What we know about osteoporosis and raw eaters.

[FloraP]

Hi everyone,:) I need help here. Many people ask me about osteoporosis and raw eating also while I was searhing the internet I found many articles that they said they have found high level of osteoporosis in raw eaters.:( If you know anything about please tell me. Also which food is better for such a problem.
Love and Light!
Flora:)

[VeggieMel]

I've heard that the bone density of vegan, raw foodists is less dense, yet the bones remain very strong.

[SbutterAMfly]

I was researching this yesterday, and found a lot of information about which foods are helpful in preserving our bones. Unfortunately, I don't remember the links of the sites I visited, but I posted the helpful food list on my blog (http://rawkt.blogspot.com/2008/01/calcium.html).

[shashibala]

I would check the book "the China Study". I would do it, but I just gave mine to my sister.

[Carlsbad]

I don't know about raw eaters and osteoperosis, but my grandmother drank milk every single day of her life, and she had horrible osteoperosis (I don't think I'm spelling it right, but you get my drift).

I've heard good things about the China Study too. All in all, I don't think you are upping your chances of calcium deficiency by not consuming dairy. And, contrary to what the dairy lobby would have you believe, consuming dairy is no preventative against osteoperosis.

[maui_butterfly]

osteoporosis is a bone-weakening disease that occurs when aging bone is lost faster than the body can replace it, a process known as bone turnover rate.

osteoporosis is generally measured/diagnosed with a bone density test. but low bone density is only a "biological marker" for and (usually) a strong indicator of the presence of osteoporosis. having low bone density means you VERY LIKELY have osteoporosis, but it is not a bulletproof diagnosis.

the one study done that is (mis)quoted over and over showed that rawfoodists (18 of them tested) had in general a lower bone density when compared with a control group of 18 "regular folks", some of them low enough to be "diagnosed" with "osteoporosis". HOWEVER, their rates of bone turnover (actual osteoporosis) were not at all elevated over the control group (standard SAD eaters getting copious dietary calcium). as often happens, many news sources are looking at the study and either ignorantly or purposefully getting the good headline out of it...

Look at this headline: http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=46447 "More Osteoporosis Seen With Raw Food Diet", and subhead "But No Signs of Vitamin D Deficiency or Higher Bone Turnover, Says Study ". HELLO, Bone Turnover IS OSTEOPOROSIS. And the article was even peer reviewed by an MD. pathetic.

Here is an exerpt from the BBC article referencing the same study http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4389837.stm:

"The raw food vegetarians in the study had lower body weights (BMI) and total body fat than the other volunteers. They also had lower bone mass and bone mineral density.

"It is well documented that a low BMI and weight loss are strongly associated with low bone mass and increased fracture risk, while obesity protects against osteoporosis," said the researchers.

But the people who followed raw food diets did not have any other biological markers that typically accompany osteoporosis and had normal rates of bone turnover.

Lead researcher Dr Luigi Fontana, from Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis, said: "We think it's possible these people don't have increased risk of fracture but that their low bone mass is related to the fact that they are lighter because they take in fewer calories."

Dr Fontana said the raw food diet group also had higher vitamin D levels than people on a typical Western diet, even though they did not consume dairy products which are known to be a good source of vitamin D.

He said this was probably down to sun exposure."

the best way to prevent osteoporosis? weight bearing exercise. the reason obesity "protects" against osteoporosis? the bones are put under stress, just like in weight bearing exercise, and the body says, "hey, we gotta keep diverting resources to those bones, she/he is actually using them!"

[tanishamarshall]

This is good info, thanks for sharing.

[trinity082482]

My friend has osteoporosis from being vegan she was 26 when she was diagnosed so she has since become vegetarian but she is not raw.

[subbacultcha]

Alissa talks about osteoporosis in the Protein post in the need to know more about raw section.

[Cabosun]

Major robbers of bone are all of your acidic foods.....meat, dairy and refined sugar. When these foods are consumed on a regular basis, the body has got to get it's minerals from the bones to compensate for the acidic blood ph. Your bodies ph is suppose to be more alkaline. Also a lack of weight bearing exercise is a culprit of bone loss , as is a lack of unprotected sunbathing for your natural Vitamin D level.
Here is a link to a good article that I just found. Also, let me grab my China Study book and see what it has to say about this dis-ease.
Lynn
http://chronicillness.suite101.com/article.cfm/health_suffering_from_acidic_diet

[Cabosun]

ok,The China Study say's the very same thing that I just posted above.......researchers explain that animal protein, unlike plant protein, increases the acid load in the body. And increased acid load means that our blood and tissue become more acidic. The body does not like the acid enviornment and begins to fight it. In order to nutralize the acid, the body uses calcium, which acts as a very effective base. This calcium, however, must come from somewhere. it ends up being pulled from the bones, and the calcium loss weakens them, putting them at a greater risk for fracture.

This is just one paragraph of the eight pages on bone health.

