Nutrition

by Emma Needleman

Most people think that to protect your bones, you’ve simply got to get enough calcium—specifically by drinking your milk.  But the truth isn’t that simple: Americans, for their part, get about 70 percent of their total calcium intake from dairy products, but we’ve also got some of the world’s highest osteoporosis rates. 

In fact, studies increasingly show that higher dairy consumption is actually associated with increased risk for broken bones.  And, on the heels of a new study that shows calcium and Vitamin D supplements don’t do much to increase bone density, the science increasingly shows that our old habits aren’t cutting it when it comes to protecting our bones.  And while you do need calcium, you also need to consume it in a way that allows for the best possible absorption into your bones.

Let’s start with the dairy issue.  Consuming dairy products is more or less a Western habit—in Asia and Africa, dairy is generally not part of the diet.  Instead, people get their calcium from vegetables, at much lower levels than our recommended average of 1,200 mg a day.  But since vegetables have higher levels of magnesium—which your bones need to absorb calcium—people living in these countries tend to have lower rates of broken bones and fractures.  In diets where fruit and vegetables are the primary sources of calcium, your body will take in calcium and magnesium in a ratio of about 1:1.  In diets where dairy is the primary source of calcium, the ration is more like 12:1. 

Reducing the amount of meat in your diet can also help protect your bones.  Protein is important for building strong bones, but excessive meat consumption can create higher levels of acid in the blood and urine, which the body then tries to regulate by releasing calcium.  You don’t have to become completely vegetarian, but reducing the amount of meat you eat and replacing it with vegetables or other forms of protein will certainly be beneficial to your skeleton.

So how can you get calcium without swigging milk or taking supplements?  Here are 5 of the best natural sources of calcium for healthy bones.

Collard Greens.  Leafy green vegetables are one of the most healthful sources of calcium and magnesium.  One cup of boiled collards contains a whopping 358 milligrams.  Kale, broccoli, Swiss chard, bok choy and turnip greens are full of calcium, too.  The one exception is spinach, which has a high concentration of oxalate, making it difficult for the body to absorb calcium. 

Baked beans.  Beans in general are a great source of calcium, as well as a hearty non-animal protein.  One serving of baked beans contains over 100 milligrams of calcium.  Navy beans, white beans and garbanzos are also full of calcium and magnesium, as are soybean products like tofu.

Oatmeal. Surprisingly, two packets of instant oatmeal contains between 100-150 mg of calcium, and more magnesium than a cup of collard greens.  Quinoa is another calcium-rich grain.  Try either for a healthy breakfast.

Sesame seeds.  Just one tablespoon of sesame seeds contains about 88 milligrams of calcium, and about a third of the daily value for magnesium. Make sure to buy the unhulled kind, though, as it’s the seed’s hull (outer shell) that contains most of the nutrients.  Try grinding themup like flax seeds and adding to breakfast cereal or soups and salads.

Almonds.  Almonds are a nutritional powerhouse, providing a dense source of protein and fiber, along with calcium and other minerals necessary for building strong bones.  Just one serving has 750 milligrams of calcium.  Almonds, plain or mixed with dried fruit, make great snacks by themselves, or try replacing your jar of peanut butter with nutrient-rich almond butter. 

The nation’s most commonly used artificial sweetener, Aspartame, has gotten a bad rap over the years. More than 10,000 official complaints have linked the sweetener, which is found in chewing gums, soft-drinks, table-top sweetners, breakfast cereals, and sugarless jams, to numerous adverse reactions. Complaints range from headaches, mood alterations, gastrointestinal symptoms, and even hallucinations.

So, what better way to fix the problem than giving the controversial sweetener a make-over—reintroducing it under a pernicious pseudonym that makes it sound deceptively natural: AminoSweet.

The most controversial food additive in history, Aspartame was only approved by the FDA after strong political and financial pressure overturned health-concern arguments against the artificial sweetener. Furthermore, according to Mercola.com, aspartame was previously listed by the Pentagon as a biochemical warfare agent!

The additive has been shown to cause cancer in lab rats, and according to Mercola.com, there have been more aspartame-reaction reports to the FDA than for all other food additives combined:

In fact, there are over 10,000 official complaints, but by the FDA’s own admission, less than 1 percent of those who experience a reaction to a product ever report it. So in all likelihood, the toxic effects of aspartame may have affected roughly a million people already.

While a variety of symptoms have been reported, almost two-thirds of them fall into the neurological and behavioral category consisting mostly of headaches, mood alterations, and hallucinations. The remaining third is mostly gastrointestinal symptoms.

Furthermore, in addition to wreaking havoc on our health, aspartame doesn’t even do what it claims to. Below is the full story from Mercola.com:

The sad truth is that diet foods and drinks ruin your body's ability to count calories, and in fact stimulate your appetite, thus boosting your inclination to overindulge. . .

If you suffer from sweet cravings, it’s easy to convince yourself you’re doing the right thing by opting for a zero-calorie sweetener like aspartame. Please understand that you will do more harm than good to your body this way. . .

As mentioned earlier, almost two-thirds of all documented side effects of aspartame consumption are neurological.

One of the reasons for this side effect, researchers have discovered, is because the phenylalanine in aspartame dissociates from the ester bond. While these amino acids are indeed completely natural and safe, they were never designed to be ingested as isolated amino acids in massive quantities, which in and of itself will cause complications.

Additionally this will also increase dopamine levels in your brain. This can lead to symptoms of depression because it distorts your serotonin/dopamine balance. It can also lead to migraine headaches and brain tumors through a similar mechanism.

The aspartic acid in aspartame is a well-documented excitotoxin. Excitotoxins are usually amino acids, such as glutamate and aspartate. These special amino acids cause particular brain cells to become excessively excited, to the point that they die.

According to the researchers, consuming a lot of aspartame can disturb:

• The metabolism of amino acids
• Protein structure and metabolism
• The integrity of nucleic acids
• Neuronal function
• Endocrine balances

Furthermore, the ester bond in aspartame breaks down to formaldehyde and methanol, which are also toxic in their own right. So it is not surprising that this popular artificial sweetener has also been found to cause cancer.