Joel Morrissette

Great summary. Especially the points about needing Mg to absorb Ca, to
which I would add vitamin D. If the body is using skeletal Ca to neutralize
acidid protein residues, does that imply that those on a high-protein diet
(e.g. Atkins) are at elevated risk for osteoporosis?

-Joel

2008/9/10 J. Michael Manning

> Matthew,
> You are right in asking these questions, but I would like to redirect your
> logic. First of all, your MD probably could not give you more than a generic
> answer, simply because they do not study nutrition as it is not typically
> required as a part of their professional practice. For years, doctors have
> been telling people, mostly women, that to prevent bone loss, to increase
> the amount of calcium in their diet. They suggest dairy as the perfect
> source of the calcium. On the other hand, any Naturopath doctor could
> explain to you that calcium deficiencies do not result from a lack of dairy
> intake. Ironically, even though the U.S. is one of the top consumers in the
> world of dairy products, we also rank very near the top of the list in
> osteoporosis. The incidence of osteoporosis is just as high in other
> countries with a large consumption of dairy. England and Sweden follow
> closely behind the United States with cases of osteoporosis. They also
> follow closely behind the United States in dairy consumption. Dairy calcium
> has two major flaws that actually increases and worsens osteoporosis! *First,
> dairy calcium contains little or no magnesium.*
> In order to absorb calcium into the bones, the human body needs an equal
> amount of magnesium. Dairy products do not have enough magnesium to
> accomplish this task. However, magnesium is found in abundance in dark green
> leafy vegetables, something that most Americans eat very little of unless
> they are vegetarians. So think spinach salad.
>
> *Second, dairy contains too much protein.*
> Another potential source of the problem can be the overconsumption of
> protein. That is due to the acidic residue left behind from protein
> metabolism. Dietary protein causes the blood to become acidic. The human
> body needs an alkaline environment in order to function in a healthy way,
> and that is especially true of endurance athletes. To neutralize this acid
> and restore pH balance, the body uses its largest source of calcium: the
> skeletal system. The calcium in bones is the perfect neutralizer to the
> acids in protein. For example, if you take in 1000-1500 mg of high-protein
> calcium daily, the average person will still lose 4% bone mass each year!
> The body actually consumes its own skeleton to neutralize the acid found in
> protein.
> *So where do we find calcium that is balanced with magnesium and is also
> low in protein?*
> In green vegetables! Vegetables such as spinach, kale, and broccoli contain
> large amount of calcium, a good balance of magnesium, and low levels of
> acidic protein. The molecular structure of chlorophyll, the green blood of
> plant life, contains the magnesium molecule. And we find that in countries
> where dairy consumption is low and green vegetable consumption is high, the
> incidence of osteoporosis is low. China and Japan for example, have very low
> rates of osteoporosis and they consume very little dairy.
> *Calcium is not the only factor in the Osteoporosis equation.*
> Calcium loss can also be caused by hereditary factors, intake of salt,
> high-fat foods, caffeine, and tobacco products. Also, lack of weight-bearing
> exercise also increases the risks of osteoporosis. Weight training (cycling
> is not a weight bearing activity) will stimulate bone density, but only if
> you are providing your body with all of the necessary ingredients.
> Now...if you are unwilling to eat green leafy vegetables on a regular
> basis, you might consider calcium supplements. Just be sure that it is from
> a variety of different sources and is combined with Vitamin D3 , Vitamin C,
> and magnesium for better absorption.
>
> J.Michael Manning
> CycleOne Coaching
> "Athletic Excellence is our Business"
>
>
> ------------------------------
> From: MathewB@dowa.com
> To: obra@list.obra.org
> Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2008 07:28:30 -0700
> Subject: [OBRA Chat] broken bones
>
> Morning,
>
>
>
> This question is probably more for my doctor but I thought id toss it out
> to obra as well.
>
>
>
> Seems in the last 5+/- years every time I hit the deck I come out with a
> broken bone. Ive been active in sports my whole life and have never broken
> a bone until just the last few years ago. Now 35 im going on 3 breaks.
>
>
>
> Back in the day I used to drink a few pints of milk a day and now I barely
> get much at all. am I dairy calcium short?
>
>
>
> Any thoughts/insight would be appreciated.
>
>
>
> Cheers,
>
>
>
> mathew br*au*n
>
> *d o w a*
>
> 319 sw washington street. #200
>
> portland, or 97204
>
> p: 503.226.6950
>
> f: 503.273.9192
>
> d: 503.419.0906
>
> m: 503.808.0495
>
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