Nor is it very good at preventing menopausal osteoporosis once the first five years have passed. An advantage of exercise, progesterone, and several nutritional treatments is that they do seem to stimulate the body to lay down new bone. Adding magnesium appears to do the opposite. A recent study from McGill University found that post-menopausal women who took extra magnesium for one year increased their bone density while untreated subjects showed continued bone loss. Magnesium regulates the transport of calcium into bone and also acts to support the protein matrix that provides structure within bone.
Potassium depletion causes calcium loss.
Fruits and vegetables are the best source of potassium, and potassium supplements might be prescribed by a doctor. Most people think of progesterone as the hormone we have to give at menopause to block the cancer-promoting side effects from taking too much estrogen. However, progesterone by itself might stimulate new bone formation and have anti-osteoporosis effects. The standard synthetic progesterone might also work, but Dr. Lee prefers the natural form because of its better side-effect profile. As of this writing, no one has yet repeated Dr. Lee's exciting work, so for now we will have to hold our judgment open.