Breakfast thoughts...

As I eat breakfast (bowl of porridge, with quinoa, sultanas & berries) I am revising for my final exam at the end of this month, module 1 is the musculoskeletal system...and it occurs to me, not for the first time, how the facts about how the body works is manipulated to suit those who have something to sell.

It is a fact that bones contain a whole lot of calcium, in the form of calcium carbonate, as well as magnesium hydroxide, fluoride & sulphate. It is also a fact that this store of calcium acts as an alkaline buffer when the blood becomes too acidic - due to diet, stress, toxins... This means that calcium is leached from the bones into the blood to balance it's PH. So, we could be forgiven for thinking we need to eat lots & lots of calcium carbonate to protect our bones. Here comes the twist: Calcium carbonate is incredibly difficult to absorb, so taking supplements of this form is a waste of time. For some reason, this is the form of calcium in most supplements. Why, when calcium citrate is much easier to absorb? Yet another twist; eating copious amounts of dairy for it's calcium content seems to make sense. But does it?

Well, dairy foods also contain a lot of animal protein, which in itself is not a bad thing, but it is acid forming, ie it lowers the PH level of the blood and makes it acidic. Which in turn leeches calcium from the bones. So, in a nutshell, including dairy in your diet for it's calcium content is more likely to damage your bones than suport & strengthen them. I wonder why the dairy board tells us otherwise?

For now, bear in mind that calcium is not the only mineral we need for healthy bones. Magnesium is also vital, along with Boron, Vitamin D & Vitamin C. Eating a varied diet, with plenty of vegetables, wholegrains and good quality fats is the way to go and certainly has more than enough calcium. Check it out, read the research...in the not too distant future, I will have links to all of this information on my website - watch this space.