What Causes Osteoporosis and Ten Changes You Can Make to Reduce Your Risk of Osteoporosis
What Causes Osteoporosis and Ten Changes You Can Make to Reduce Your Risk of Osteoporosis
Ten Simple Lifestyle Changes You Can Make to Reduce
Your Risk for Osteoporosis Stop or decrease your meat intake.Stop or decrease your dairy intake.Decrease or eliminate sugar from your diet. Cut back on processed foods. Eliminate highly acid vinegars.Decrease or stop caffeine. Stop smoking. Cut back or eliminate alcohol consumption. Start a weight bearing exercise program.Get plenty of sunshine or supplement vitamin D.
"The myth that osteoporosis is caused by calcium deficiency was
created to sell dairy products and calcium supplements. There's no truth to it. American women are among the biggest consumers of
calcium in the world, and they still have one of the highest
levels of osteoporosis in the world. And eating even more dairy
products and calcium supplements is not going to change that fact."
- Dr. John McDougallDiscussion:The ingestion of milk causes the blood to become acid
ie -pH less than the normal 7.43. The body corrects this via
the calcium phosphate balance which requires mobilization of
additional calcium into the bloodstream to correct the acidosis.
This calcium is obtained by removing it from the bones. Thus, it
is no surprise that milk causes a total body calcium loss.
This is not new information and is well discussed with reference
to the original studies in John Robbins's book "Diet for a New
America."Amazing as it sounds, the ash (residue) from any animal protein
that finds its way to the bloodstream is so acid that the
homeostatic mechanisms of the body that maintain the pH of
the blood at 7.43 are immediately invoked. The prime mechanism
to accomplish this (as noted above) is the calcium / phosphate
balance in the bloodstream. Since calcium acts as a base
(can correct an acid condition of the blood) the body pulls
calcium from the bone to offset or correct the acidosis
caused by the acid residue from the animal protein
(this includes dairy/milk).Over time the continuing ingestion of animal protein
leads to significant loss of bone mineralization and
eventually clinical osteoporosis. Ingesting more calcium
is a very simplistic approach that more often than not
does not help. The problem is that supplemental calcium
seldom finds its way to the bloodstream and the body will
continue to remove calcium from the bone since this is the
pathway that mother nature has established.As a diagnostic
radiologist I had many an occasion to see calcium
tablets of all varieties totally undissolved on abdominal
radiographs. Treating osteoporosis with additional calcium is like replacing the wood in a termite infested house without
eradicating the termites. The only effective (and extremely
simple) answer is to just not consume animal protein. One
of the other complications of the increased mobilization of
calcium is kidney stones. The incidence of kidney stones is
considerably increased in those who consume animal protein.The Bantu women, who are exclusively vegan and live off of a
completely plant based diet in central Africa, get less than
350 mg of calcium in their daily diet. Yet, there is no
osteoporosis in these women since they do not ingest any animal
protein. This is also true for many women in the more remote
portions of mainland China.All the new imaging devices for measuring bone density are
really a large technological waste of time and money.
If you consume animal protein you are at risk for
osteoporosis -period. Just take some of the money you
would spend to have your bone density measured and go out
and buy some good organic veggies. You and your bones
will love you for it.Osteoporosis is not gender specific. Although more women than
men are affected, men also have osteoporosis. I once knew
an Ultrasound technician in his thirties who had osteoporosis.Recipes:The following recipes are good sources of calcium from
totally natural sources as well as recipes that avoid the
foods that cause osteoporosis. For those of you outside
of the US the need for organic foods is not as critical
since the destructive commercial farming practices here
have not reached the rest of the world -yet. This is
especially true in Europe where a tomato, I am told, still
tastes like a tomato.Black bean burritos, tostadas and tacos.Prepare some organic black beans refried style as in the
MericleDiet or however you like to prepare your beans.
Obtain some organic tortillas, taco or tostada shells.
Drop some refried beans into or onto one of the above
and add some chopped lettuce, cabbage or onions. Black
beans and onions really make a good burrito. Wrap the
tortilla around your filling and garnish with salsa
and maybe some more cabbage or lettuce. If you like, you
can fry the burrito to make what we used to call a "Cindy
Special" from an old Mexican restaurant here in Tucson.
