Does dairy leach calcium from bones?

(Brian) #1

I had a conversation with a friend of mine last evening. He’s a vegetarian and vegan wannabe that is not at all interested in eating meat, fish or poultry and is convinced that eggs and dairy are also on the “bad” list to be given up, too. While I appreciate that these are things that he believes, I do not agree with his assessments of all of these things.

But one thing that got brought up and thrown at me was that “dairy leaches calcium from your bones”. I had heard that years ago but have not heard anything about that for quite a long time.

Do any of you know of studies that are worth looking at? I’ve known people who struggled with osteoporosis that were strict vegans who thought they were getting everything they needed nutritionally. I’ve known people who were big dairy consumers who also struggled with bone density issues.

While I’m kinda fussy about the dairy products that I consume, I’m not convinced that dairy is the problem.

I did mention to my friend that Vit K2 is kinda important in getting calcium to where it needs to be in the body but it fell on pretty deaf ears. About the only tangible reply was, “I take a multivitamin.”

I dunno. I figured maybe some of you have been around this block before and may have some intelligent input, maybe even from a keto perspective.

Anyone?

Thanks!

(Kerin ) #2

Fact: Vitamin D assists calcium absorption from many foods. D is a resource for women’s health in aging.
Umm, since a topic on nutrition, I am wondering what to eat to keep up with vitamin C, keto.

(Brian) #3

True, Kerin. Vit D is important. I should have mentioned that but I suspect he’s heard that before. Besides, the conversation wasn’t going anywhere so I just dropped it at that point.

If you’re a keto type that eats veggies, you can get Vit C from peppers, greens, broccoli (good for calcium, too, I’m told), and maybe a little in those small berries we like for treats, too. (There are some others, I’d have to go look them up.) I’m not sure about what people who don’t eat veggies would find as good sources of Vit C but I believe there are a few.

(Doug) #4

:smile: Good grief… Somebody is telling your friend crazy stuff.

If anything, it is just the opposite. To maintain blood calcium levels, the body will take it from our bones if our diet is not supplying enough. Calcium from dairy is commonly more absorbable than from other sources.

Relatively high calcium intakes are found when exercise has beneficial effects on bone density:

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/jbmr.5650111022

More calcium meant less bone density loss for in premenopausal women:

And for postmenopausal women:

(Brian) #5

Thanks, Doug. That’s what I needed.

Whether or not my friend will be open enough to even hear it, I don’t know. But I like having a little more ammunition to fire back than, “well, that’s not what I heard.”

I suspect the whole milk leaches calcium thing had a misguided study from the mid-late 1900’s that somebody latched onto and rode off into the sunset on with as many passengers as they could muster.

It really did kinda catch me by surprise as I hadn’t heard that old song for a very long time.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #6

And if you’re a keto type that doesn’t eat anything plant-based, you need far less Vitamin C than you do if you eat plants (viz. the Stefansson/Andersen experiment).

And as far as the topic is concerned, after my spinal fusion, I was told to eat broccoli and other leafy greens, plus regular servings of ice cream, in order to get enough calcium for my knitting bones.

(Ken) #7

One of the biggest causes in calcium and other mineral deficiencies is Phytate. It’s a divalent ion of phosphorus, found mainly in veggie fiber. The phytate bonds with other minerals in the digestive tract, preventing mineral absorbtion.

(Karen) #8

Interesting ken. Do you have a link?

K

(Shayne) #9

Interesting that my spinal surgeon mentioned NOTHING about diet after surgery. But I must have been doing something right since I had a “textbook” recovery. :smiley:

(Ken) #10

Phytate’s effects have been known for many years before this study. There’s lot’s of info out there about the subject.

(karen) #11

The happy takeaway I found is that the primary sources of dietary phytate / phytic acid are in plant seeds (grains, legumes, seeds and nuts.)

So keto is somewhat ahead of the curve in re grains and legumes; as far as I can tell there isn’t a lot (any?) phytate in fibrous above-ground veggies.

(Brian) #12

Since I eat almost no grains, that’s good. I still have a few legumes from time to time but not many, so that’s mostly good. I’m not quite sure what would be “seeds” exactly but if it’s like sunflower seeds, I only have them on occasion. Nuts worry me a little because I do consume a fair amount of almonds and pecans. (I know, peanut butter is in the legume family, and I still do eat some of that.)

Overall, I’d guess my risk is lower but not eliminated. The friend that started the whole discussion, though, I would think is at about as big a risk as one could be.

Interesting. And thanks all of you for the input. I appreciate the replies.