Why is it that our tendency to deal with health and medical issues is to get something prescribed by our doctor and assume we‘re effectively dealing with the problem? The multi-billion dollar ad campaigns by big Pharma may have something to do with it, but really, isn’t it more logical to assume that naturally occurring health concerns can be more effectively dealt with through naturally occurring  compounds?

Let’s look at bone health as an example as it is a $10 billion segment of the Pharmaceutical market, growing at a steady clip. And guess what? The jury is still out as to whether the drugs that target bone health are truly beneficial.  Information continues to come out regarding the ineffectiveness of these drugs. The laundry list of potential side effects such as “severe bone and joint pain” and “impaired vision” make these drugs all the more unappealing.  Ineffectiveness plus significant side effects equals a losing equation.

It’s no wonder that the natural product industry is also providing increasingly more natural solutions to the area of bone health. In addition to the proven effects of calcium and emerging natural vitamins like K2 (MK7) and D, I was recently introduced to a product that is particularly impressive from Korea – Polycan.

Polycan, produced by Korea’s Glucan Corporation through natural fermentation from a proprietary strain of novel yeast, is ,,,        is  starting to make its way into a number of bone health supplements and for good reason.  It has been proven (in 2 clinical studies and countless years of research) to naturally support the body’s natural mechanism for balancing both bone resorption and bone formation.  It naturally aids bones for long term health – and with no side effects.

Michael T. Murray, ND, author of What the Drug Companies Won’t Tell You and Your Doctor Doesn’t Know, spent some time researching Polycan and said that “Polycan is a model for the type of new natural ingredients we should be looking for.  It has GRAS status and is supported by two impressive human clinical studies indicating overall improvement in bone quality which is a novel approach to bone health management."

If you think about it, unlike small molecule pharmaceutical drugs developed in a laboratory, Polycan and other natural products simply make sense.

When it comes to maintaining health and limiting the occurrence of negative side effects, maybe it’s time for us to change our tendencies. 

Editor's Note: Polycan's research is further profiled in INSIDER's March feature on bone health.