Osteoporosis, Osteopenia, Parkinson's Disease And Melatonin : The Melatonin Series Continues

[chartist]

Since PwP are at increased risk for Osteoporosis and Osteopenia, I am writing this post to illustrate how once again, Melatonin may be quite useful for the purpose of staving off or preventing Osteoporosis or Osteopenia. The following Meta Analysis discusses the relationship of Osteoporosis and PD. Here is a quote from this Meta Analysis :

>>> ' The results show that PD patients have significantly increased risk of osteoporosis and osteopenia, and that female patients are more severely affected than male patients. ' <<<

jnnp.bmj.com/content/85/10/...

What Is Osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis is a bone disease that occurs when the body loses too much bone, makes too little bone, or both. As a result, bones become weak and may break from a fall or, in serious cases, from sneezing or minor bumps.

nof.org/patients/what-is-os...

What Are The Risk Factors And Who Is At Risk?

Women are at higher risk than men and here are some of the risk factors.

Often times, a fracture, or a broken bone is the first sign of osteoporosis before any of the following risk factors are present:

Estrogen deficiency from early menopause (before age 45, either natural or surgical) or no period for a long time (six months to a year)

Personal history of fracture (broken bone) as an adult

Family history of osteoporosis or bone fracture

Small thin frame and/or low body weight

Low intake of calcium (avoidance of dairy products)

Low levels of vitamin D

Immobilization or lack of exercise

Cigarette smoking

Excessive alcohol intake

High caffeine intake

Other medical problems that contribute to bone loss, including thyroid and parathyroid conditions, digestive problems, eating disorders, kidney disease, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, cancer and paralysis

Use of certain medications that weaken bones, such as steroids, overuse of thyroid hormone, blood thinners, anticonvulsants and diuretics. While osteoporosis can occur in anyone, it is more common in Caucasian and Asian women.

How Is Osteoporosis Treated By Doctors?

Doctors have multiple drugs at their disposal to treat Osteoporosis. Drugs such as the following Bisphosphonates:

Alendronate (Fosamax), a weekly pill

Risedronate (Actonel), a weekly or monthly pill

Ibandronate (Boniva), a monthly pill or quarterly intravenous (IV) infusion

Zoledronic acid (Reclast), an annual IV infusion

There is also:

Denosumab : Prolia / Xgeva

Romosozumab : One of the newest drugs for Osteoporosis

Abaloparatide

Teriparatide

mayoclinic.org/diseases-con...

There are others, but these would be considered to be the main group. The Bisphosphonates have some significant side effect issues as mentioned here :

nof.org/patients/treatment/...

Previously we have discussed the use of melatonin for Stroke prevention and treatment, Covid-19, Parkinson's Disease, the group of diseases that falls into the Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) group and Memory. As the title suggests, Melatonin has shown benefit in fighting Osteoporosis and is worth considering as part of a plan to fight Osteoporosis. I won't rehash all of the benefits of melatonin that I have already mentioned in this Melatonin Series as they are many, but rather concentrate on showing studies that illustrate how Melatonin can be helpful for people with Osteoporosis and for prevention.

In the following abstract, melatonin is shown to operate like most of the available prescription meds by inhibiting bone loss, but melatonin goes a step further and also helps in new bone formation.

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/305...

In the following mouse model of osteoporosis that is generated by giving the mice retinoic acid, Melatonin was shown to prevent bone destruction while promoting bone formation. Here is an interesting quote from the study :

>>> ' Melatonin can alleviate bone loss in RA-induced OP model mice, repair the trabecular microstructure, and promote bone formation. ' <<<

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

In this next abstract, the title pretty much says it all, "Melatonin Suppresses Estrogen Deficiency-Induced Osteoporosis and Promotes Osteoblastogenesis by Inactivating the NLRP3 Inflammasome". This also happens to be one way that Melatonin fights Covid-19.

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/298...

In the following abstract the ability of Melatonin to restore impaired osteogenic potential caused by Osteoporosis is discussed. Here is a quote from the abstract :

>>> ' These results indicated that melatonin ameliorates estrogen deficiency-induced osteoporosis and impaired osteogenic differentiation potential by suppressing activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome via mediating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. ' <<<

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/316...

