Osteoporosis

OSTEOPOROSIS FACTS Why eating vegetables are better for you than animal products.

Osteoporosis most affects post-menopausal women.
American women aged 50 and older have one of the highest rates of hip fractures in the world. (Campbell, 9. 204) Americans consume more cows’ milk than most of the countries in the world. Australia and New Zealand have higher rates of hip fractures and are the only two countries that drink even more cow’s milk than the US.

The rate of hip fractures is a reliable indicator of osteoporosis. In 1992, Yale University School of Medicine conducted a study where the subjects were women over the age of 50. Seventy percent of the fracture rate was attributed to animal protein consumption. Yale University researchers explained that animal protein increases the acid in the blood and tissues. The body’s reaction to the acid is to try to balance it by neutralizing the acid.

The body uses calcium to neutralize the acid. Calcium is basic. The theory from the Yale researchers is that the calcium is pulled from the bones in order to neutralize the blood. The calcium loss weakens the bones putting them at risk for fracture.
This theory was first suggested in the 1880’s and again in the 1920’s. It is a well known fact that animal proteins increase acid levels in the blood. Also, it is a known fact that with this acidic environment, the amount of calcium in the urine is increased. “Doubling protein intake (mostly animal-based) from 35-78 g/day causes an alarming 50% increase in urinary calcium (Campbell, 206). Average Americans intake 70-100 grams of animal protein per day.

A study funded by the Atkins Center also found that people using the Atkins diet excreted 50% more calcium in their urine after 6 months on the diet (Campbell, p. 206).

In 2000, the Medical University of California at San Francisco did a study comparing vegetable to animal protein to bone fractures. They found there were virtually no fractures with those consuming vegetable proteins!

The Study of Osteoporotic Fractures Research Group at the University of California also published a study characterizing women’s diets by the proportions of animal versus plant protein. After 7 years of observation, the women with the highest ratio of animal protein intake to vegetable protein intake had 3.7 times more bone fractures than women with the lowest ratios (Campbell, p. 207). The study stated that women with the highest ratio of animal protein, lost bone 4 times as fast as the other women.

Studies show that eating a primarily vegetable based diet decreases your risk of osteoporosis!

Campbell, T. (2004). The China Study, pp.204-210.