[networktechnician]

One day i stumbled across a booth that was occupied by someone representing an Orthopedic clinic. The young lady behind the desk asked
me if i would like to be tested for Osteoperosis. I asked what she felt was the most important thing a person could do to avoid Osteoperosis. She stated getting plenty of calcium in the body, by ingesting calcium form milk , yogurt....and also supplements. I asked her if she was aware that some civilizations that consume calcium from animal sources have the highest percentages of Osteoperosis. There are Eskimo tribes where women are bent over from Osteoperosis at the age of 20. Of course she disagreed. she asked me how i hoped to prevent it. I told her i don't ingest dairy, or meat. However, i let her know that i do you nuts and vegetables for my protein and calcium. she asked me to put my money where my mouth was, and allow her to do a bone density test on me, I said "ok". I was tested at 132%. 100% would have been great. She said that Osteoperosis was not in my future. Then she said "what ever you are doing, keep doing it"

[networktechnician]

my bone density is 132% I'm a raw vegan.

[OneBite@aTime]

Check out The China Study.....I don't think there is anything to worry about!

[lafsalot]

http://rawfoodtalk.com/showthread.php?t=14670&highlight=osteoporosis

Here is an article someone posted that you might find interesting ~ Cathy

[EZ rider]

Here's an interesting thread on osteoporosis:

http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthread.php?t=31563

[cayenne]

Osteoporosis is directly related to the amount of milk consumed. There is another article/book on osteoporosis, very interesting reading, you can find it at http://www.4.waisays.com/ExcessiveCalcium.htm which shows that the problem is high turnover, and directly related to excessive intake of calcium. People living on plant foods do not get osteoporosis, so I can't see why people on raw plant foods would be any different in that aspect, they should do even better. If you are concerned, please read that article, it will clear a lot of confusion on the issue. I am living in a country where people do not get much calcium in their diets, and I am always amazed when I see how strong bones these women have. They don't drink milk. With consumption of milk you end up with a negative calcium balance, with plant foods you end up with a positive calcium balance. It is milk which is the culprit generally! I agree with maui_butterfly that bone density is NOT a good marker of osteoporosis.

[FloraP]

Thank you guys!Your replies are very helpful!!!
Florap





osteoporosis is a bone-weakening disease that occurs when aging bone is lost faster than the body can replace it, a process known as bone turnover rate.

osteoporosis is generally measured/diagnosed with a bone density test. but low bone density is only a "biological marker" for and (usually) a strong indicator of the presence of osteoporosis. having low bone density means you VERY LIKELY have osteoporosis, but it is not a bulletproof diagnosis.

the one study done that is (mis)quoted over and over showed that rawfoodists (18 of them tested) had in general a lower bone density when compared with a control group of 18 "regular folks", some of them low enough to be "diagnosed" with "osteoporosis". HOWEVER, their rates of bone turnover (actual osteoporosis) were not at all elevated over the control group (standard SAD eaters getting copious dietary calcium). as often happens, many news sources are looking at the study and either ignorantly or purposefully getting the good headline out of it...

Look at this headline: http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=46447 "More Osteoporosis Seen With Raw Food Diet", and subhead "But No Signs of Vitamin D Deficiency or Higher Bone Turnover, Says Study ". HELLO, Bone Turnover IS OSTEOPOROSIS. And the article was even peer reviewed by an MD. pathetic.

Here is an exerpt from the BBC article referencing the same study http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4389837.stm:

"The raw food vegetarians in the study had lower body weights (BMI) and total body fat than the other volunteers. They also had lower bone mass and bone mineral density.

"It is well documented that a low BMI and weight loss are strongly associated with low bone mass and increased fracture risk, while obesity protects against osteoporosis," said the researchers.

But the people who followed raw food diets did not have any other biological markers that typically accompany osteoporosis and had normal rates of bone turnover.

Lead researcher Dr Luigi Fontana, from Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis, said: "We think it's possible these people don't have increased risk of fracture but that their low bone mass is related to the fact that they are lighter because they take in fewer calories."

Dr Fontana said the raw food diet group also had higher vitamin D levels than people on a typical Western diet, even though they did not consume dairy products which are known to be a good source of vitamin D.

He said this was probably down to sun exposure."

the best way to prevent osteoporosis? weight bearing exercise. the reason obesity "protects" against osteoporosis? the bones are put under stress, just like in weight bearing exercise, and the body says, "hey, we gotta keep diverting resources to those bones, she/he is actually using them!"

[FloridaPatty]

Hi everyone,:) I need help here. Many people ask me about osteoporosis and raw eating also while I was searhing the internet I found many articles that they said they have found high level of osteoporosis in raw eaters.:( If you know anything about please tell me. Also which food is better for such a problem.
Love and Light!
Flora:)

say countries with high dairy intake have the highest rate of osteoporosis. Several greens have more calicium per ounce than dairy foods. We would have to see the studies to see what they are actually saying. Also, find out who paid for the studies.

I met several people when I was doing macrobiotic diet who did get their bone density back to normal. That was years before doctors said it was possible.

It all depends on diet. And one can be a vegan and have a high intake of carbonated drinks which cause bone loss too.