Dr.
Frank Shallenberger’s
Vol. 7, No. 6
The 3 Biggest Myths
About Osteoporosis
Plus, what you can do to have the bone strength you had years ago!
I see them in my office all the time:
women with bones so brittle they could snap.
Yet the astonishing thing is that these
women have not neglected their bones.
On the contrary, they’re doing every-
In this Issue
Q Some alternative doctors will tell
you to avoid prescription osteoporosis
drugs. But here’s when they can
work miracles ............................ p. 3
Q One of the most popular supplements
on the market can cause cancer and
heart attacks. Here’s how to use it
correctly ...................................... p. 4
Q My secret remedy for preventing
digestion problems — this one
is sure to surprise you................ p. 6
Q Do Splenda and other artificial
sweeteners contribute to
pancreatic cancer? ...................... p. 8
Coming Next Month
• In the past, I’ve told you how to prevent
cancer. Now I’m going to tell you what to
do if you already have cancer. You won’t
read this anywhere else.
• The common food additive that causes
Parkinson’s — you can even find it in
many health foods.
June 2008
thing they’re “supposed” to do to strengthen
their bones. They’re taking fistfuls of calci-
um and other supplements. They’re eating
dairy and soy. They’re doing weight-bearing
exercise. They’re putting wild yam cream on
their thighs.
Yet despite taking supplements, despite
exercising, and sometimes despite trying
drugs, they’re finding very little improve-
ment in their bones. Why?
I’ve told you about the problems with
calcium supplements in past issues. Next to
calcium, women are now falling for what I
call the 3 Biggest Myths About Osteoporosis.
Today, I’m going to expose those myths.
But more importantly, I’m going to tell you
how to reverse osteoporosis.
And I do mean reverse. You can literally
regain the bone mass you had 10 or 20 years
ago. You can do the things you enjoy without
fear of a slip or fall that could land you in a
hospital or nursing home.
So let’s get started …
Myth # 1:
Bone Density Tests Predict Your
Chances of Developing Osteoporosis
The truth: Only to a point. You see,
bone density is a “statistical test.” The test
looks at the density of your bones, and then
compares that number to the statistics for
someone your age and sex. The problem is
that each person is different. What’s
“strong” bone for one person isn’t necessari-
ly the same for another.
Another weakness of this method is
that it’s difficult to compare two bone densi-
ty tests. The technician must aim the X-ray
at the exact same spot on the same bone. If
you’re just one-sixteenth of an inch off, you
can get different results even if your overall
bone health hasn’t changed.
I see this all the time when I look at
prior bone density tests of my new patients.
The tests show that the density went up in
four different places — but also went down
in four different places.
The bottom line is that you should take
your bone density measurements with a
grain of salt. The test can’t tell you how
strong your bones are, and the results may
not be all that accurate.
Yet most doctors use only bone densi-
ty tests to diagnose osteoporosis or
osteopenia. And that’s a shame. There are
newer, better ways to truly check the den-
sity and the strength of your bones. The
problem is, many doctors haven’t even
heard of these tests.
The solution: Ask your doctor to
run an N-telopeptide test. It’s a urine
test that measures how much bone you’re
losing. If N-telopeptide is too high in the
urine, it means your rate of bone loss is
too high. And one good thing about this
test is that you can do it every few weeks
if you want.
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—2—
Another good thing about this test is
that if you begin therapy right away, you’ll
see an improvement in four to six weeks.
With bone density tests, it takes a year or
more to see a difference.
The N-telopeptide test is relatively
inexpensive, and almost all labs can run it.
However, a lot of doctors still don’t know
about it. And because of that, many doctors
prescribe osteoporosis drugs that their
patients may not need.
Which brings us to…
Myth #2:
You Should Never
Use Prescription Drugs
The Truth: Long-term use of prescrip-
tion drugs is dangerous. But over the short-
term, they can be a quick way to build bone
tissue.
