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Get your Bone Health Essentials supplements with 20% off!

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Is Milk really the Cream of the Crop when is comes to Building Bones?

Is Milk really the Cream of the Crop when is comes to Building Bones?

dreamstime_s_18608517GOT MILK? We have all seen this advertising campaign encouraging Americans to consume milk to help the body grow big and strong.  A diet rich in milk products is also promoted for reducing the risk of osteoporosis and related fractures.  But is milk truly the cream of the crop when it comes to building strong and healthy bones?  There is growing concern that milk can actually have detrimental effects on our health, including contributing to bone loss, increasing the risk of fractures and even mortality.  A study published in the British Medical Journal using data from 2 large, long-term Swedish studies of adult men and women concluded the following:

  • Women who consumed 3 or more glasses of milk a day had a higher risk of fracture and a higher risk of death
  • Men who drank 3 or more glasses of milk a day had a slightly higher risk of death (mostly associated with cardiovascular death) and no reduced risk of fracture as milk consumption increased
  • In both men and women, the amount of milk consumed was also associated with higher levels of oxidative stress, which has been associated with aging, cancer and cardiovascular disease
  • The association between fractures and mortality and diary consumption was not seen in derivatives of milk such as cheese, yogurt, sour milk and other fermented products

The authors of the studies suggest that D-galactose, a sugar found in milk, may be culprit.  In animal studies, D-galactose has been shown to accelerate biological signs of aging.
Though these findings are alarming, there is a mixed bag of results when it comes to the effects of dairy on bone health, with previous studies showing dairy to be beneficial in improving bone density.  The result,  more confusion for women desperately trying to reverse and prevent osteoporosis!  But the truth is that you don’t need dairy to optimize bone health.  Some of the largest animals on earth, horses and elephants, are herbivores and get the nutrients to maintain their bone structure from plants.  Throughout human evolution, humans didn’t consume dairy, and although all mammalian infants drink their mothers’ milk, humans are the only mammals that drink milk as adults.  To top it off, according to the National Digestive Disease Information Clearinghouse, 30-50 million Americans are lactose intolerant and milk allergy is the most commonly diagnosed food allergy in children. Let’s explore other ways to get calcium in our diets to build our bones!

 

 

Top 10 Non-Dairy Sources of Calcium

 

Collard Greens 1 cup 357 mg
Sesame seeds ¼ cup 350 mg
Canned Sardines 1 can 250 mg
Spinach 1 cup 240 mg
Black-eyed peas, boiled 1 cup 211 mg
White Beans 1 cup 190 mg
Canned Salmon 3 oz 181 mg
Broccoli 1 cup 122 mg
Dried Figs 8 107 mg
Almonds ¼ cup 93 mg
Bone Nurturing Food of the Month: Prunes!

Bone Nurturing Food of the Month: Prunes!

dreamstime_m_45002509Studies have shown that eating prunes supports bone health, especially in postmenopausal women. Prunes are a source of several key bone minerals: magnesium, potassium , manganese and boron.  These minerals help to increase bone mineral density while reducing bone breakdown. Prunes also contain vitamin K and polyphenols, which play an important role in bone mineralization and reducing bone mineral loss.

Prunes can be added to salads, your morning oatmeal or to snack mixes.  My favorite recipes below!

Cauliflower Rice with Prunes and Sliced Almonds

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup sliced almonds
  • 1 medium head cauliflower or 4 cups cauliflower rice
  • 1/2 cup bone broth*
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 3/4 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 cup of dried prunes, cut in pieces

Preparation: 

  1. Toast almonds in a large skillet over medium heat, tossing occasionally, until light browned, 8-10 minutes.  Transfer to small bowl and wipe out the skillet.
  2. Cauliflower rice.  If purchased head of cauliflower, working in batches, pulse cauliflower in a food processor until rice-like texture to make 4 cups of cauliflower rice.
  3. Whisk bone broth and honey together in a small bowl.
  4. Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat.  Add cumin, turmeric, paprika and cinnamon and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  5. Immediately add cauliflower and stir to coat.  Season with salt and pepper and stir until cauliflower is softened, 3-5 minutes.
  6. Add bone broth mixture and prunes and stir to combine.  Cover and continue to cook until just tender 3-5 minutes more.
  7. Transfer cauliflower mixture to a serving plate and stir in 1/2 of the almonds. Top with remaining almonds before serving.

This recipe is great because it incorporates so many foods that are good to the bone!  Also, wonderful anti-inflamatory spices!.

Delicious as a side dish or as a vegetarian main dish!

*Bone broth can be purchased from your local health food store or can be made by boiling down chicken bones.  A bone broth recipe can be found at my website: https://nurturedbones.com/recipe/homemade-chicken-broth/

 

Nurtured Bone Building Snack Mix

  • 1 cup chopped prunesIMG_1241
  • 1 cup raw Almonds
  • 1 cup raw Cashews
  • 1 cup raw Pumpkin seeds
  • 1 cup raw Sunflower seeds
  • 1 cup flaked unsweetened Coconut flakes or Coconut chips

Mix the above together and enjoy as a snack or mix into yogurt or on top of a salad!

 

Concerned about bone loss?  Take my free bone loss quiz to determine your risk for bone and learn things you can start doing today to build strong, healthy bones for life!  https://nurturedbones.com/