Since diabetes is considered a potential risk factor for Osteoporosis, the following study discusses how melatonin may be helpful in helping to stave off Osteoporosis. The following study goes into detail. Here is a quote from the study :

>>> ' Importantly, melatonin significantly reduced ferroptosis and improved the osteogenic capacity of osteoblasts via the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway both in vivo and in vitro. ' <<<

Ferroptosis is important in PD also and reduction of ferroptosis in PD is useful for PwP.

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

The following study discusses how Melatonin may be useful for preventing bone loss during space flight.

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

The following study comes to this final conclusion regarding Melatonin and Osteoporosis :

>>> ' The osteoblast-inducing, bone-enhancing effects of melatonin and improvement in quality of life suggest that melatonin is a safe and effective bone loss therapy. '<<<

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

It is worth reminding here that melatonin production declines with age as noted on the graph at the top of this post and this is very important when you start to consider all of the health conditions that studies show that melatonin is useful for. This adds credence to the whole idea of supplementing with melatonin as a preventative or treatment as we age. Osteoporosis, like PD, is considered an age related disease and melatonin, again as illustrated by the chart at the top of the page, declines very significantly with age.

Please refer to the chart at the top of this post.

This next abstract discusses how melatonin can be useful in helping to reduce the risk of Osteoporosis in people with Multiple Sclerosis.

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/291...

The following RCT is very interesting in that it shows how melatonin works well with other natural supplements that are often used for Osteoporosis and Osteopenia such as vitamin D, vitamin K-2 and strontium. Here is a quote from the study :

>>> ' These findings provide both clinical and mechanistic support for the use of MSDK for the prevention or treatment of osteopenia, osteoporosis or other bone-related diseases. ' <<<

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

The following rat study is interesting because it demonstrates how Melatonin has synergy with Calcium Carbonate in helping to reduce and possibly reverse osteoporosis in these rats. Here is a quote from the study :

>>> ' Melatonin and calcium carbonate can significantly improve antioxidative ability in rats with osteoporosis, increase bone density, elevate serum calcium level and reduce bone mineral loss, thus preventing and treating osteoporosis, and the combination displays more remarkable effects. ' <<<

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

This next abstract is important because it points out that Melatonin can also have oral health benefits, as pointed out in a previous post on oral health, all why working against Osteoporosis and Osteopenia.

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/243...

Conclusion

I could go on for pages highlighting the many Melatonin studies showing benefit for Osteoporosis and Osteopenia, but the above should be more than enough to show how useful Melatonin is for the purpose. The above studies go into substantial detail explaining how useful Melatonin is for the purpose as well as how it is synergistic with other known supplements that are often used to fight Osteoporosis. When you combine this information with the previous articles in this Melatonin Series, you might start to get an inkling of why I choose to take high dose melatonin (HDM) everyday at 106 mg+ per night so that I can try and avail myself of all of the health benefits that melatonin appears to offer.

As always I can not recommend Melatonin or dosing because I am not a doctor, but I can highlight these relevant studies so that others can clearly see the benefit of HDM. You should consult your doctor or healthcare professional before testing or taking melatonin for any reason, to be safe.

Art

[marcet]

I have pd and chronic sleep problem associated, i tried melatonin 10mg, 3mg and even 1mg and got massive restless legs syndrome. Is there a way to use malatonin to avoid or suppress rls ?

[chartist in reply to marcet]

Admittedly, I have never heard of this side effect until now. In the following study they are suggesting that melatonin may be useful for RLS.

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/241...

Apparently and unfortunately, you are in the group of people that simply can not tolerate melatonin. I mention this frequently because some people have mentioned that they are not able to tolerate melatonin. Even if you used a different delivery method such as suppository, intravenous, topical or sublingual, it seems highly likely that you will have the same problem.

Art

[marcet in reply to chartist]

Thanks Art

[chartist in reply to marcet]

marcet,

Do you have any RLS without melatonin use?

