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Calcium Shown Not to Help with Osteoporosis! (Update) |
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Written by Dr. Edward Zimmer
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A recent study revealed that calcium supplementation did little to stop the occurrence of bone fractures from osteoporosis (a disease that causes poor bone density). Time to throw away your Calcium supplements! Before you do, there is a lot to consider. I have been preaching for years that taking calcium for osteoporosis prevention and treatment is only a small part of the puzzle. To help illustrate let me ask you a couple of questions. First, what country do you think has the highest intake of dairy (calcium rich) in the world? Answer: the United States. What country has the highest rate of osteoporosis? Answer: the United States. With all of these people eating all of these calcium-rich foods we should have very low rates of osteoporosis. The fact that we do not shows that other important factors are involved.
So, what are some of those factors? The most important are your diet and lifestyle. Those who drink soda pop are at higher risk for osteoporosis due to the fact that these acidic drinks cause your body to steal calcium from bone to help balance your internal pH. The same is true for those on high protein diets. You are also at risk if you eat very little dairy or dark green vegetables on a regular basis. Finally, those who get little weight-bearing exercise are at greater risk.
Another very important factor to consider is your Vitamin D levels. I urge EVERYONE who has been told they have poor bone density to get their 25-hydroxy-Vitamin D levels tested. You need a minimal reading of 30 ng/ml to build strong bone. I am constantly amazed at how many patients have very low Vitamin D levels that were never tested after they were told they had poor bone density. Get your levels checked at your next doctor’s visit. Email me if you have any questions.
Now…back to calcium. Proper calcium intake IS IMPORTANT for good bone health. The results of this study simply show that you do not need to take in large amounts of calcium. But you do need some calcium. My suggestion is that you continue to take calcium supplements especially if you have poor calcium intake in your diet or if you drink soda pop. To find out more about what calcium to take read my article Osteoporosis: A disease which has become an epidemic!
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