Calcium intake is not a problem in this country; however, reducing calcium loss is. Many factors
affect calcium loss, not the least of which—ironically—is the consumption of milk and dairy
products. Their high protein content offsets any calcium value they provide. Excess protein not only
prevents absorption of calcium but also can actually leach it from your bones, leading to
osteoporosis.^41
“Dairy products contain sodium and animal protein, both of which encourage calcium losses,” says
Neal Barnard, M.D., founder and president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
(PCRM).
Dairy products are also loaded with fat and contain growth hormones, the carcinogenic IGF- 1
(insulin-like growth factor 1), antibiotics, and traces of other drugs.
Plant-based sources of calcium (vegetables and legumes) are safe and healthy alternatives,
particularly leafy greens. Leafy greens actually offer a higher calcium bioavailability (absorption
rate) than dairy products do.^42
Diet Trap #6: A Low-Carb, “Low-Performance” Lifestyle
“What’s wrong with carbohydrates? If you mean what’s wrong with
a spear of broccoli or a bunch of spinach, the answer is nothing,
they’re magnificent foods. When I speak negatively of
carbohydrates, I’m referring to the unhealthy ones—those lurking
in the sugar bowl and the bin of white flour, along with milk, white
rice, and processed and refined foods of all kinds.”- Robert Atkins, M.D., author of Dr. Atkins’ New Diet Revolution
Dr. Atkins took a beating in his heyday, but he really brought the issue of refined carbohydrates to
the forefront.
We are naturally carbohydrate eaters, as indicated by the sweet taste buds at the tip of our tongues.
Food manufacturers were quick to realize that if they made refined foods ultra-sweet, people would
buy them in droves. That’s exactly what happened in Westernized societies. Refined “junk”
carbohydrates are everywhere. The complex nutrient value of whole food has been stripped out,
but the pleasure-stimulating chemicals and concentrated refined carbohydrates have been left in.
There you have it—the perfect junk food!
(^41) Calcium, Osteoporosis, and the Selling of Dairy Products.
http://www.makingpages.org/health/calcium.osteoporosis.html.
(^42) Aurand A. Calcium without milk? Dairy may not be the only key to strong bones. The Bulletin. March 22, 2012.