Don't turn your back on calcium continue…

You may even be at greater risk if you consider the other factors that contribute to osteoporosis:

• The decline in oestrogen. Up to half of women over the age of 45 have some degree of type 1 osteoporosis (bone loss is most profound during the first decade after menopause).
• Smoking. It suppresses the activity of the osteoblasts (the bone-building cells) and also causes changes in oestrogen metabolism in women, resulting in an earlier menopause.
• Being thin and/or fine-boned.
• Excessive use of alcohol. This reduces calcium absorption and damages liver and bone cells.
• Avery high intake of protein increases the amount of calcium lost by the body. Veganism. Avoiding all animal products means avoiding some of the richest sources of calcium.
• Lack of exercise. Physical inactivity or prolonged bed rest are associated with the loss of bone density. Astronauts experience noticeable bone loss when in space, due to the effects of weightlessness.
• Excessive, long-term use of salt, in addition to being bad for your health in general, leads to increased calcium loss from your bones.
• Pregnancy and lactation. If there is insufficient calcium in your diet while you are pregnant or breasffeeding, calcium will be drawn from your bones and teeth to provide for the growth of the baby.
• Little or no exposure to the sun. Housebound people, elderly folk and office workers often don't enjoy enough sunlight to assist their skins in the manufacture of vitamin D, which is needed for the absorption of calcium from the gastro-intestinal tract.
• Unbalanced diets. Not only quick-fix slimming diets are low in nutrients. Our average, modern-day diets often lead to an insufficient intake of nutrients. Although you might be taking in sufficient calcium-rich foods (like cheese!), you might be taking in too little of the other bone-fortifying nutrients such as vitamin D, magnesium (soy, dried beans, nuts), zinc (chicken heart and liver, beef liver, lamb), copper, manganese and boron, found in a large variety of other foods.
• Genetic inheritance accounts for 80% of the variance in peak bone mass. Blacks have a higher bone mass than whites and Asians, and men have a higher bone density than women. A strong family history is a risk factor for osteoporosis - daughters of women with osteoporosis have been shown to have lower-than-expected bone density.
• Certain health conditions such as diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, Cushing's syndrome, amenorrhoea resulting from anorexia nervosa and/or excessive exercise, gastrectomy, immobilising diseases, male hypogonadism (low testosterone levels), chronic liver disease or malabsorption.
• Consumption of large amounts of black coffee over a long period of time.
• Hyperthyroidism and over-treatment with thyroxin.
• The prolonged use of drugs such as corticosteroids (cortisone).

What is the role of calcium in theJody?

Everyone knows that calcium is required for healthy bones and teeth, but most people believe that calcium is only important in childhood. Wrong! There is a need for calcium throughout one's life in order to build and maintain calcium levels in bone.

Calcium acts as a metabolic regulator. Changes in the level of calcium within the cell result in the switching on and off of the processes of muscle contraction and nerve excitation.

Calcium is also involved as a co-factor in many enzyme processes. It is needed in cell division, the immune system and is also required in order for blood to clot.

More recently there has been some evidence to suggest that calcium has a positive role to play in maintaining a healthy blood pressure.

Clearly, calcium is an essential nutrient and a major role player in our general wellbeing; good health being an essential prerequisite for shedding weight successfully and permanently.

Dietary sources of calcium

The major foods in the diet that contain calcium, include milk, cheese, yoghurt, white bread, white flour, and green vegetables. The absorption of calcium by the body is dependent on many factors, including the form of calcium in the food. The best sources of available calcium are dairy foods. Green vegetables and whole grain cereals contain phytates that bind calcium and prevent absorption.

A balanced diet is important for the provision of calcium and other bone fortifying nutrients throughout your life.

The Vitality of Vitamins: Fascinating Nutrients help Better choices about Food

In the following, our vitamin advisor will describe some of the important functions each vitamin has, and where to find it in your food. This is not an exhaustive list (whole books have been written about each vitamin). Just take it as an introduction to these fascinating nutrients, which should help you make better choices about your food.