The frying is however not without its caloric burden,
although it makes for a real taste treat.Other good sources of calcium are organic kale, collards,
broccoli, bok choy and tofu.A fresh spinach salad makes a nice addition to this meal
and a lot of organic greens really are excellent sources
of calcium that the body can utilize. I have been told
that, although spinach is high in calcium, it is also high
in oxalic acid which is alleged to bind the calcium thus
limiting its absorption. However spinach is still a good
bet since it has been shown to retard the development of
macular degeneration.Summary:Osteoporosis is not a disease of calcium absorption but is
a proactive disease caused by ingesting foods that upset the
acid/base balance of the body thus requiring calcium to be
slowly but constantly leached from your bones in order to keep
the blood (pH) normal (7.43). No amount of ingested calcium
will correct the problem as long as one continues to destroy
their bones by eating the wrong foods. The answer is to
simply stop the destruction of your bones by significantly
reducing or completely stopping the ingestion of animal
protein.We hope you find this informative. Please stay tuned for
the next newsletter that will cover sugar, vitamin C,
insulin, your white blood cells, your immune system
and the very interesting subject of competitive inhibition
or -how much vitamin C should I take? To sign up for the MericleDiet Newsletter / Dr. Mericle Health Tips please follow the link below:http://www.DrMericle.comOne last quote:"In the next 10 to 15 years, one of the things you're bound
to hear is that animal protein ... is one of the most toxic
nutrients of all that can be considered . Risk for disease
goes up dramatically when even a little animal protein is
added to the diet." T. Colin Campbell Ph.D. (Author of
The China Study).Remember the Bantu women.The MericleDiet.The MericleDiet is a completely vegan, 100% Sugar Free and 100% Organic easy to follow diet. It is actually more of a lifestyle than a diet as you never feel deprived or restricted. It also will keep your bone density at the best it can be. Your bones will love you for it. To visit just follow the link below:http://www.DrMericle.comCopyright 2005 J. Mericle M.D. All Rights Reservedhttp://www.DrMericle.com is devoted to achieving optimal health and peak performance through diet and lifestyle change. Dr. Mericle brings together a unique blend of formal medical education, 29 marathons, 3 Hawaii Ironman competitions and a lot of practical real life experience.
Treat Osteoporosis Naturally
Treat Osteoporosis Naturally
Osteoporosis is a condition that faces every baby boomer; man or woman. Women are more prone to getting this after menopause, but men can also have "porous bones." Women have much thinner bones and will lose calcium more quickly. Calcium is what makes up the content of the bones and when that is decreased your bones will become more fragile, brittle and break easily. Any type of sudden movement such as a sneeze can become a problem for someone with severe osteoporosis. Often times the patient isn't aware they have this bone problem until the break has already occurred. Small compression fractures can occur in the spine and this creates the bent over appearance or widow's hump. All of this happens silently and until you experience a bad break or have a lot of back pain; you may not know this is going on. So many of us are at risk of this debilitating disease; it really is becoming a public health concern. Some of the risk factors for developing osteoporosis include:? Age. Osteoporosis will likely occur as you grow older and your bones lose density? Race. Caucasian women are among the highest risks categories, but African American women are at risk as well.? Lifestyle Habits. A heavy drinker or smoker is at a much higher risk.? Lack of exercise. If you are a couch potato or don't do much weight bearing exercise you are at a higher risk.? Diet. If your diet is low in calcium and protein you might increase your risks.? Type of figure. If you have small bones you are more likely to develop osteoporosis.? Anorexia or bulimia. These two are thought to increase the rate of bone loss.? Early menopause. It is thought that early menopause naturally or surgically leads to high risks of osteoporosis.If you don't want to take prescription drugs for problems as you age; alternative medicine might be the answer for you. Most complementary treatments focus on building strong bones because bone can actually be replaced even after loss has occurred. It is suggested you eat a healthy diet that is low in fat and high in whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables and high in calcium is called for. That sounds like it is pretty much good for everybody, right? Some of the foods that are especially good are sardines, salmon, almonds, and dark leafy green vegetables. Supplements you can take are calcium, Vitamin D and magnesium. Don't forget about working out with weights and a regular exercise program. If you want to take herbal supplements; oat straw, alfalfa, licorice, marsh mallow and yellow dock, dong quai, and Asian ginseng are thought to slow down bone loss. There has been a lot of controversy lately about taking HRT so why not try a natural hormone replacement such as plant estrogens from soybeans or natural progesterone from wild yam?When is it too early to start a treatment to prevent osteoporosis? The answer is it is never too early to start a prevention program. It is said there is really no cure for osteoporosis, but if you begin in your twenties to follow some of the things stated above, you can help prevent this debilitating disease from taking over your senior years. Don't be afraid to talk to your physician about alternative treatments to osteoporosis or other diseases. Alternative treatments allow you to start making some of the decisions for your body and you can take control of the aging process naturally.Beverly Marshall is a successful freelance writer, certified Aromatherapist and Feng Shui consultant. Her many articles offer guidance, suggestions and common sense ideas to change your life. If you are interested in products and information regarding alternative medicine, vitamins, osteoporosis, menopause, essential oils, insomnia, anti aging, dry skin and more; her many articles can be found at http://www.alternative-medicine-4u.com/osteoporosis.htm