the third (control) animal were grafted with collagen matrix alone.

The animals were sacrificed on day 14 and the defects were dissected and prepared for histological and ultrastructural assessment. Rhizoma Curculiginis and Rhizoma Drynariae  extracts altered the bone histomorphology, both increasing the
trabecular number by 10% (P = 0.002).(italics mine because I find those results so amazing)  

Please Note: Trabecular bone is the part of your bones that provides the inner scaffolding for your bones. Without strong trabecular bone, your bones would collapse under your weight. Sometimes this can happen to some one with Osteoporosis. They stand and the bone connecting their femur to the hip socket  breaks. The person falls to the ground with a broken hip.  This is why it is so important to do weight bearing exercises for our hips  as we age.)

The study concluded that: "Rhizoma Curculiginis  extract increased bone density by  3.13% (P = 0.122) and Rhizoma Drynariae  extract increased  bone density  by 6.45% (P = 0.005). Both Rhizoma Curculiginis and Rhizoma Drynariae extracts induced
new bone formation on the margins of the defects. Special Note: Web Md says that " Over three years on Fosamax, you can expect a 6% to 8% increase in spinal bone." but this study showed an increase of 6.45% in trabecular bone of mice in only 2 weeks.

I  found a full text of a second study showing the benefit of Rhizoma Drynariae Osteoporosis, Osteopenia. This study concluded: "Two 'Yang-tonifying' herbs, Rhizoma Curculiginis and Rhizoma Drynariae, were demonstrated to have systemic effects on bone histomorphology and formation as well as local bone healing." If you want to read the whole study, click for the full text: Rhizoma Drynariae Osteoporosis, Osteopenia

You can buy Rhizoma Drynariae Osteoporosis at Amazon -just be sure you find Rhizoma Drynariae, not some other concoction. It is not very expensive but you need to read labels carefully to find it. Click on the banner below.

Read more articles about using natural treatments  for bone building.

End of article about Rhizoma Drynariae Osteoporosis.

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