As winter sets in, the days are shorter, and the body lacks vitamin D, which helps calcium "settle" in the body. Coupled with reduced physical activity, osteoporosis and even fractures can creep up on you, making it impossible to avoid. Moreover, in recent years, osteoporosis has risen to be the seventh most common and prevalent disease. Over 50% of postmenopausal women and over 20% of elderly men suffer from osteoporosis. Therefore, no one can afford to ignore it. So, what exactly should one "supplement for bone health"? Is the old saying "eating bones builds bones" effective? There's a lot to learn about it.
To know what to supplement, one must first understand what bones are lacking. From a Western medicine perspective, osteoporosis is caused by the loss of calcium. Therefore, "bone supplementation" means supplementing with calcium, as well as vitamin D, vitamin C, estrogen, and other nutrients that promote calcium absorption. However, in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the situation is much more complex. Bone health is often closely related to the health of various organs. The ancient TCM classic, "Huangdi Neijing" (The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon), written over 2000 years ago, stated: "When kidney qi is heated, the waist and spine cannot be lifted, the bones become withered and the marrow decreases, leading to bone flaccidity." The "withered bones" mentioned here are largely similar to the clinical manifestations of osteoporosis in modern medicine, such as back pain, shortened stature, kyphosis, and fractures. Therefore, TCM believes that the fundamental cause of osteoporosis is a deficiency in kidney essence. The kidneys "govern the bones and produce marrow." A kidney deficiency means they cannot nourish the bones, leading to fragile and weak bones. In other words, bone health is inextricably linked to the "kidneys," so "bone supplementation" must begin with nourishing the kidneys.
Furthermore, a spleen deficiency can affect the absorption of nutrients like calcium, phosphorus, trace elements, proteins, and amino acids in the gastrointestinal tract. Meanwhile, qi stagnation and blood stasis are contributing factors. Blood stasis obstructs the meridians, preventing qi, blood, and body fluids from nourishing the muscles and bones. This tells us that if blood circulation is poor, nutrients cannot be delivered to the bones in a timely manner. As an old Chinese saying goes, "Running water never goes stale, and a hinge never gets wormy." The same principle applies to bone health. Therefore, nourishing the blood and strengthening the spleen are also prerequisites for "bone supplementation."
Therefore, managing osteoporosis should focus on "supplementing what is deficient." This involves using herbs to supplement yang, primarily to tonify the kidneys; herbs to nourish blood, primarily to nourish the blood and strengthen the spleen; and herbs to tonify qi, primarily to strengthen the spleen and boost qi. From this, we can deduce the principles for using Chinese medicine to prevent and treat osteoporosis today: First, the basic formula consists of herbs that tonify the kidneys, strengthen the spleen, and boost qi. Commonly used herbs include Shu Di Huang (Rehmannia root), Dang Gui (Angelica sinensis), Huang Qi (Astragalus root), Gou Qi Zi (Goji berry), Lu Jiao Jiao (Deer antler glue), Gui Ban (Tortoise shell), Dang Shen (Codonopsis root), Bai Shao (White peony root), Tu Si Zi (Dodder seed), Shan Yao (Chinese yam), Du Zhong (Eucommia bark), and Nu Zhen Zi (Privet fruit). Second, the formula is often supplemented with herbs that invigorate blood and dispel stasis. These are the most commonly used category of herbs besides those that tonify deficiency. Commonly used herbs include Niu Xi (Achyranthes root), Dan Shen (Salvia root), Chuan Xiong (Lovage root), Yan Hu Suo (Corydalis root), Tao Ren (Peach kernel), Chuan Shan Jia (Squama manitis), and Ji Xue Teng (Spatholobus suberectus stem).