We all want strong bones, but do we really need to drink milk to achieve them?
There is an initiative called Healthy Bones week; a campaign designed to increase public awareness about bone health and the prevention of osteoporosis. You may have noticed advertising campaigns encouraging Australians to consume more dairy products.
Dairy products do contain calcium, but they are not the only source of calcium. Plenty of other foods contain high levels of calcium, and it’s certainly possible to maintain strong bones even if you consume no dairy products at all. In some people, dairy products can cause more harm than good, due to the inflammatory nature of the protein in milk (casein). Additionally, there is much more to preventing osteoporosis than just consuming dairy products.
Most people think regular dairy product consumption is critical for maintaining strong bones and preventing osteoporosis. However, the story is not so simple. Western nations are the biggest milk drinkers and yet they also suffer far higher rates of osteoporosis than most Asian nations, where dairy products are not a part of the traditional diet.
Recently a study compared the bone density of vegan women with non-vegetarian women to see if lifetime dairy consumption made much difference to their bones. The study was conducted by the Garvin Institute of Medical Research in Sydney, Australia and the results are published in the journal Osteoporosis International.
The study compared the bone health of 105 post-menopausal vegan Buddhist nuns with 105 post-menopausal non-vegetarian women. Vegans only eat plant foods; they do not eat meat, fish, chicken, eggs or dairy products. The nuns in the study had a very low calcium intake, averaging 370 milligrams per day, whereas the recommended calcium intake is 1000 milligrams per day. Buddhist nuns were chosen for this study because their faith requires them to follow a strict vegan diet for their entire life.
The results of the study were quite startling to researchers; the bone density in the two groups of women was identical.
We do not recommend a vegan diet, however this study proves that there is far more to osteoporosis than just calcium intake. Osteoporosis is a disease that is usually the consequence of chronic poor health, poor diet, poor digestion and/or hormone imbalances.
How to prevent osteoporosis
If you want to keep your bones strong we recommend the following:
- Make sure you are not vitamin D deficient. Vitamin D is required to enable calcium to enter bones. The vitamin is made when your skin is exposed to sunlight, or it can be taken in supplement form. You can have a blood test to check your level.
- Exercise regularly. If you don’t exercise, your muscles will shrink and your bones will weaken.
- Eat lots of vegetables and fruit. They are high in vitamin K and boron, which strengthen bones.
- Some medication can cause thinning of the bones; these include steroids, antacids, some hormonal contraceptives and some anti-depressants.
- Undiagnosed coeliac disease is a common cause of osteoporosis. Other intestinal diseases that reduce nutrient absorption (eg. Ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease) also increase the risk of osteoporosis.
- High levels of sugar, salt, caffeine, alcohol and soft drinks all promote osteoporosis.
Deficiencies of the hormones oestrogen, testosterone and DHEA can cause osteoporosis. These hormones can be checked with a blood test.
Non-dairy sources of calcium
- Bone broth (home made stock) is an excellent source of calcium and other minerals. We recommend you use a slow cooker. Here is a recipe
- Green vegetables such as broccoli, bok choy and pak choy.
- Tahini (sesame seed paste)
- Fish with bones (sardines, salmon)
- Nuts and seeds
Source
www.garvan.org.au
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