You’ve probably heard about the dan-
gers of bisphosphonate drugs like Fosamax,
Zometa, and Actonel. The most serious dan-
ger is that these drugs have been linked to a
bone disease called osteonecrosis of the jaw.
In this condition, the gums and jawbone
stop generating new tissue. The jawbone
“dies.” The teeth fall out. Sometimes the
dead or decayed portions of the jawbone
have to be removed by a surgeon.
So why am I saying that these drugs
are OK to take over the short-term?
Because every single case of necrosis of the
jaw occurred when the person was either
taking the drugs for many years, or was tak-
ing the more potent versions of the drugs
(which are usually used in chemotherapy).
The solution: If you have severe
osteoporosis, bisphosphonate drugs may be
a good stopgap measure to increase your
bone mass quickly. Studies show that over
the short-term, these drugs do, in fact,
result in stronger bone.
If you do use these drugs, you should
use them for only a year. That’s long enough
to get the benefits, but not long enough to
suffer the serious side effects.
Myth #3
Hormone Therapy Is Dangerous
The (Surprising) Truth: You’ve seen
all the news stories about how hormone
replacement therapy can increase your risk
of heart disease and cancer. But here’s what
those stories fail to mention: All these dan-
gers come from synthetic hormones, not
natural ones.
You probably know that Premarin, the
most commonly prescribed estrogen, comes
from horses. (The name “Premarin” actual-
ly stands for “Pregnant Mare Urine.”)
Indeed, Premarin contains over 49 different
horse estrogens, not one of which is natural-
ly found in humans. Of course it’s going to
cause problems when humans take it!
And as bad as Premarin is, it’s not
nearly as bad as Provera, the synthetic prog-
esterone (progestin) doctors prescribed for
years. In fact, the oft-quoted HRT studies
show that women who took Premarin alone
didn’t fare that badly. It’s when they added
Provera that their rates of cancer and heart
disease skyrocketed!
Yes, Provera is dangerous. I never pre-
scribe it for my patients. But natural hor-
mones are different. There’s never been a
study to show any kind of danger from
them. In fact, the opposite is true. Studies
show that they actually help prevent breast
cancer.
The Truth About Natural
Hormones
Unlike synthetic hormones, natural
hormones are structurally identical to the
hormones that we produce in our own bod-
ies. That’s why we refer to them as “bio-
identical” hormones. These hormones exact-
ly mimic what your body produces on its
own (or used to produce on its own). The
chemical reactions are the same.
I’ve seen them work miracles on my
patients. My colleagues have seen the same
thing. And studies prove our experience. In
fact, clinical studies have shown that supple-
mental natural progesterone increases bone
—3—
density by 7% in the first year, by 12% after
two years, and by 15% after three years!
Yes, that’s new bone! Natural proges-
terone can help you rebuild the bone you’ve
already lost. And natural estrogen is just as
important.
You see, progesterone stimulates cells
called osteoblasts. These cells build bone.
Estrogen, on the other hand, slows the
activity of cells called osteoclasts. These cells
break down bone. Osteoblasts and osteoclasts
work together to keep your bones healthy.
When you don’t have these hormones,
this process of renewing and rebuilding
doesn’t happen. With nothing to slow them
down, the osteoclasts break down old bone
tissue quickly. And the osteoblasts don’t pro-
duce new bone tissue. The inevitable result
is osteoporosis.
What to Do if Your Hormone
Levels Are Low
To find out your estrogen and proges-
terone levels, find a doctor who uses bio-
identical hormones. You can find one at
www.worldhealth.net.
When you visit the doctor, he’ll give
you a saliva test to determine your hormone
levels. This test will tell you if you’re defi-
cient in estrogen, progesterone, and/or
testosterone. (Yes, women’s bodies produce
testosterone, too.)
If the test determines that any of your
hormones are deficient, your doctor can set
up an individualized hormone replacement
plan for you. I do this for my patients, and it
works far better than a one-size-fits-all plan.
How to Reverse Osteoporosis
Even Faster
I hope that you’re now convinced that
higher levels of hormones are the only way
to reverse osteoporosis. But now let me
show you my secrets for supercharging your
osteoporosis regimen.
