Osteoporosis continues to be one of the great needs that an aging population faces in America and other Westernized countries. Of course, dairy products are held in very high esteem in these countries. Everyone knows that without sufficient calcium we would not have strong bones. Is this actually true or have we been misled by years of misinformation and advertising?
There have been numerous studies that have found that milk consumption has a high statistical association with higher rates of hip fractures. These studies do not suggest that dairy products cause Osteoporosis. However, it does suggest that dairy products are not protecting us from osteoporosis as we have been indoctrinated to believe.
Osteoporosis has a complex etiology that involves many factors including what is termed the "acid-alkaline balance." Dr. Campbell, head of nutritional research for the China Project, reported, "Ironically, osteoporosis tends to occur in countries where calcium intake is highest and most of it comes from protein-rich dairy products. The Chinese data indicate that people need less calcium than we think and can get adequate amounts from vegetable source plant food." He reported to the New York Times that there was basically no osteoporosis in China.
THE NEGATIVE CALCIUM BALANCE
Let's say you consume about 1,000 mg of calcium a day. About a third of the calcium ingested gets absorbed. So if you absorb about 300mg, the remaining 700 mg remains in the digestive tract and passes out of the body. Now, if in this same twenty-four-hour period, you excreted 350mg of calcium in your urine, would you be in a negative or a positive calcium balance?
(Ingested 1000, absorbed 300, excreted 350 = retained -50)
A negative calcium balance means more calcium is excreted in the urine than is absorbed through digestion. Therefore to answer this riddle one must know what happens in the body. Animal-protein ingestion results in a heavy acid load in the blood. This sets off a series of reactions whereby calcium is released from the bones to neutralize the acid. Because the sulfur-based amino acids in animal products contribute significanly to urinary acid production and the resulting calcium loss.
BOTTOM LINE
The six most acid producing substances are here listed in the order of their acidity.
1. Animal protein (meat and dairy)
2. Salt
3. Caffeine
4. Refined sugar
5. Alcohol
6. Nicotine
BEST SOURCES FOR CALCIUM? (for strong bones)
LOTS OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES.
Green vegetables, beans, tofu, sesame seeds, and even oranges contain lots of usable calcium, without the problems associated with dairy and meat.
What diet is best for strong bones? The Whole Food, Plant Based Diet ranks at the top!
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FB Steven Jay Mattis
Food Diary: SteveMattis@instagram
