Dr. Tori Hudson, N.D.

I have recently been introduced to a new product, shea nut extract, for the treatment of osteoarthritis. Shea nuts have been used in food and Traditional African Medicine for generations, in West Africa in particular. A Danish company has developed a method to greatly concentrate and enhance the triterpenes found in shea nut, yielding a [...]

The potential for soy protein or soy isoflavones to alter bone metabolism and bone resorption is currently contradictory and inconclusive.  The lack of agreement in the literature is thought to be related to variations in study design. These variations in study design include differences in the dosage and form of soy products studied, (i.e. soy [...]

36,282 postmenopausal women were enrolled in a Women’s Health Initiative clinical trial to determine the effects of calcium and vitamin D on the incidence of hip fracture. Invasive breast cancer was a secondary outcome measure. Patients were randomly assigned to 1000 mg of calcium with 400 IU of vitamin D3 daily, or placebo for an [...]

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of Pycnogenol in reducing symptoms of osteoarthritis (OA) in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial. 100 patients older than age 25 (14 men and 36 women in the pycnogenol group and 18 men and 32 women in the placebo group) suffering from mild OA (stage I [...]

How much calcium you need depends on your age and gender. Men have it easy. According to the National Academy of Sciences, males ages 19 through 50 need 1,000 mg per day. After 51, needs rise to 1,200 mg per day. For women, it’s trickier. Prevention is everything. Although both sexes require adequate [...]

A study of 1,471 post menopausal women in New Zealand with a mean age of 74 were randomized to receive 1 gm of calcium citrate or placebo daily for 5 years. The occurrence of sudden death, heart attacks, stroke and transient ischemic attacks were reported by either the women or their family members. A [...]

The potential for soy protein or soy isoflavones to alter bone metabolism and bone loss is currently contradictory and inconclusive. Our two best measurements are bone density testing with DXA (an xray test) measures or bone metabolism markers. The lack of agreement in the literature is thought to be related to variations [...]

Vitamin D deficiency is a very common problem in the U.S., and especially in an aging population. Older individuals are at greater risk for deficiency because aging lowers the amount of 7-dehydrochlesterol in the skin and thus lowers the ability to produce vitamin D, as well as lower absorption. Most of our [...]

In a population-based study, 1180 Caucasian women older than 55, were randomized to receive a calcium supplement , a calcium supplement plus 1100 IU of vitamin D (cholecalciferol), or a daily placebo. Health status and compliance to the regimen were assessed every 6 months over 4 years and serum vitamin D was measured [...]

This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted at three medical centers in Italy. The trial studied the effects of 54mg/day of pure soy genestein on bone metabolism in postmenopausal women with osteopenia. Bone density at the femoral neck and lumbar spine was tested after 24 months along with serum levels of bone-specific alkaline [...]