First, take a look at your diet. I
know that’s not sexy. But it’s vital to good
 This Supplement Causes Cancer
and Heart Attacks
I’ve been telling anyone who would listen
for the past 13 years to avoid taking a popular
supplement. That’s right — there’s a supple-
ment that’s extremely dangerous. But no one
wants to listen.
I’ve pointed out that study after study
shows that you don’t need to take this sup-
plement. Very few people in this country are
deficient. And the prestigious Women’s
Health Initiative study shows definitively
that taking this supplement does absolutely
nothing to improve the strength of bones.
By now, I’m sure you know that I’m
talking about calcium. And the news about
calcium is getting even worse. It now
appears that the supplement might cause
health. Here are a few things to focus on:
• Make sure you don’t drink a lot of
soft drinks or coffee. These will leach calci-
um from your bones.
• You also need to make sure you’re
eating a lot of protein and vegetables. This
way you’re sure to eat plenty of the trace
minerals that are so important to bone
health. These include zinc, boron, calcium,
magnesium, etc. Notice I list calcium here.
While you don’t need as much of it as most
doctors say you do, you still need a little.
And you’ll get plenty from a diet rich in pro-
tein and vegetables.
Next, add the right supplements.
Some patients are particularly low in
zinc and need to take an extra supplement. I
recommend 15 mg of zinc picolinate daily.
In fact, the only supplements young
people (premenopausal) need to take are zinc,
vitamin C (500 mg daily), and vitamin D.
Vitamin D is critical. I’ve already
showed you why. But there’s more. Vitamin
—4—
cancer and heart attacks!
We know that calcium supplements
suppress vitamin D formation. When you
combine this with the fact that low levels of
vitamin D cause cancer, and the fact that
those with the highest calcium intake have
the highest incidence of cancer (all published
information), you see the connection.
Calcium supplements may cause cancer!
We’ll have more on this in future issues.
And, since calcium does not go to the
bones, where does it go? Several studies have
shown that it goes just where you don’t want
it to go — to your arteries. But does anyone
listen? I hope so, but most people seem to
think I’m crazy for doubting the wonderful
“benefits” of calcium supplements. Now
maybe they’ll listen.
D is actually a hormone, so you can see why
it’s so important for your bones. It’s so
important that a deficiency makes you more
likely to suffer stress or hip fractures, or
other crippling bone injuries. Without
enough vitamin D, once-healthy bones
become thin and brittle. Worse, even thick
bones can become so soft, they bend and
break as easily as thinner bones!
Vitamin D is stimulated by sunlight, so
people in Northern climates usually don’t
get enough. In fact, several studies out of
England show very clearly that during the
winter, serum vitamin D levels are one-fifth
what they are in the summer. And fair-
skinned, thin, blue-eyed Scandinavian types
statistically get more osteoporosis than
dark-skinned types.
I used to think that people living in
sunny climates didn’t have to worry about
their vitamin D levels. But every patient
that I test for vitamin D, regardless of
where they live, is deficient. So I tell all of
my patients to start with 5,000 IU of D3 per
day during the winter. Start taking it around
 A study published just this last
February (2008) revealed some stunning
news about calcium. Women (and probably
men) who take calcium supplements are
more than twice as likely to have heart
attacks than those who leave the stuff alone.
The study was a prospective, randomized,
controlled study. That’s the most convincing
kind. The researchers studied 1,471 post-
menopausal women, none of whom were taking
calcium supplements. The average age was 74.
They randomly assigned 732 of them to take
calcium supplements. The other 739 received
placebo pills. They then followed these women
over the next five years to see the results. The
results are startling.
In the placebo group, 14 women had heart
attacks, compared to 31 women in the calcium
group. The use of calcium supplements more
than doubled the heart attack rate. But it gets
Thanksgiving and go until tax day (April 15).
Make sure you’re taking vitamin D3,
not the inferior vitamin D2, which is found
in most grocery stores and pharmacies.
