Can this rare earth metal be the future of treating fatty liver disease?
(Natural News) Rare earth metals are
rarely associated with health and medicinal uses. Strontium is one of the few
chemical elements to have been documented for use in the medical field. Though
its applications in medicine have mainly concerned bone health, researchers
from China explored the effects
of strontium on fatty livers and determined these mechanisms may
improve nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Their findings were
published in the Journal
of Medicinal Food.
NAFLD
is the buildup of excess fat in liver cells that is caused by factors
other than alcohol. While your liver does contain some fat, you can develop
fatty liver (steatosis) if more than five to 10 percent of your liver’s weight
is all fat.
Chinese
researchers evaluated how strontium affects the endoplasmic reticulum stress
(ERS) pathways in a fatty liver. They used both in vitro and in
vivo models. For the in vitro model of NAFLD, the researchers used human
hepatocyte cell line (L02) treated with 0.2 mM palmitic acid. For the in vivo
model of NAFLD, they fed Sprague-Dawley rats with a high-fat diet
(HFD).
The
researchers then determined the total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), and
lipid deposition in L02 cells and liver tissues.
They
observed that strontium treatment suppressed intracellular TC and TG levels and
lipid accumulation in L02 cells. This effect was more pronounced when using
high concentrations of strontium.
Strontium
also significantly reduced the mRNA and protein expression of glucose-regulated
protein 78 (GRP78), activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6),
inositol-requiring enzyme 1 (IRE1), SREBP cleavage activator protein (SCAP),
sterol regulatory element binding protein 1c (SREBP-1c), and SREBP-2 in L02
cells.
The
researchers observed similar effects in HFD-fed rats. Strontium treatment
reduced serum TC, TG, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, as well
as hepatic lipid (liver fat) accumulation. Strontium treatment also reduced the
expression of GRP78 and SREBP-2 protein in liver tissues.
Overall,
strontium alleviated hepatic steatosis (fatty liver) by decreasing ERS-related
protein expression. There is evidence to suggest that strontium may be a potential
treatment or preventive therapy for
NAFLD. (Related: No
surprise here: Western diets cause life-threatening fatty liver disease – can
we reverse it?)
Strontium and bone health
Strontium
is an alkaline metal that has several applications
in medicine.
Strontium
is similar in nature to calcium. It can be found in the human
body – around 99 percent of strontium is found on the surface of human
bones. However, it is found in quantities 1,000 to 2,000 times less than
that of calcium.
Alternative
practitioners view strontium as a remedy for osteoporosis (bone mineral loss).
Strontium supplements are said to prevent osteoporosis because a similar
medication, called strontium ranelate, was approved for such use in Europe.
However, this medication is now restricted for use in postmenopausal women
suffering from severe osteoporosis, as it was found that strontium
ranelate increased the risk of heart attacks, deep vein thrombosis, and
pulmonary embolism.
Strontium
ranelate has not been approved for use in the U.S.
Other
forms of strontium are also used for medicinal purposes. The radioactive
isotope of strontium called strontium-89 is given intravenously
to relieve bone pain in people with advanced bone cancer. Strontium chloride
hexahydrate is added to toothpaste to reduce pain in sensitive teeth.
Despite
the medicinal applications of strontium, calcium remains to be the best
mineral for bone health. Head over to Nutrients.news
to learn about the different sources of calcium available.
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