I don't know. More and more of those in the medical field are speaking out against the use of probiotics. Particularly for people with heart disease or suppressed immune systems.

Gardening is a well known panacea for loss of bone density and delaying osteoporosis. Get out there and get planting and skip the probiotics!! :-) Better for you....better for the environment!

Hi Moonie -- I haven't heard this myself. I'll keep my eyes open.

gardengal -- of course exercise is a good way to build bone density. I'm doing my daily walking, etc. but I've already lost bone and just looking for any little way to keep standing upright -- I need more than one remedy.

I'm not just referring to just exercise but gardening specifically. In a recent study conducted by the University of Arkansas of 3,310 women, aged 50 years old and older, it was indicated that women who garden or do yard work at least once a week have higher bone density measurements than those who are sedentary or who walk, jog, swim, or do aerobics.

Of all types of exercise, only gardening and weight training involved the weight-bearing motions that help build strong bone and muscle. For gardening, this includes pulling weeds, pushing a wheelbarrow or lawn mower, or turning over soil. This type of exercise also aids in balance, critical to avoiding falls and possible bone fractures and breaks.

Gardening provides exposure to sunshine, which increases production of Vitamin D. This, in turn, allows the body to absorb more calcium, which is important for strong bones. Calcium also is found in many fruits and vegetables, especially dark green leafy ones, such as broccoli and collard, mustard, and turnip greens, along with acorn squash and kidney beans, all of which can be grown in home gardens.

The results of any one study are intended to produce attention, interest, and further study and testing of the results by other researchers by duplicating the work done.

Until further studies by others are done that cross test and attempt to replicate (and understand) the results found in any one study, no conclusions should ever be drawn about an initial observation or finding.

I have family members and friends who do/have done medical research and one study alone means little. Initial findings are often found to be erroneous for various reasons when additional work is done. That's how it's been explained to me.

If you have a different view, I can't imagine what the source of that understanding is. Please share it.

Learning insights and understanding from those who know is what I like to do, it's certainly better than being in the dark, don't you think? Many don't know the difference, I hope you do.

While Elmer may be one hundred percent correct -- gardening, probiotics, you name it are not the gold standard, not even the tin standard -- for myself, I may not live long enough for anything to help my various aches and pains and worse. No time to wait so I'll see what is out there right now. If a study shows promise and there is no known danger in it and it doesn't require a prescription and if I have asked all the other questions I can think of about it -- what do I have to lose? I may die before gardening is found to be ineffective -- good grief! Gardening is only done by people who love to do it anyway. Probiotics may or may not be a help -- I will look into the drawbacks. I already love foods with probiotics anyway. Elmer, it isn't what you say -- it's your delivery.

gardengate -- perhaps Elmer was only referring to the probiotics message. I've known about gardening for years -- I don't have one. I know that weight bearing exercise is highly recommended

What exactly do you do in the garden that is weight bearing? And, how much can be done a few times a week?

I would love to be able to garden but my mobility is very limited due to so many issues with my back and joints, as well as allergies. I bent over this morning to pull some unwanted crab grass....and now flat on my back on ice! As soon as I even get around any flowering plants, my nose runs and head aches...and I take several allergy meds also.

My doctor has recommended probiotics for my “gut” so maybe it will also help my bones. I can not have a density text because of all the metal I have in my body.

.Do we still have the forum member with the user name 'AlwaysLearning'? I love that. I learn a lot from this site, and here's another piece of information. Just that these ideas exist is enough. We'll all be watching and 'weighing the evidence'.

I used to garden. Had dozens of rose bushes until finally calling it quits one we had Japanese beetles -- after black spot...and *deer*. I wonder how much insecticide I inhaled powdering my roses! Is definitely weight bearing work.

I only take a probiotic to combat the diarrhea from antibiotics. Many Americans take tons of unnecessary supplements, much to the glee of the manufacturers.

Eld, there is plenty. Bags of soil, dragging around branches, the wheelbarrow full of soil or weeds, dragging 300 feet of hose around, pots...I am working in my yard a couple of hours a day. Don’t know if it helps the bones, but it is a workout.

I take a daily probiotic ever since a serious bout of C-diff. I read quite a bit about gut and intestinal health, and while this science is in its infancy I learned the hard way to be aware of the benefits of probiotics and good gut bacteria.

The best thing I know for bone health is weight lifting/strength training. At age 60 I also do frequent mat pilates which strengthens and lengthens bones.

chisue I find one of the odd contradictions of probiotics is that the same bottle will be found in the laxative shelves but also be found in the vitamin area. I was not aware of this until someone asked me if I had seen them when I was looking for a certain mineral then went to the next isle over and there were the exact same bottles.

Don't think that the shelf or section where something can be found in a store tells you more information than you should already have from better sources. .

malfleur -- probiotics are not only in drugstores -- I'm thinking along the lines of sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, etc.

I hear recommendations for apple cider vinegar for 'general health'. The owner of the painting company we've used says he takes it after dinner, but also says it's a struggle to get his family to use it. Bitter tasting?

Bleusblue, i feel there's a difference in getting probiotics naturally via foods vs probiotic supplements. When you were wondering what the Dr. would recommend you "take", i thought you were talking about supplements.

Elmer you are correct about knowing from better sources in the case I mentioned the ladies were looking for a particular brand that one of their doctor's told them to take. I was surprised it was in with the laxatives. I personally consider them as patent medicines and the only real use would be while taking long term antibiotics or other meds that destroy the body's flora and fauna. Most only have a couple of what the body has in it already.

Apple cider vinegar is really good in green salads. My fil had a really bad bout of c-diff and his doc recommended daily yogurt as a probiotic supplement. I have recently seen diagnosed with osteoporosis and have been trying to have a good type of vogurt every day. I figure it can’t hurt. I also believe that whatever you try that feels good to you (gardening for example), can’t hurt.