With my classes being either hard core science (immunology and molecular neurobiology) or science dumbed down (nutrition) and history of college sports (which doesn't really fit the mood), I'm running into less inspirational ideas to write about. Plus my Wall Street Journal subscription ran out so there goes my weekly health update over lunch.
Therefore, questions and comments are requested. Please.... pretend that I'm begging.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Food For Thought
According to my Nutrition class, osteoporosis may actually have nothing to do with the amount of calcium you take in, but with malfunctioning of hormones that control calcium removal and replacement in the bones. Bones, unlike teeth, are not solid structures. Well that's not what I mean. They are pretty sturdy, but calcium is continually taken from them or removed from them in order to keep blood calcium steady.
Steady blood calcium is more important than strong bones. Shocker, right! But without blood calcium, the nerves couldn't transmit electrical nervous impulses and such and muscles couldn't contract properly. So having strong bones and not being able to coordinate them is pretty much useless.
Anyway, because blood calcium is always steady, its hard to measure whether you have enough in your bones. It's not like you're gonna volunteer to have a biopsy done on your bones just to see how they're holding up. That's why hormone problems not diet problems is hard to prove.
A fact leaning toward the messed-up-hormones theory is that high intakes of calcium from supplements have been linked to kidney stones. The kidney, being the blood filter, gets overwhelmed with this massive amount of calcium, but your body can't incorporate it into the bones without the hormone signaling it to.
Conclusion? You could be screwed no matter how much milk you drink.
Solution? Eat everything in moderation, eat a variety of foods, and move your lazy butt at least once a week. Doesn't it seem that people living like this often end up living the longest?
Steady blood calcium is more important than strong bones. Shocker, right! But without blood calcium, the nerves couldn't transmit electrical nervous impulses and such and muscles couldn't contract properly. So having strong bones and not being able to coordinate them is pretty much useless.
Anyway, because blood calcium is always steady, its hard to measure whether you have enough in your bones. It's not like you're gonna volunteer to have a biopsy done on your bones just to see how they're holding up. That's why hormone problems not diet problems is hard to prove.
A fact leaning toward the messed-up-hormones theory is that high intakes of calcium from supplements have been linked to kidney stones. The kidney, being the blood filter, gets overwhelmed with this massive amount of calcium, but your body can't incorporate it into the bones without the hormone signaling it to.
Conclusion? You could be screwed no matter how much milk you drink.
Solution? Eat everything in moderation, eat a variety of foods, and move your lazy butt at least once a week. Doesn't it seem that people living like this often end up living the longest?
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