No one wants to have brittle bones. As my mother aged, her bones were so fragile that for her to reach into the cupboard to get a piece of china put her at risk of fracturing a vertebra. My sister-in-law has bones so weakened that her medical provider is injecting something like superglue to hold her spine together. It is terrible to lose bone strength that severely! How can we prevent it?
It is common knowledge that we don’t get enough calcium. Every health food supplier has a special form of calcium supplement that provides the form of calcium and associated ingredients that are sure to maintain healthy bones forever; we just have to take these calcium supplements in ever-increasing quantities as we age. The dairy industry continually stresses the urgent need to drink lots of milk so we can keep our bones strong. The “got milk?” campaign has sold a lot of milk, but has it really strengthened anyone’s bones?
What is not so widely known is that the people who consume the most calcium also have the worst record of bone fractures. Whether we consider groups of people or select individuals, those who drink the most milk have the weakest bones (my mother drank no coffee nor tea, but lots of milk). Another little noted correlation is how closely the ratio of animal to plant protein in the diet tracks how weak the bones are. This is not something discovered just yesterday – it was suggested -as long ago as the 1880s and documented as early as 1920, and studied in detail since the 1970s. But it does not fit the advertising program of the dairy council or the meat lobby, so it is conveniently ignored.
Another disturbing factor weighing against drinking milk or taking calcium supplements is that excess calcium consumption may impair the body’s ability to control its use of calcium. The body has a finely tuned mechanism for maintaining balance of calcium and other minerals. When in good health, the body can regulate how much of the calcium it needs from food and discard the rest. But too much calcium over too long a period of time may inhibit the ability of the body to maintain that balance, and may lead to osteoporosis.
The primary culprit that supports bone loss is not mineral, but animal. The consumption of excess animal protein results in excess acidity in the body, and the body reacts to maintain a healthy pH by neutralizing the acidity; it does that by extracting calcium from the bones. Those who choose to forego animal protein, or who are forced by scarcity to do without, and substitute plant protein, are the people who have the strongest bones, without the need for calcium supplements. The calcium we require for wellness is present in a balanced diet of plant-based foods. Both the quantity of calcium and its bio-availability are thoroughly adequate for wellness.
Here is the list suggested by T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D., in The China Study:
· Stay physically active. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, go for walks, jogs, bicycle rides. Swim, do yoga or aerobics every couple of days and don’t be afraid to buy barbells to use once in a while. Play a sport or join a social group that incorporates exercise. The possibilities are endless, and they can be fun. You’ll feel better, and your bones will be much healthier for the effort.
· Eat a variety of whole plant foods, and avoid animal foods, including dairy. Plenty of calcium is available in a wide range of plant foods, including beans and leafy vegetables. As long as you stay away from refined carbohydrates, like sugary cereals, candies, plain pastas and white breads, you should have no problem with calcium deficiency.
· Keep your salt intake to a minimum. Avoid highly processed and packaged foods, which contain excess salt. There is some evidence that excessive salt intake can be a problem.