Art

[marcet in reply to chartist]

Not every night but it happens very often, usually starts around 2am, when i am awake in bed. It stops around 4am, i then finally fall asleep until 6am.

[chartist in reply to marcet]

I thought you might find the following article of interest since you regularly have episodes of RLS and RLS is seen frequently in PwP :

healthline.com/health/restl...

On a related note, I was able to find one study that suggested that existing RLS can be affected negatively by melatonin, but it was an extremely small study of only 8 participants who had existing RLS :

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/202...

Art

[marcet in reply to chartist]

Very kind, many thanks Art

[Boyce3600 in reply to chartist]

Any data on the reverse?? By that I mean people who already have osteoporisis later developing Parkinsons??

[chartist in reply to Boyce3600]

In everything I read, it seems to be a one way street with PwP having increased risk of getting Osteoporosis, but not the other way around. The really bad part seems to be that PwP are at increased risk of falling and falling when you have osteoporosis can be very dangerous.

Art

[Boyce3600 in reply to chartist]

yes, for sure. Thanks for the info and the reply. u take care!!

[Kingdomcome in reply to chartist]

Thank you so much, Art. I also have Osteoporosis, Lymphedema, and Small Vessel disease. At the advice of my MDS neurologist, I now take 20mg of Melatonin to help me sleep, along with CBD. I do sleep better. I thought 20mg of Melatonin was a bit high, but because of your info, it’s given me confidence that it’s safe to increase my Melatonin dose, as needed. Thanks again.

Blessings,

Myrna

[chartist in reply to Kingdomcome]

Hi Myrna,

There seems to be benefit for lymphedema with regular use of a trampoline or a single person rebounder. Here is a link to an article that discusses lymphedema and the use of a rebounder:

thecancerspecialist.com/201...

Here is a link to what a rebounder looks like and costs :

google.com/search?q=rebound...

In case you missed my recent post on Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and melatonin, here is a link to it:

healthunlocked.com/cure-par...

Here is a link to a post on stroke treatment and prevention as relates to melatonin:

healthunlocked.com/cure-par...

Here is a link to a post about Covid-19 and melatonin :

healthunlocked.com/cure-par...

Here is a link to a post about memory and melatonin :

healthunlocked.com/cure-par...

And last, but not least, a post about PwP and melatonin in two parts :

healthunlocked.com/cure-par...

healthunlocked.com/cure-par...

Good luck!

Art

[Kingdomcome in reply to chartist]

Your help is much appreciated. God bless!

Myrna

[chartist in reply to Kingdomcome]

I am very happy to hear that Your MDS/neurologist recommended melatonin for you! At 20 mg, it suggests that you tolerate melatonin well and will likely be able to use it at higher dosing if ever needed!

I don't concentrate a lot on melatonin for sleep because it seems to work quite well for some while not for others.

Art

[chartist]

Another new study suggesting that melatonin has bone regeneration effects. Here is a link to the abstract :

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/337...

Art

[chartist]

A new study adding further confirmation to the use of melatonin for osteopenia and osteoporosis, but with a new twist. The addition of PEMF, which has been discussed previously on this forum for PD, may have synergy with melatonin for osteoporosis.

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/345...

Here is a link to previous PEMF discussions on HU :

healthunlocked.com/search/p...

Art

[chartist]

Since fractures are sometimes one of the first indications that a person has osteopenia or osteoporosis, I am including the following study that suggests that melatonin also helps prevent fractures as would be expected because of melatonin's known bone healing effects.

medwinpublishers.com/OAJVSR...

Here is a relevant quote from the study :

>>> ' The effects of melatonin on bone healing were investigated by scientists, and they observed that

melatonin protects the bone from fracture. Studies have shown melatonin has an influential role on bone-healing

because of its regulation of bone cells, antioxidant properties, and promotion of angiogenesis actions. Scientists have

shown that melatonin has an influential role in the bone healing process due to its regulation of bone cells, antioxidant

properties, and promotion of angiogenesis actions. ' <<<

Art

[chartist]

This new study adds further data to the methods of action of melatonin for osteoporosis repair and prevention :

frontiersin.org/articles/10...

