Being "mostly" dairy free, I am often asked if Lauren and I are getting enough calcium. My naturopath has assured me I need not worry about this as it's not an issue if I eat a healthy balanced diet. I have read many articles that all say the same things and most of the time I feel pretty confident with skipping out on the dairy (especially because it makes us feel so icky). But then I start thinking of how it has been pounded into our heads since birth that cows milk is essential and it's healthy and it makes strong bones, etc... and I start to wonder and think, what if I am missing out on an important health benefit not drinking milk. I am got this newsletter today from a friend who is a nutritionist and I thought this article was really great. I thought I'd share:
Milk and Calcium Requirements, Dr. Pam Popper, ND, PhD
Dairy consumption does not promote bone health, and there is massive scientific evidence to document this fact.
Most of the world's population does not consume any milk after weaning, and these people grow normal, healthy skeletons and do not experience osteoporosis. Bantu women in Africa, for example, consume no dairy products and their calcium intake is between 250 and 400 mg. per day. These women generally have about 10 children and breast-feed each one for 10 months. Pregnancy and breast-feeding are tremendous drains on calcium, yet osteoporosis is virtually unknown among these women. Population studies further document that dairy consumption does not help bone health – countries that have the highest consumption of cow's milk products, like the U.S., Sweden, Israel, Finland and the U.K., have the highest incidence of osteoporosis.
Beyond population studies, research does not support the use of dairy foods as a tool for building bone. An article in the September 2000 issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reflected research compiled by two researchers who reviewed 57 studies that have been published since 1985 on dairy consumption and bone health. An overview of the studies concluded that 53% of them showed no benefit from dairy. When studies with weak evidence or poor techniques were excluded, less than half of the studies remained, and of those 57% showed no benefit and another 14% found that dairy consumption actually weakened bones. This means that 71% of the research published does not support the consumption of dairy products for bone building and health.
7 of the studies were randomized controlled studies, 6 of which were financed by the dairy industry. One looked at the consumption of milk by postmenopausal women. This study was published in the February 1985 issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. This study concluded that women who drank 3 extra glasses of milk per day were losing more calcium from their bones than they were absorbing, in spite of the fact that they were consuming 1400 mg of calcium per day. In fact, they were losing more than twice as much bone as the women in the control group, who did not drink the extra glasses of milk daily.
This reinforces that the amount of calcium you take in has little to do with the calcium balance in your body or your bone health. It is the source of the calcium, as well as your body's ability to retain and utilize it that are more important. This is why calcium supplementation is generally not recommended for bone health, and why dairy products are not helpful either.
The best diet for building healthy bones is a plant-based diet that minimizes processed and refined foods. The addition of proper exercise, sunlight, and avoiding tobacco, caffeine and alcohol will insure that your bones will last as long as you do!
--
Stacy Farrar
Certified Nutritionist
Certified Facilitator - Wellness 101
No comments:
Post a Comment