The Calcium Myth - More Is Not Better

Adopting a healthier lifestyle leads to a lot of questions. Adopting a whole foods, plant-based diet as part of a healthy lifestyle leads to even more questions. Aside from the question of, How do you get enough protein?, the question of How do you get enough calcium? is usually next on the minds of others.

Getting enough calcium without consuming dairy products can seem like an impossible feat for those unfamiliar with the science behind calcium and human nutritional needs. It's not as complex or difficult as it may seem though. Unfortunately, the dairy industry has marketed immense fear into the minds of both healthcare professionals and lay people that a severe calcium deficiency will unfold if you don't consume their products. This is not true. Allow me to explain.

The Role of Calcium in the Human Body

Calcium plays several roles in the human body besides its responsibilities in maintaining strong, healthy bones. Calcium helps regulate muscles contractions, blood clotting, cell to cell signaling, and proper functioning of the nervous system (nerve impulse transmissions) [1,2]. While less than one percent of calcium is used for non-skeletal functions, greater than ninety-nine percent of calcium can be found hard at work in the bones. Calcium provides our skeletal system with the strength it needs to support the human frame. Without it, we'd be limp noodles unable to stand up and walk around upright. Calcium is definitely a vital mineral.

Sugar Wars

by guest blogger Jody Perrecone

A war going on in the courtroom between competitors you may not be aware of. Both parties are trying to convince you they are right and are fiercely competing for your dollars.

This is not just a sweet disagreement between two competitors. The Western Sugar Cooperative, which represents sugar growers and processors and the Corn Refiners Association, representing high fructose corn syrup manufacturers including Archer-Daniels Midland and Cargill, are in an all-out high stakes battle. In addition, each have spent millions of dollars on lobbying lawmakers in Washington, each attempting to discredit the other.

It’s a battle between the sugar industry and the corn refiners. And the stakes are high. We unknowingly eat a lot of sugar -150 pounds of sugar per year per person according to the USDA. (Picture thirty 5# bags of sugar in your cupboard!) Impossible you say? A form of sugar is present in nearly all packaged foods as well as in foods you may not think have added sugar including ketchup, yogurt, peanut butter, salad dressing, canned vegetables, and frozen foods.

The Plant-Based Pharmacist on Hawk Health Hour Radio Show

Recently, I had the pleasure of being Joel Chudnow's special guest on his weekly radio show, Hawk Health Hour. Joel has done over 800 health radio show segments to date and is very passionate about wholistic health.

Joel and I had a lot of fun during the show and hope it is entertaining and informative. Topics discussed were my upbringing in rural Montana, my pharmacy background, and a look into some of the most common chronic diseases that affect a wide spectrum of the population such as heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, and more.

Sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.

**Note** - Joel asked me about supplements at the end of the show. We had only a few minutes left. I did not get a chance to mention that I encourage and recommend that those on a plant-based diet take a Vitamin B12 daily. Other than that, supplements have not been shown to make a meaningful or significant difference in improving chronic diseases and overall health. What's more, some supplements increase your risk of cancer. To learn more check out my webpage - Supplement Wisely.