Frequently Asked Questions

Quick Links to Answers:

1. How do I know a natural approach will help me?
2. I took calcium and vitamin D and followed a healthy diet and lifestyle, but now I have osteoporosis anyway. Can the Personal Program help me?
3. Why does pH balance matter, and what is the alkaline diet?
4. What are the risks of bone density drugs (bisphosphonates)?
5. My doctor recommended a bone density drug, but I’m scared of the side effects. What should I do?
6. How long does the Personal Program take to work? How long do I have to be on it?
7. How will I know my bones are getting stronger?
8. Does low bone density cause fractures?
9. If I stop bone breakdown will that prevent fractures?
10. My fracture risk is low. Why should I pay attention to my bone health?
11. My fracture risk is high. Will the Personal Program help me?
12. I’m terrified of fracturing a hip. Is there anything I can do to reduce my risk?
13. Do I need to take other supplements like calcium while on the Personal Program?
14. Are the dietary and lifestyle guidelines difficult to follow?
15. Will my doctor approve of the Personal Program for Better Bones?
16. I’m on a prescription drug. Will the Personal Program for Better Bones interact with my prescription?
17. I’ve read that there are at least 20 key nutrients for bone health, but the Personal Program doesn’t seem to include them all. What’s missing, and why?
18. I recently heard about a study linking folic acid and vitamin B12 to cancer incidence. What can you tell me about this study?
19. I was wondering why I always have bright-yellow urine after taking your multivitamins. My friend said I was just wasting my money when I mentioned it, so then I asked my doctor about it, and he told me I am just peeing out the vitamins! Should I be concerned?
20. What are the benefits of joining the Personal Program?

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1. How do I know that a natural approach will help me?

The wonderful thing about a natural approach to bone health is that it can help you regardless of your age or the current state of your bones. 96% of women who come to our Center are helped exclusively with a natural approach. About 4% — the women with the greatest number of risk factors, very severe bone loss, and complicating medical factors — also benefit from temporary use of bone density drugs in conjunction with natural bone support. We never recommend bone density drugs without support to bone-building cells because bone density is only one component of bone strength. Bone strength also depends on the quality of the bone, and the activity of bone-building cells is vital for improving bone quality.

Because nutritional support is a key component of the Personal Program, women with chronic digestive issues should work to resolve those issues to get the most from their Program. Women with extreme bone loss or a history of low-trauma fracture should be evaluated for underlying medical conditions that cause osteoporosis, in conjunction with their Program.

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2. I took calcium and vitamin D and followed a healthy diet and lifestyle, but now I have osteoporosis anyway. Can the Personal Program help me?

Yes. The Personal Program goes beyond what most women consider a healthy diet and lifestyle in a number of ways. Our program helps you balance your pH levels and provides 17 of the key bone-building nutrients that most women lack in optimum amounts — including calcium and vitamin D. Our nutrients are of the highest quality and delivered in their most bioavailable forms. Furthermore, they are specifically designed to support proper pH balance and the retention of mineral density. Most women we see are surprised to learn the wide range of lifestyle factors that can affect their bones — not only exercise but stress and anxiety levels, exposure to environmental toxins, and many other habits and conditions that are within your ability to change! Our approach to nutrition and lifestyle is outlined in a truly unique, easy-to-use guide that will help you identify these lesser-known opportunities for improving your bone health.

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3. Why does pH balance matter and what is the alkaline diet?

Your body functions best within a narrow range of pH, which is slightly alkaline. It’s your bones’ responsibility to maintain that alkaline balance by storing and donating alkalizing mineral compounds (like calcium citrates and carbonates). Many of the body’s processes, including energy production and digestion of certain foods, produce acid that must be buffered by these alkalizing mineral compounds. From an evolutionary perspective, it’s far more important to prevent systemic acidosis than to maintain bone strength, so your bones continue to donate their alkalizing mineral compounds even at the expense of building and repairing bone.

By avoiding foods that create acid and eating more foods that have an alkalizing effect on the body, you can quickly and directly reduce the demands on your bones. When fewer resources are diverted to maintaining pH balance, your bones are more able to build, repair, and strengthen.

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4. What are the risks of bone density drugs (bisphosphonates)?

Bone density drugs (bisphosphonates) bring premature death to the cells that break down bone and deposit a long-lasting bisphosphonate compound in the bone, giving it the appearance of greater density. These drugs halt bone breakdown, but do not build new bone. In fact, they reduce new bone formation. Long-term use of these drugs (over 1 year) has been shown to halt activity of bone-building cells, which stands to reason since bone breakdown is necessary for new bone formation. This sometimes results in dense bones that are of poor quality and too brittle to withstand everyday activities. These drugs also carry the risk of several side effects, including ulcers of the esophagus, upper GI irritation, irregular heartbeat, low blood calcium, fracture of the femur, joint, bone or muscle pain, jaw bone decay, and increased parathyroid hormone.

