High Calcium Intake may not prevent bone fractures
The cat is out of the bag! Finally, it’s getting into the news and into the public eye: High calcium intake may not prevent bone fractures. ‘Eat foods that are rich in calcium’ and ‘take calcium and vitamin D supplements’ have been the recommendations for building strong bones to prevent fractures and osteoporosis; however, it’s not so simple.
The majority of Americans are trying to get the proposed needed calcium from animal products, such as milk and yogurt, rather than from plant products, such as spinach and kale. Animal proteins create an acidic environment in the body and, subsequently, both stored calcium and readily available calcium supplied by a recent meal is used to buffer the environment, leaving less calcium for the bones. Consuming animal sources of calcium creates a negative calcium balance and attributes to bone loss. Plant proteins do not create this acidic environment and more of the calcium consumed can be used to strengthen both bones and teeth, as well as supply working muscles with ample calcium for contraction and relaxation.
It is obvious that we are failing in the fight against osteoporosis. It’s about time that we look down a different avenue for a solution.
About the Author
Peggy Kraus is a clinical exercise physiologist at Southampton Hospital in New York. She received her Masters degree in Professional Physical Education from New York University and after many years in commercial and corporate fitness settings has been in the cardiac and pulmonary rehab setting now for 10 years. Her job duties include educating rehab patients about the link between exercise, nutrition, and good health. Peggy has been published in IDEA’s Fitness Journal and in AFAA’s American Fitness, and her continuing education course, Atherosclerosis: Causes, Consequences, and Treatments, is offered in CEU4U’s nursing course catalog.