Vitamin D2 is a synthetic vitamin — and
synthetics aren’t effective.
If you’re going through menopause or
if you’ve already gone through it, you also
need to take vitamin K1. Vitamin K1
reduces the rate of calcium loss from the
bones by activating the hormone calcitonin.
Calcitonin de-activates osteoclasts, the cells
that break down bone. Even small amounts
of vitamin K1 can make an enormous differ-
ence. For example, just 1 mg of vitamin
K1 per day reduces the loss of bone calcium
by 35-50%. Larger doses have an even
greater effect.
Vitamin K is a fat-soluble molecule. So
if you’re on a low-fat diet, you may not be
getting enough. Additionally, vitamin K is
most commonly found in green vegetables,
and most people don’t include enough green
vegetables in their diets.
Finally, make sure the bones that
—5—
even worse. The researchers found that heart
attack wasn’t the only problem. It turned out
that there were 101 cases of strokes or deaths
in the calcium women, versus 54 in the placebo
group. Not only did calcium supplements cause
twice as many heart attacks, but they also
caused twice as many strokes and deaths. I call
that astounding!
So please, if all of the other studies out
there about the dangers of calcium supplements
haven’t yet convinced you to stay away from
them, please let this one get through. A modest
amount of calcium is fine (less than 500 mg
daily) — the amount that you get in your diet,
or in herbal supplements. But please avoid cal-
cium pills.
Bolland MJ, Barber PA, et al. Vascular events in healthy older
women receiving calcium supplementation: randomized con-
trolled trial. British Medical Journal. 2008 Feb 2;336(7638):262-
6. Epub 2008 Jan 15.
break most often — the hips and back
— are strong. The best way to do this
is with a gentle program of a weight-
bearing exercise. It doesn’t have to be
much. Women who exercise by walking fast
for only one hour, three times per week can
increase their spinal bone density by 4.4%
per year.
Even 30 minutes of walking three
times a week will yield results. I recommend
walking outside in the sunlight to stimulate
the production of vitamin D. However, on a
day when that’s not possible, walking on a
treadmill, in the mall, or even on a small
exercise trampoline will be just as effective.
The trampoline is my favorite piece of
indoor exercise equipment for osteoporosis.
When you land on it, it gives your bones a
slight compression, which is a good form of
stress that builds your bones. After you go
down on the trampoline, it shoots you up,
giving you a second compression. You get
more bang for your buck if you’re running
in place on the trampoline instead of run-
ning in place on the floor.
 You can also use something called
power plates. You stand on them and they
vibrate. If you ever attend a health show or
trade show, you’ll see them there. NASA
uses these for astronauts in space travel to
keep their bones in shape. There is a lot of
data on them showing that they really work.
You can find them on the Internet.
That’s the basic plan for keeping your
bones in great shape. If your hormone levels
are high, this plan will help keep them high
as you go through menopause. If your hor-
mone levels are low, you can add these to
your natural hormone-replacement regimen
and it will supercharge the hormones to
work even faster.
Get Started NOW!
As you can see, you can reverse osteo-
porosis. I’ve seen excellent results using this
protocol in every woman (and man) I’ve
treated. It doesn’t matter if they’ve had
breast cancer or not. In fact, all of my
patients who follow this plan completely
reverse their bone loss. They even build
How to Knock Out Digestive
Problems Once and For All, Part 2
Last month, I showed you simple and
very effective ways to knock out your diges-
tive problems. But those solutions work
only if your digestive problems stem from
food sensitivities or infection.
If none of those solutions clears up
your digestive problem, it’s possible you
have a serious health issue. At least, that’s
what your doctor will tell you. Many doctors
will tell patients who don’t respond to treat-
ment that they have colitis, irritable bowel
syndrome (IBS), or even Crohn’s disease.
While this is true in a few cases, far too
many doctors jump to these diagnoses with-
out considering one other possible cause of
discomfort — a yeast infection called
Candida albicans. Symptoms of a candida
—6—
healthy new bone tissue. And they increase
the strength of their bones.