(Raw fruits and vegetables are filled with all sorts of wonderful vitamins and minerals, but did you know that your body will absorb more Vitamin A from mildly cooked carrots than from raw carrots? This is because brief cooking releases some of the bound nutrients.)

A. Fat-soluble vitamins

1. Vitamin A (retinol) is the moisturising nutrient. It helps keep your skin smooth and pliable. It is essential for vision, cell growth and repair and your reproductive system, and it helps your immune system fight bacteria and infections. Vitamin A also promotes the formation of healthy bones and teeth.

You find it mainly in liver; sweet potato (kumara); cod-liver oil; foods high in beta-carotene (which the body converts to Vitamin A), such as butternut pumpkin and carrots; green leafy vegetables such as silver beet, spinach and broccoli; apricots and cantaloupe.

2. Vitamin D (cholecalciferol) is essential for bone growth and mineral balance. It must be present in the body to absorb calcium and to deposit it in bones and teeth. Some forms of Vitamin D can be found in fish oils and egg yolks, and they are sometimes added during the processing of margarine and milk. Vitamin D is, however, also the 'sunshine' vitamin, because the skin creates it when sunlight hits the body.

3. Vitamin E (tocopherols and tocotrienols) protects your cells from free radicals and is essential in maintaining a healthy reproductive system. It helps form and protect red blood cells, nerves and muscles. It also protects other vitamins and helps inhibit blood clots. Vitamin E is found in vegetable oils, avocados, nuts, whole grains and leafy green vegetables, and works closely with Vitamin C and selenium as a potent antioxidant team.

4. Vitamin K (phylloquinone - K1, menaquinone - K2, menadione - K3) is essential for normal blood clotting and for the production of bone and kidney cells. It is also found in dark-green leafy vegetables, cheese, liver, cereals and fruits. Interestingly, much of your Vitamin K levels are obtained from healthy bacteria in your intestines!

B. Water-soluble vitamins

1. absorption of iron. You find it especially in citrus fruits and juices, berries, tomatoes, potatoes, green and red peppers, broccoli and leafy green vegetables like spinach.Vitamin C (ascorbate, ascorbic acid) is essential for the formation of collagen, speeds up cell regeneration for wounds, scars and fracture healing and boosts immunity. Like Vitamin E, Vitamin C is an excellent antioxidant, it protects and frees up Vitamin E and aids in the

(Many if not all B vitamins are destroyed in processing. This is why you will sometimes see products labelled 'fortified', meaning Vitamin B has been added back in.)

2. Then we have the very important group of B vitamins, including B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B5 (pantothenic acid), B6 (pyridoxine), folic acid, biotin, B12 (cobalamin) and B15 (choline). They have a myriad of important functions: they are essential in metabolising carbohydrates, fats and protein, and therefore getting the nutrients you need out of the food you eat. They also help maintain a healthy nervous system and stimulate growth and good muscle tone. B1 and B3 are good appetite stabilisers, B2 and B6 help in the formation of antibodies and red blood cells, and B5 is important for hormone production. Folate is known to reduce the risk of birth defects such as spina bifida, so it is important in pregnancy, as is choline.

(This vitamin has one of the most wide-ranging beneficial effects in your body. Most people do not get enough Vitamin C in their diets, simply because they do not eat enough fresh raw fruit and vegetables.)

They are found in brewers yeast, liver, meat, fish, eggs, poultry, milk, fruits, vegetables (again, dark leafy ones are good!), nuts, rice, seeds, soy milk, vegemite and whole-grain foods.

As you can see, to meet all the vitamin needs of your body, it is essential to eat fresh whole- foods, plenty of fruits and vegetables, and natural fats from meat and fish. An absolutely yummy vitamin treat to prepare is a platter of fresh fruits, which are all in season. Serve with this Fruit and Nut Cream. It is divine!

Fruit and Nut Cream

• 1/2 cup freshly ground almonds*
• 1/2 cup freshly ground raw cashews
• 3 oranges, peeled and chopped
• 1 apple, peeled and chopped
• 1 tablespoon honey (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg or cinnamon

Preferably with skin off.

Place all the ingredients in a blender. Process until smooth and creamy. Serve cold on top of fresh fruit or whole meal pancakes