- ISBN13: 9780071600194
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
Product Description
Calcium pills don’t work. Dairy products don’t strengthen bones. Drugs may be dangerous. For years, doctors have been telling us to drink milk, eat dairy products, and take calcium pills to improve our bone vitality. The problem is, they’re wrong. This groundbreaking guide uses the latest clinical studies and the most upto- date medical information to help you strengthen your bones, reduce the risk of fractures, and prevent osteoporos… More >>
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#1 by Alesandra DiMacurio on March 26, 2010 - 8:06 pm
At first, this book seemed very scientific and I was impressed by all the studies. But then I encountered some statements about protein that just seemed kind of off and were poorly supported by research so I looked into who Amy Joy Lanou is. Turns out, she is a vegan, animal rights activist who appears to have a hidden agenda to get people to stop using animal products. She’s a member of PCRM which has been described as follows:
“The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. PCRM is a fanatical animal rights group that seeks to remove eggs, milk, meat, and seafood from the American diet, and to eliminate the use of animals in scientific research. Despite its operational and financial ties to other animal activist groups and its close relationship with violent zealots, PCRM has successfully duped the media and much of the general public into believing that its pronouncements about the superiority of vegetarian-only diets represent the opinion of the medical community.
“Less than 5 percent of PCRM’s members are physicians,” Newsweek wrote in February 2004. The respected news magazine continued:
[PCRM president Neal] Barnard has co-signed letters, on PCRM letterhead, with the leader of Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty, an animal-rights group the Department of Justice calls a “domestic terrorist threat.” PCRM also has ties to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. An agency called the Foundation to Support Animal Protection has distributed money from PETA to PCRM in the past and, until very recently, did both groups’ books. Barnard and PETA head Ingrid Newkirk are both on the foundation’s board.
New York Times columnist Joe Sharkey put it more crisply in a November 2004 piece about PCRM’s annual airport-food ratings. “The physicians’ committee has a PETA link,” he wrote, “and its food rankings reflect that agenda.”
Rating: 2 / 5
#2 by Dolores Protagoras-Lianos MD on March 26, 2010 - 9:31 pm
This book is based on an enormous body of research, the studies vary in their results, and the authors’ conclusions are based on the quantity and quality of the data. They emphasize that the end goal is preventing fractures, particularly the most debilitating, hip fractures. The association between bone mineral density (BMD) measurement and fracture risk is not linear, but depends on many factors which the book describes.
The association between dairy and calcium consumption and osteoporosis is scrutinized by comparing the incidence of osteoporosis in countries with low and high intakes, and in individuals with low and high intakes. Even considering confounding factors, such as differences in sun exposure and physical activity, a greater bulk of the evidence points to a detrimental effect of higher dairy consumption and ineffectiveness of calcium supplements.
Concerning quantity of protein intake, it seems unequivocally that high intake increases calcium losses in the urine. The studies cited in favor of increasing protein intake pertain to individuals under-nourished at baseline, not representative of the general population. Concerning protein quality, graphs are presented illustrating the relationship between hip fracture risk and dietary protein sources which point to lower risk when the vegetable:animal protein ratio is higher, and vice versa.
The book elaborates on the rationale for increasing one’s intake of fruits and vegetables. The main ideas are that the alkaline effect of these products on the blood prevents loss of calcium from the bones and stimulates bone building cells, and that they contain all the numerous other nutrients required for bone health. Charts are provided with the effects of various foods on blood acidity, and a listing of all the essential nutrients and where they can be naturally found. It’s a pity more research has not been conducted to test the effectiveness of a low-acid diet.
The chapter on physical exercise rounds up the comprehensive lifestyle recommendations.
The review of osteoporosis drugs is helpful, and I agree with the authors that their use should not be “automatic” but based on a judicious estimate of cost (known and unknown potential long term side effects) and benefit in each individual case.
I recommend this book because, whether one takes medication or not, it is a very useful resource for ways to improve not only bone health, but health in general.
Dolores Protagoras-Lianos, MD, FAAP
Rating: 5 / 5
#3 by Marianne Ellis on March 26, 2010 - 10:32 pm
This book is helpful for anyone who wants an understanding of bone health and how excess protein leaches the calcium from bones. It is overly redundant, but she gets her message across that low-acid eating and weight bearing exercise contribute to bone health. Good for someone wanting unadulterated facts about osteoporosis and how the myth that milk, dairy and calcium supplements prevent osteoporosis is not supported by scientific evidence.
Rating: 4 / 5
#4 by catherine guthrie on March 26, 2010 - 10:52 pm
Finally, an honest look at bone health and diet. After decades of misinformation from the dairy council, it’s refreshing to see an honest look at the medical evidence behind diet and bones. Yes, the evidence against animal products has been growing for years, but this is the first time I’ve seen it encapsulated in an easy-to-read, medically grounded health book. Kudos to Castleman and Lanou for standing up and pointing out one of the most egregious health misperceptions of our time: that milk does a body good.
Rating: 5 / 5
#5 by Mary Dillard on March 27, 2010 - 12:17 am
I eliminated animal protein from my diet and increased plant protein based on the author’s recommendations. I have been noticing significant positive changes in my health, mostly my joints. The book is excellent in that the author does build a strong case that animal protein does promote calcium depletion.
Rating: 5 / 5