The dairy industry has finally been given one
big swift kick where they need it most, in the scientific credibility
department where top officials have been falsely linking dairy and bone
strength for decades. The study, published by the British Medical
Journal, found that people don't get stronger bones by eating dairy
products or taking calcium supplements.
The usual suspects. ("I can't feel my LEG BONES, Kaiser.")
Dairy products, specifically milk is one of the
beverages still aggressively pushed on children as a health promoting
food, especially relating to strong bones.
What interesting about cow's milk is that the more people drink, the
more likely they are to die or experience a bone fracture and other
diseases. The risks are especially pronounced for women.
Taking into account studies from around the
world, the systematic review and meta-analysis found that
those who took calcium were just as likely to suffer from
fractures as those who did not.
Dr Ian Reid from the University of Auckland in New
Zealand stated that the focus on treating bone diseases, such as
osteoporosis, needs to be elsewhere.
"I think we've actually misdirected a whole lot
of effort into the use of calcium supplements, in particular in North
America, where use has been higher for last 30 years," he said. The dairy industy has been hard at work the last 50 years convincing people that pasteurized dairy products
such as milk or cheese increases bioavailable calcium levels. This is
totally false. The pasteurization process only creates
calcium carbonate, which has absolutely no way of entering the
cells without a chelating agent. So what the body does is pull
the calcium from the bones and other tissues in order to
buffer the calcium carbonate in the blood. This process actually
causes osteoporosis.
Pasteurized dairy contains too little magnesium needed at the proper
ratio to absorb the calcium. Most would agree that a minimum
amount of Cal. to Mag Ratio is 2 to 1 and preferably 1 to 1.
So milk, at a Cal/Mag ratio of 10 to 1, has a problem.
You may put 1200 mg of dairy calcium in your mouth, but you
will be lucky to actually absorb a third of it into your
system.
Over 99% of the body's calcium is in the skeleton, where it provides
mechanical rigidity. Pasteurized dairy forces a calcium intake
lower than normal and the skeleton is used as a reserve to
meet needs. Long-term use of skeletal calcium to meet these
needs leads to osteoporosis.
Dairy is pushed on Americans from birth yet they have one of the
highes risk of osteoporosis in the world. Actually, people
from the USA, Canada, Norway, Sweden, Australia, and New
Zealand have the highest rates of osteoporosis.
The research investigated putative mechanism by which calcium
intake affects bone health namely by increasing bone mineral density
(BMD). BMD is a surrogate endpoint for fracture risk that allows
biological effects to be explored in randomised controlled trials of
modest size.
Following old information
The results from the new study flies in the face of long-held beliefs that calcium makes for stronger, better bones.
For years, US guidelines have advised men and
women to take anywhere from 1,000 to 1,200 mg of calcium per day to help
prevent fractures and improve bone density.
Reid said this likely lasted for so long due to an overreliance on studies from the 1970s and 1980s.
Now, there are more sophisticated bone density
studies, and none have shown the need for anything more than 500mg of
calcium per day for bone density health.
Going a step further, the study said too much
calcium may cause build ups in the arteries or in the kidneys, which can
cause ailments such as heart disease or kidney stones respectively.
"Dietary calcium intake is not associated with
risk of fracture, and there is no clinical trial evidence that
increasing calcium intake from dietary sources prevents fractures," the
study said.
"Evidence that calcium supplements prevent fractures is weak and inconsistent."
Methodology of the study
The researchers looked at two studies, finding
in one that increasing calcium intake from supplements increases bone
density by 1% to 2%, something they said is unlikely to create a
meaningful reduction in the risk of fracture.
"This is not a cumulative benefit," Reid said.
"It's only 1% at any year. It's a one off small gain. When you look at
the fracture data in the large high quality studies carried out in the
last 10 to 15 years, we found there is no total benefit to total number
of fractures. There may even be an increase. I think we should really be
deleting calcium as a significant tissue in management of
osteoporosis."
In another study, researchers found that
dietary calcium is not associated with risk of fracture, with no
clinical evidence finding that increase in consumption helps prevent
fractures.
Professor Karl Michaelsson from Uppsala
University in Sweden wrote in an accompanying commentary with the study
that the although recommendations point to those over 50 taking calcium,
most will not benefit by increasing their intakes.
"The weight of evidence against such mass
medication of older people is now compelling, and it is surely time to
reconsider these controversial recommendations," he wrote.
Supplement Quality Key
While some dairy may be useful to help the
elderly keep weight on their body as they get older, many low-quality
calcium supplements appear to be ineffective for bone health.
Most supplements on the supplement market today
contain calcium carbonate which is an inferior form of calcium and
manufacturers attach a simple chelating agent like citric acid to
make it more absorbable, however the end product is inferior to
other calcium supplements such as calcium orotate, which is the only
known form of calcium which can effectively penetrate the membranes
of cells.
Many of these supplements are increasing the
risk of kidney stones and abdominal problems and whose risks are greater
than the benefits.