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5. My doctor recommended a bone density drug, but I’m scared of the side effects. What should I do?

Have an honest discussion with your doctor. Unfortunately there is a general lack of awareness about natural approaches to bone health in the medical community, but he or she should understand your concerns. We’ve long believed that women should have an active role in making decisions about their health care, and when they have the right knowledge and tools they have an amazing ability to heal themselves. Taking a drug you’re not comfortable with doesn’t make sense when alternatives exist.

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6. How long does the Personal Program take to work? How long do I have to be on it?

Because bone health is built every day, the Personal Program starts to help immediately. But bone strength is built in increments and it will take time for a noticeable improvement. Within the first 30-60 days of the Program, most women will replenish their key bone-building nutrients and make significant progress towards optimizing their pH level and balancing their overall bone metabolism. Most importantly, you’ll learn everything you need to know to continue strengthening your bones, regardless of whether you remain a Member of the Personal Program.

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7. How will I know my bones are getting stronger?

Like you can’t feel your bones become weak, you won’t feel them getting stronger. However, you can measure your progress in other ways. A urine marker of bone breakdown, such as the NTx test, is an effective but lesser-known test that measures the excretion of a specific molecule that indicates the rate of bone breakdown. You can also measure your daily pH level, which is an indication of the level of demands on your bones’ mineral reserves. Bone mineral density tests are the most commonly used option for monitoring bone health, but it’s important to understand their limitations. Bone density only roughly correlates with bone strength — some women have dense bones that are very brittle. Finally, a general increase in energy, enhanced fitness, and muscle strength can be correlated with greater bone health.

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8. Does low bone density cause fractures?

Low bone density alone does not cause fractures. Your bones have plenty of surplus bone mass to allow for loss of bone density without necessarily causing fracture. For example research shows that a severely osteoporotic vertebra with only 50% of its normal amount of bone is still architecturally strong enough to withstand five times its normal strain load. Low bone density is more likely to contribute to a fracture when the bone is also of poor quality. Bone quality depends on the self-repair mechanism of bone. In healthy bone, microfractures are continuously being repaired, old bone is removed, and stronger bone is formed in its place. Thin bone combined with poor bone self-repair is most likely to contribute to fracture.

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9. If I stop bone breakdown will that prevent fractures?

Halting bone breakdown allows minerals to accumulate in the bone, which leads to greater bone density. However, bone density is only roughly correlated with bones’ resistance to fracture. Strong bones are sufficiently dense and flexible to withstand forces and flexion. They remain this way by continuously breaking down old bone and replacing it with new, strong bone. In a healthy skeleton, at any given moment there are about one million sites where small segments of old bone are being dissolved and new bone is being laid in its place. If you stop bone breakdown, you halt bone repair, renewal, and formation. This reduces the overall quality of the bone, and may increase the risk of fracture rather than reduce it.

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10. My fracture risk is low. Why should I pay attention to my bone health?

Many of our patients are relieved to learn their fracture risk is low. And this is good news, because it’s always easier to maintain bone than heal it after an imbalance has developed. A few simple things you do now can have lifelong benefits for your bone health. Besides, there is no crystal ball for fractures: some women with low fracture risk will break a bone. Don’t wait for your fracture risk to increase when you have such a great opportunity to establish healthy bones now. Also remember that all the natural steps you can take for your bone health are good for your entire body — so you have nothing to lose!

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11. My fracture risk is high. Will the Personal Program help me?

Women with high fracture risk often feel like a broken bone is inevitable. Happily, this is not so! Remember that risk factors increase the chance that you will experience an event, but they do not cause that event to occur. You may not be able to change some of your risk factors, like your age or family history of fracture, but you can often influence your outcomes. Taking control of the factors you can influence, like nutritional status, pH balance and lifestyle, is enough for most women to tip the scale in their favor.

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12. I’m terrified of fracturing a hip. Is there anything I can do to reduce my risk?

There’s no doubt that hip fractures are frightening. But allowing that fear to be the basis of decisions about your bone health doesn’t serve your body well. And the truth is there’s a lot you can do to prevent fractures of all types, including hip fractures. The key is to focus on the quality of your bones, not just their density. Obtaining adequate levels of all key bone nutrients is very protective. Physical activity is especially important for the prevention of hip fractures because exercise helps you maintain mobility and balance as you age (as well as strengthening your bones). Contrary to rumor, 90% of hip fractures happen because of a fall, not the other way around. Keeping your floor clear of clutter and wearing proper footwear can help prevent falls, which will prevent hip fractures. Supporting the natural self-repair mechanisms that maintain strong, resilient bone will protect you in case you do fall.