Best of all — with every year, their
bones get better and stronger. After years of
struggling with weak, brittle bones they
now have stronger, healthier bones than
they did 20 years ago! So get started now!
Make an appointment with a doctor who
uses bio-identical hormones. And begin to
enjoy strong bones that will stay strong for
the rest of your life!
One final note: Natural hormones
and exercise will reverse osteoporosis in just
about every case. But if you have osteoporo-
sis and don’t want to take natural hor-
mones, you can still follow the other recom-
mendations in this report and see improve-
ment. However, you’ll have to work a lot
harder. You’ll have to exercise more, clean
up your diet completely, and make sure
you’re vigilant about taking all the supple-
ments I’ve mentioned. I can’t guarantee
this will reverse osteoporosis. But it will
likely stop its progression or at least slow
it down. Q
overgrowth include changes in your stool,
constipation or diarrhea, bloating, gas, and
stomach or intestinal cramps. And sufferers
find they can’t eat certain foods.
These symptoms are similar to symp-
toms of colitis, IBS, and Crohn’s disease, so
it’s easy to understand why doctors would
misdiagnose it.
If your doctor says you have Crohn’s
disease, but he hasn’t done a biopsy, walk
out of his office and find a new doctor.
Crohn’s disease is a severe autoimmune dis-
order. Your doctor can diagnose it accurately
only with a biopsy. As a result, many cases
of Crohn’s disease are false diagnoses.
But if someone comes to me and tells
me their doctor says they have colitis or
IBS, I’ll first treat them for a yeast over-
growth. And for most patients, this works.
So how do you treat a chronic yeast
overgrowth? There’s no standard regimen
recommended for a chronic yeast over-
growth, because it’s not a recognized med-
ical condition. That’s why your doctor will
often overlook it. If your doctor does suspect
candida is an issue, he’ll probably prescribe
a long-term regimen of oral antifungals,
along with changes in your diet.
Unfortunately, the solutions offered
by most alternative-minded doctors don’t
work very fast. Solutions such as garlic
and caprylic acid can take months to kill
the yeast.
But you can easily kill the yeast in just
two to three weeks. It might take a bit
longer to ensure the yeast will stay away
once it’s gone, but it’s nothing like the
months other natural remedies require to
clear up the problem. And it’s a whole lot
easier than a lifetime commitment to “man-
age” the colitis or IBS that you probably
don’t even have!
The first step is to eliminate all carbo-
hydrates. And I mean literally no starches,
sugars, grains, beans, or fruits for the first
two weeks. This is tough at first. But you’ll
eventually get used to it. And since it’s for
only two weeks, most patients can make it.
The second step is to take a prescrip-
tion antifungal — either Nystatin or
Diflucan. I recommend these antifungals for
two reasons: They’re completely safe and
they work quickly. Diflucan wipes out the
yeast in two weeks — Nystatin requires an
extra week to do the job. And they’re both
so safe. In fact, you’re more likely to have
an adverse reaction to a vitamin! Most doc-
tors will gladly give you a prescription for
these drugs. And most insurance will cover
the cost according to your prescription drug
coverage.
Your final step is to re-promote normal
bacteria that will permanently hold the
yeast in check. I give people a high-quality,
multi-strain lactobacillus supplement. One of
my favorites is Advanced Probiotic Formula
—7—
offered by Advanced Bionutritionals. Please
call 800-728-2288 for more information.
In addition, I tell people to take the
capsule form of saccaromyces buoulardii – a
beneficial yeast. Take four capsules twice a
day for six weeks.
This three-step program is so effective
that any symptoms should be completely
cleared up within two weeks.
Even Better Than a Cure —
Prevention
Of course, one thing that’s better than
curing chronic gastric distress is keeping it
from ever happening. And there’s one pre-
ventative that works against all the issues
I’ve discussed in this report: the regular
ingestion of coconut oil.
Coconut oil? You may have heard that
“tropical oils” are bad for your health
because they contain triglycerides.
