Please pardon my lack of awareness about how our bodies function. The older I get, the more I realize how much I don't know. In fact, some of the most important lessons I learned in grade school appear to be based on false information, like the fake "food pyramid." I'm doing my best to get to the source and the journey is as circuitous as my intestines. Today's message is inspired by yesterday's bone mineral density screening and risk factor assessment at my day job. The first test rattled me a bit when it came up with an error message. They took a mulligan and the second reading was quite revealing, especially because I gave up dairy almost two years ago and I was curious to learn if I might be at greater risk for developing osteoporosis. I was almost off the charts – on the positive side. My T-score was +1.6. What does that mean? I decided to put on my detective hat and dig deeper.
Please never mistake any of my ramblings for medical advice. This is only a layman's attempt to understand how my body works and what I can do to maximize my useful life. Please see you doctor before you make any changes. One of the interesting tidbits I uncovered during my morning reading has to do with osteoporosis. It appears that places in the world where high amounts of milk are consumed do have higher bone density rates. Milk advocates cheer about these numbers. Before you paint a milk mustache on your face, here's another tidbit. The bone fracture rates are also higher in places where large quantities of milk are consumed. There is a theory that excessive calcium causes the body to exhaust its supply of osteoblasts at a faster rate. This is like premature aging. When the osteoblasts are gone, bone density decreases rapidly. Maybe that's why we are seeing so many broken bones in our elderly in America. Ask your doctor and see what he says about this subject. Have a great day.
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