Calcium, Milk and Osteoporosis

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Calcium, Milk and Osteoporosis

JoAnn Guest

Jul 24, 2002 19:34 PDT

 

 

Dietary Calcium and Osteoporosis

 

In order to absorb calcium, the body needs comparable amounts of

another mineral element, magnesium. Milk and dairy products contain

only

small amounts of magnesium.

 

Without the presence of magnesium, the body only absorbs 25 percent

of

the available dairy calcium content. The remainder of the calcium

spells

trouble.

 

Without magnesium, excess calcium is utilized by the body in

injurious

ways. The body uses calcium to build the mortar on arterial walls

which

becomes atherosclerotic plaques.

 

Excess calcium is converted by the kidneys into painful stones which

grow in size like pearls in oysters, blocking our urinary tracts.

 

Excess calcium contributes to arthritis; painful calcium buildup

often

is manifested as gout.

 

The USDA has formulated a chart of recommended daily intakes of

vitamins and minerals. The term that FDA uses is Recommended Daily

Allowance (RDA). The RDA for calcium is 1500 mg.

 

The RDA for magnesium is 750 mg.

 

Society stresses the importance of calcium, but rarely

magnesium.

Yet, magnesium is vital to enzymatic activity.

 

In addition to insuring proper absorption of calcium, magnesium is

critical to proper neural and muscular function and to maintaining

proper pH balance in the body.

 

Magnesium, along with vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), helps to dissolve

calcium phosphate stones which often accumulate from excesses of

dairy intake.

 

Good sources of magnesium include beans, green leafy vegetables like

kale and collards, whole grains and orange juice. Non-dairy sources

of

calcium include green leafy vegetables, almonds, asparagus,

broccoli,

cabbage, oats, beans, parsley, sesame seeds and tofu.

 

Osteoporosis is NOT a problem that should be associated with lack

of calcium intake.

 

Osteoporosis results from calcium loss.

 

The massive amounts of protein in milk result in a 50 percent loss

of

calcium in the urine.

 

In other words, by doubling your protein intake there will be a loss

of

1-1.5 percent in skeletal mass per year in postmenopausal women.

 

The calcium contained in leafy green vegetables is more easily

absorbed

than the calcium in milk, and plant proteins do not result in

calcium

loss the same way as do animal proteins.

 

If a postmenopausal woman loses 1-1.5 percent bone mass per year,

what

will be the effect after 20 years? When osteoporosis occurs levels

of

calcium (being excreted from the bones)in the blood are high.

 

Milk only adds to these high levels of calcium which is excreted or

used by the body to add to damaging atherosclerosis, gout, kidney

stones, etc.

 

 

 

JoAnn Guest

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