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13. Do I need to take other supplements like calcium while on the Personal Program?

The Personal Program for Better Bones includes complete nutrition for women with bone health concerns. Our Better Bones Builder provides the multivitamin, calcium, vitamin D and essential fatty acid supplements needed by most women, and is carefully balanced for optimal bone health. It is also unique in that it is specifically designed to be alkalizing to the body and additionally contains a good range of amino acids supportive to bone. Most women do not need to take additional supplements, although we sometimes recommend higher doses of vitamin D and/or essential fatty acids, depending upon your individual circumstances. We recommend you start with the supplements in your Starter Phase and see how you feel. If you have intractable symptoms or specific health concerns, one of our expert Nurse–Educators can help customize your Program to meet your unique needs.

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14. Are the dietary and lifestyle guidelines difficult to follow?

We understand how hard it can be to change habits, and we’ve designed our lifestyle and dietary guidelines to be as easy to follow as possible. Most women have many opportunities for improving their bone health, and the list of changes can seem overwhelming. But don’t feel like you have to do everything at once. Choose a few simple changes that seem easiest to you and commit yourself to them. The wonderful thing about bone health is that any single thing you do can have a positive impact on your bones over time. Every woman’s path to better bones will be different, which is why we help you choose the approach that works best for you.

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15. Will my doctor approve of the Personal Program for Better Bones?

Your healthcare practitioner should be pleased with any steps you take to improve your bone health. The Personal Program was developed to meet the needs of patients at our healthcare clinic, and incorporates more than 25 years of scientific research. We encourage you to discuss the steps you’re taking with your healthcare practitioner. There is also a wealth of resources and references on our website if he or she would like more information on the scientific basis for the Program.

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16. I’m on a prescription drug. Will the Personal Program for Better Bones interact with my prescription?

If you are taking anticoagulants (“blood thinners”), such as warfarin (Coumadin®) or heparin; or antiplatelet agents such as clopidogrel (Plavix®), we do suggest that you consult with your healthcare provider before using the Personal Program for Better Bones. While there have been no adverse interactions known to date between our Better Bones supplements and prescription drugs, the Personal Program for Better Bones does include vitamin K and omega-3 fatty acids, which have the potential to interfere with the above-listed medications.

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17. I’ve read that there are at least 20 key nutrients for bone health, but the Personal Program doesn’t seem to include them all. What’s missing, and why?

The Personal Program for Better Bones includes balanced amounts of 17 out of approximately 20 essential bone-building nutrients, the remaining three being phosphorus, protein, and fats. Most women get too much phosphorus, so that inadequate intake is rare (processed foods and soft drinks are especially high in phosphorus). With respect to protein, our formulation does include several protein building-blocks, such as the bone-nourishing amino acids proline and lysine. In addition, our guide offers you numerous delicious recipes that provide bone-healthy amounts of protein — especially plant proteins supportive to acid–alkaline balance in the body. The third nutrient is fats, which again, most of us get too much of, in the wrong forms. Our formulation does provide the highly beneficial type of fat most lacking in the Standard American Diet — omega-3 fatty acids — in healthy daily amounts. In essence, none of the nutrients most critical to bone health has been overlooked in our thoughtfully designed program!

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18. I recently heard about a study linking folic acid and vitamin B12 to cancer incidence. What can you tell me about this study?

The 2009 study quoted by news sources as suggesting a link between vitamin B and cancer has been brought into question by nutrition scientists and industry leaders for its validity, protocol, and results. Especially important to note is that all of the participants in the study had congestive heart failure due to coronary artery disease, and many were current or former smokers.

Additionally, the Personal Program for Better Bones offers a much lower dose of these nutrients than what was administered in the study:

• Folic acid: Subjects in the study were given 100 times more folic acid than the amount of folic acid in our Better Bones Builder.
• Vitamin B12: Subjects in the study were given 125 times more B12 than the amount in our Better Bones Builder.

Well-respected industry leaders who commented on this study, including the President of Scientific and Regulatory Affairs for the Council for Responsible Nutrition, Andrew Shao, PhD, view the linkage between folic acid and cancer as an inaccurate interpretation of the data. Dr. Shao observed:

The real headline of this study should read be that smoking increases the risk of lung cancer — the study found that a total of 94% of the subjects who developed lung cancer were either current or former smokers. For years, the vast body of scientific evidence has shown that individuals who have smoked at any point in their lives are at a significantly increased risk of developing lung cancer. Most health experts would agree that the number-one way to prevent lung cancer is to abstain from smoking.

(You can read the complete text of Dr. Shao’s response to the Vitamin B study at the Council for Responsible Nutrition's website.)

