Why would drinking milk cause calcium deficiency?
One of calcium’s primary uses in the body is to maintain pH levels (It’s a buffer). When we eat too much acidic food (basically anything processed ranging from gummy bears to wheat flour – essentially the basis of the Western Diet) our body uses buffers to deal with that acidity. That means it uses up the calcium. Milk itself is an acid forming food, so when we drink it, our body might have to use the calcium from our bones to deal with that acidity. It has the OPPOSITE effect as what they advertise.
Where can I get calcium from then?
The best sources of calcium are actually fruits and vegetables. Societies that don’t consume a lot of milk (as seen in the China Study) and rely on a plant-based diet have very few problems with bone disease and bone fractures (hip being our most common).
- Dried herbs (add them to your meals to make them delicious)
- Savory, celery seed, thyme, dill etc
- Flax (also great for omega-3’s)
- Green leafy veggies (you’ll get much more than just calcium too)
- Turnip or dandelion greens, kale, collard greens
- Some nuts and seeds
- Sesame seeds, almonds, brazil nuts