Well, the truth is that coconut oil con-
tains something called medium-chain
triglycerides. These aren’t the same as the
unhealthy triglycerides, which are long-
chain fatty acids.
Study after study has proven the
health benefits of the medium-chain triglyc-
erides found in coconut oil.
For example, coconut oil has anti-
microbial and anti-viral properties. It kills
both Candida albicans and helicobacter
pylori. Coconut oil also contributes to heal-
ing of the stomach lining.
Worried that your heart may suffer for
your stomach’s good? Don’t be. Medium-
chain triglycerides lower the risk of both
atherosclerosis and heart disease. And they
have no negative impact on cholesterol levels.
So, if you don’t already suffer from
stomach trouble, now you know a simple
and safe way to prevent it.
But if it’s too late for prevention, there’s
still no need to suffer with chronic gastric
distress. Relief can be simple, inexpensive,
and permanent. You just have to know how
to find and treat its root causes.
 LETTERS TO THE
Q. Do Splenda or other artificial
sweeteners contribute to pancreatic
cancer? — Vicky C., via e-mail
Dear Vicky,
According to most studies, artificial
sweeteners are completely safe when taken
in normal amounts. Researchers have given
all of them, including aspartame, to animals
in doses that far exceed what you would
normally use. And they’ve never shown that
any of them cause problems for humans.
Early studies on saccharin showed an
increase in bladder cancer in rats with very
high doses. Other studies have suggested an
increase in leukemia and lymphoma in mice
and rats from aspartame. Happily enough,
however, when researchers applied the
results of the studies to human cancer
development, they discovered that this was
a problem for rats and mice only.
In one study of half a million people,
there was no more cancer in aspartame users
than in those who avoided the sweetener.
And many of the aspartame users drank
excessive amounts of soda sweetened with it.
Still, most of these sweeteners are
either chemicals or processed foods with
additives. So I’m not a big fan of them.
While they don’t appear to cause cancer, we
can’t tell for sure what other problems they
might cause.
The only sugar substitute I recommend
is Stevia, which you can find at any health
food store and on the Internet.
Q. My grandson is three months old
and has neuroblastoma on his adrenal
gland. All of the doctors say to do
nothing. Do you believe this is the cor-
rect way to go? — Pamela F., via e-mail
Dear Pamela,
I don’t think “do nothing” is good
advice for any cancer. However, as far as
conventional medicine is concerned, I agree
—8—
EDITOR
— for now. Neuroblastomas can behave
strangely. Sometimes the cells die without
any cause and the tumor disappears. This is
part of a normal process known as pro-
grammed cell death (apoptosis), the normal
process that occurs when cells die. This is
much more common in very young infants,
such as your grandson, than in older chil-
dren. So there’s reason for hope.
But these cancers can do something
else that is rather strange. The cells can
mature spontaneously to normal ganglion
cells and stop dividing. This causes the
tumor to become benign (non-cancerous).
So, it makes good sense to watch as long as
possible to see if this is going to happen.
If it doesn’t, there’s still reason for
hope. Every child with neuroblastoma can
be treated. The type of treatment used
depends on the stage of the cancer and the
child’s age. Treatments include surgery,
chemotherapy, and/or radiation therapy.
Doctors may combine two or all three of
these treatments for some children.
If my child had this disease, I would
have a consultation at the Burzinski Clinic
in Houston, Texas. This clinic follows the
guidelines of Dr. Stanislaw Burzinski, who
has been a revolutionary force in the battle
against cancer, particularly childhood
cancers of the nervous system (such as
neuroblastoma). You can contact the clinic
at www.burzynskiclinic.com or by calling
713-335-5697.
But whatever you do, never give up.
You can beat this form of cancer.
Got a Question?
Do you have a question for Dr.
Shallenberger? If so, please send it (typed
only) to him c/o Soundview Publications,
P.O. Box 467939, Atlanta, GA 31146-7939 or
feedback@RealCuresLetter.com. While he
won’t be able to respond personally, he’ll try
to answer as many questions as he can in
these pages.