Because the Better Bones Builder offers safe, optimal levels of these nutrients, we recommend that women taking our Better Bones Builder not take additional multivitamin/mineral supplements, particularly additional B vitamins, without first discussing their individual situation with their healthcare provider.

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19. I was wondering why I always have bright-yellow urine after taking your multivitamins. My friend said I was just wasting my money when I mentioned it, so then I asked my doctor about it, and he told me I am just peeing out the vitamins! Should I be concerned?

We’re glad you asked, because it's wise of you to take note of any dramatic changes in how your body responds to nutritional supplements. But in this case, no, you need not be concerned. Despite any misinformation you may have heard to the contrary, it’s perfectly normal to have bright-yellow urine after taking nutritional supplements containing riboflavin (vitamin B2), and it does not mean you’re just peeing out riboflavin and other vitamins — it means you’re metabolizing them just fine.

Here’s a brief explanation of the science behind this interesting effect — which you may even want to share with your friends or your healthcare practitioner if you think they’d be interested.

Riboflavin is an integral precursor in the body to coenzymes that are critical for metabolizing carbs, fats, and proteins. It also plays a big role in detoxification pathways. And as if that weren’t enough, it’s essential for cellular energy production. But while riboflavin performs a big job in your body as a B vitamin, one could also describe it as a water-soluble, fluorescent yellowish-orange pigment that gets turned into other molecules that carry and donate electrons along the way, then get excreted, almost exclusively in your urine.

As its name suggests, riboflavin contains a submolecular component called flavin. Flavins are very important ring-shaped organic compounds that are photoreducible, meaning they are able to be reduced by light — which is where they get their ability to “fluoresce.” The word flavin comes from the Latin word flavus, which means yellow.

The pharmaceutical-grade riboflavin we select for inclusion in our multivitamins is a highly bioavailable form, meaning it is rapidly absorbed in your GI tract (about 95% complete within 4½ hours or so), and utilized by your body. Over the next few hours it saturates your tissues and gets metabolized into multiple other flavins with great long names, like 7-hydroxyriboflavin, 8-sulfonylriboflavin, lumiflavin, and 10-hydroxyethylflavin. The names of these riboflavin metabolites aren’t especially important — except you will note that each one carries along with it those special flavin rings that turn pee neon-yellow!

Indeed, riboflavin is the only vitamin known to change the color of our urine. When taking high-grade vitamins containing riboflavin, your body will absorb and metabolize what it needs, while any extra water-soluble derivatives or metabolites will be excreted in your urine, turning it the fluorescent-yellow color you have noticed. So there may be some riboflavin in your urine, too, but rest assured it is not a wasteful amount but a normal and desirable effect. Our multivitamins are carefully formulated to contain optimal amounts of each and every ingredient therein — levels that are based in peer-reviewed scientific research showing maximal absorption and utilization rates — while recognizing the fact that women’s bodies are not all alike in how they function and respond.

So thanks for asking about that sunny yellow glow to your urine — it’s is a healthy thing— it means your tissues are nutrient-replete, and that your multivitamins are doing for you exactly what we designed them for!

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20. What are the benefits of joining the Personal Program?

Purchasing the Personal Program makes you much more than a customer to us – it makes you a Member. Because you’re unique, we invest a lot in personalizing your Program to your needs. You give back as part of our community, supporting our website and publications.

As a Member of the Personal Program, you get many benefits, including:

• Personalized support: Delivered as you want – by phone, by e-mail, or on-line via My Personal Program, our Members-only section of the website.
• You’re in control: Want to adjust when or how often you’ll get your automatic resupply? You can make changes on-line to suit your needs at My Personal Program. Want to reorder a supplement? You can do that on-line, too!
• Ironclad guarantee: Did the Program not give you the results you expected? Our money-back guarantee has you covered – no questions asked.
• Easy for you: We’ve designed the Program so that you can start wherever you’re most comfortable – with nutrition, exercise, detox, or stress reduction. Start big or start small – the point is to start.
• Supplemental formulas: The Program is designed to meet your body’s unique needs. You can modify your Program at any time with our special product formulations designed to work synergistically with your Program.
• My Personal Program: Our Members-only section of the website features a collection of tools Members have requested to enhance their Program experience. Learn more about these tools.
• Convenient resupply so you never run out: We know how busy our Members are, and that you don’t need another chore on your to-do list – like remembering to re-order your supplements. That’s why we make it convenient for you. Each month, or according to the schedule you design, you’ll receive your supplements automatically, ensuring that you never run out. There’s never any purchase obligation, you can cancel at any time, and you can modify your shipment schedule – it’s simple, convenient, and easy for you.

To learn more about Personal Program membership benefits, click here.