"They've been so entrenched and supported by industry for so long that it's taking a while to turn around," Reid said.
Effective Supplementation
If you want to supplement for calcium intake
you must seek a reputable and balanced calcium/magnesium formula.
Researchers examined 21 formulations of calcium carbonate (both
natural [i.e., oyster shell] and refined). Four out of seven natural
products and four out of 14 refined products, including brand
products, had measurable lead content. A research team in California
found essentially the same contamination in calcium supplements.
Acid rebound. Calcium
carbonate may cause acid rebound: the
stomach overcompensates for the high dose
of calcium carbonate, which is
alkaline, by churning out more
acid. For that reason, people with a
history of stomach ulcers are advised that
they may not tolerate it and may have to switch
to calcium citrate.
Constipation. Calcium
supplements can have a mild binding effect
but by themselves don’t usually
cause serious constipation. But if
you’re taking another supplement or
medication that binds the stool,
the addition of calcium supplements
could cause a problem.
Too much calcium. Although
it doesn’t happen often, some people
have taken so much calcium that it
causes hypercalcemia, an
above-normal level of calcium in the blood since most of the calcium
carbonate is not absorbed.
Hypercalcemia may cause nausea, vomiting, confusion,
and other neurological symptoms.
The type of minerals in the formula determines the absorption levels: Opti-Cal/Mag with Vitamin K2
is a co-enzyme complex, heat-stabled molecules that must be
associated with another enzyme for them to perform their function in
the body. It is necessary in the utilization of vitamins and minerals
for proper delivery to the cell nucleus. One study found that
Opti-Cal/Mag complex is 8.79 times more absorbed into the blood than
calcium carbonate and 2.97 times more than calcium gluconate.
6 WAYS TO BUILD STRONG BONES
1. Eat calcium rich foods
Eat foods high in calcium. The best food sources are
non-pasteurized raw dairy sources such as raw milk/yogurt, as well
as bony fish, such as sardines. Leafy green veg such as kale,
broccoli and spinach are also rich in calcium. Dried herbs and dried
fruits such as figs and currants are also good choices. Seeds such
as sesame, chia and flax are also rich sources of calcium. Also,
enjoy foods that contain sulfur such as garlic and onions.
2. Food selections/combinations are critical
Try not to eat whole grains and calcium-rich
foods at the same time. Whole grains contain a substance that
binds with calcium and prevents proper absorption.
Some foods that contain compounds such as oxalic or phytic
acids, such as sweet potatoes, beans, rhubarb, celery and beets,
can also decrease the amount of calcium that's absorbed when eaten
at the same time as calcium-rich foods.
3. Avoid the causes of mineral excretion
Pass on phosphate-containing foods such as soft
drinks. Phosphorus causes the body to excrete calcium. Limit or
avoid high-protein animal foods. A diet high in protein causes
calcium to be excreted from your body. Decrease caffeine
consumption. People
who smoke have significantly lower bone density, while drinking
alcohol can also prevent your bones from absorbing the maximum
nutrients from your food.
4. Get more Sunlight and Vitamin D Vitamin D helps the
body absorb calcium. Although some is found in oily fish, our main
source comes from the effect of sunlight on your skin. It's
estimated that half of us have a deficiency because we don't get
outside enough or because we always use sunblock. It is especially
important to maximize sun exposure between May and September to
keep vitamin D levels topped up. Just 10 minutes of sunlight a
day on bare arms and your face can cut your risk of bone fractures
by a third. A half hour exposing your torso is equivalent to roughly 10,000 units of Vitamin D.
5. The right exercise
Another vital way to boost your bones is weight-bearing exercise
--basically anything that has you upright and using your body weight.
Good choices include squatting, rope skipping, aerobics,
plyometrics, dancing or brisk walking. "Research shows that if you
don't exercise you end up weeing out all the calcium you take in
instead of storing it in your bones," warns Professor Dawn Skelton, an aging and health specialist at Glasgow Caledonian University.
"Ideally we should aim for 150 minutes of moderate activity per
week. "Put simply, the more hours we spend on our feet, the fewer
bone breakages we should have in later life."
6. Avoid Medications and Medical Therapies
Acid-blocking medications used for heartburn and
other gastrointestinal conditions can block the absorption of
calcium through the stomach walls. Stomach acids break down food
during the digestive process, allowing the nutrients to become
absorbed into your body. Medications designed to stop acid
production or decrease the amount of acids present in your stomach
can have a negative effect on calcium.
Marco Torres
is a research specialist, writer and consumer advocate for healthy
lifestyles. He holds degrees in Public Health and Environmental
Science and is a professional speaker on topics such as
disease prevention, environmental toxins and health
policy.
Schrödinger's Öther Cat promises to bring you honest and thoughtful truthsifting in a strange land of anomaly and acromegaly, where truth has become a four-letter word. Buckle up, Timmy. No punches pulled.
