Re: Re: Fw: 10 reasons not to consume soft drinks

[Guest guest]

What additional measures can be done to help prevent and treat osteoporosis?

Since we are facing an epidemic of osteoporosis in developed countries

today, lay people need to know every simple trick for preventing and

treating this disabling disease. Here are some measures that cost nothing,

and are known to help:

1) Avoid soft drinks containing phosphates. Phosphoric acid (not the same as

phosphorus) leaches Calcium out of the body. Twelve ounces of cola, for

example, will dissolve from the bones the amount of Calcium found in an

adult molar, although the kidneys reclaim some of this loss. Some soda pops

also contain caffeine, a known diuretic. Diuretics cause the excretion of

minerals necessary for bone health (see #4 below).

2) Avoid tobacco. Tobacco (smoked, inhaled second-hand, or chewed) has a

variety of toxic metals and poisons that interfere with Calcium absorption

and bind up other needed minerals thus making them unavailable for use in

the body.

3) Engage in regular weight-bearing exercise.

4) Be aware that some medications interfere with Calcium absorption and

hence with bone health. For example, antacids produce a lowered acidity in

the stomach. Calcium (including the high-density, low-absorption type found

in antacids) is not assimilated in an alkaline environment. Antacids may be

useful for occasional short-term re-balancing of stomach pH, but should not

be used long-term. Besides, many chewable antacids contain talc, talc

contains asbestos, and asbestos has been implicated in causing stomach

cancer. Diuretics also interfere with Calcium levels in the body as they

hasten the excretion of all minerals. Blood-thinners are another culprit.

Extra amounts of all minerals should be added to the diet when it is

necessary to take these drugs. Also, as a general rule, Calcium should be

taken at least two hours before or after any prescription, including

birth-control pills and antibiotics. Not only can some drugs interfere with

Calcium absorption, but the reverse is true as well.

5) Avoid excessive long-term salt use. Sodium chloride has been found to

leach Calcium from bones. Processed foods, in general, are high in sodium.

Read labels and don't automatically reach for the salt shaker. And if you

have a sodium-based soft water system in your home, change to a

potassium-based system. Minerals are absorbed through the skin as well.

6) Be aware that people in third world countries have little osteoporosis in

comparison to developed countries. This is not just because they have a

younger mortality rate. It is also because of the difference in the types of

food consumed. For example, North Americans and the people of Great Britain

consume more dairy products, and thus Calcium than anyone else on the planet

does. Yet we eat less vegetables, grains, seeds and nuts (which supply all

the other nutrients necessary for bone health) than other populations of the

world. Also, excessive consumption of red meat, which is high in Phosphorus,

increases the need for more Calcium intake. A balanced diet of whole foods

grown on soils that have not been mineral-depleted will greatly enhance bone

health.

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This was taken from:

http://www.internetnutrition.com/topics/Osteoporosis.html

Judie