Here is a quote from the study :

>>> ' In conclusion, our study demonstrated that melatonin could promote BMSC-mediated angiogenesis and promote osteogenesis–angiogenesis coupling. We further found that melatonin could accelerate osteoporotic bone repair by promoting osteogenesis and angiogenesis in OVX rats. These findings may provide evidence for the potential application of melatonin in osteoporotic bone defect. ' <<<

Art

[chartist]

I just wanted to update this thread on the use of Melatonin for Osteoporosis/Osteopenia because a new study came out that adds further confirmation to the relationship between melatonin and osteoporosis :

frontiersin.org/articles/10...

Here is a very relevant quote from the study :

>>> ' This study confirmed that bone density positively correlates with the melatonin level in human blood. In the animal model, melatonin supplementation reverses postmenopausal osteoporosis. We explored the internal mechanism of melatonin treatment of osteoporosis. Melatonin promotes an increase in intracellular calcium ion concentrations through the STIM1/ORAI1 pathway to induce osteoblast proliferation. ' <<<

Art

[Smittybear7]

thank you for the information. You are so knowledgeable and kind to provide helpful information. I was recently diagnosed with osteoporosis in addition to Parkinson's . I dont want to take the medication. so I am working with a nutritionist and using d3, calcium.magnesium vits and minerals to attack the problem. What calcium clogs your arteries?

[chartist in reply to Smittybear7]

Ask your nutritionist about adding vitamin K2 Menaquinone 7, Strontium Citrate as well as higher dose boron and of course melatonin. A newer study :

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/360...

A relevant quote from the study :

' One of these factors is melatonin, whose possible regulatory role in bone metabolism and formation has recently been suggested by many studies. Melatonin also is a potential signaling molecule and can affect many of the signaling pathways involved in MSCs osteoblastic differentiation, such as activation of PI3K/AKT, BMP/Smad, MAPK, NFkB, Nrf2/HO-1, Wnt, SIRT/SOD, PERK/ATF4. Furthermore, melatonin in combination with other components such as strontium, vitamin D3, and vitamin K2 has a synergistic effect on bone microstructure and improves bone mineral density (BMD). '

An older study :

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

A relevant quote from the study :

' In our study, osteopenic women taking MSDK for one year had a significant improvement in their left femoral neck and lumbar spine BMD and demonstrated a lower risk for a major osteoporotic fracture risk compared to women taking placebo. This is consistent with previous studies that demonstrate an increased BMD using melatonin alone [12], strontium alone [13, 14] or combination vitamin D3 and vitamin K2 [17, 18] or combination strontium citrate, vitamins K2 and D3 [20].

Boron isn't always mentioned for osteoporosis and osteopenia, but it should be and we are not talking about 3 mg doses as optimal. It should be significantly more, especially if arthritis is also in play.

sciencedirect.com/science/a...

A relevant quote from the study:

' The studies considered in this narrative review have evaluated the positive effectiveness on bone, in humans, through control of calcium, vitamin D and sex steroid hormone metabolism, considering a dietary supplementation of 3 mg/day of boron (alone or with other nutrients); this supplementation is demonstrably useful to support bone health (in order to prevent and maintain adequate bone mineral density), also considering the daily dose of 3 mg is much lower than the Upper Level indicated by EFSA in the daily dose of 10 mg. '

I have previously written about the value of Boron and Borax for arthritis here :

healthunlocked.com/cure-par...

Yes, I am talking about 20 Mule Team Borax, the laundry booster.

I forgot to answer your question regarding calcium. Boron, K2, melatonin, magnesium and vitamin D should combine to help ameliorate that condition.

Art

[chartist]

This new study ( May 2023) adds further confirmation to the idea that melatonin is useful for the possible treatment osteoporosis :

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/372...

Here is a relevant study quote :

' Melatonin was found to reverse the inhibitory effect of TNF-α on osteogenic differentiation and inflammation in BMSCs. Taken together, these findings indicated that melatonin may have therapeutic potential to be used for the treatment of osteoporosis. '

Art