Don't cry over spilled milk.
Not only is this a great metaphor for life in general, but it is also 100% TRUE.
Don’t cry over spilled milk… or any other dairy products, because you shouldn’t be ingesting it anyway.
I can hear the questions popping up in your head:
But milk is loaded with calcium and I need calcium to avoid osteoporosis?
FALSE
Milk is loaded with calcium but because it’s a dairy product, it also causes the body to excrete calcium, so you’re really not getting anything of value. There’s lots of calcium in many other foods and they don’t cause the body to excrete calcium. Calcium rich foods: sardines, salmon, shrimp, oranges, papaya, figs, all green leafy veggies, almonds & almond butter, and broccoli.
AND osteoporosis is not just about your calcium intake, it’s about your calcium excretion as well. Ditch the grains (phytates are anti-nutrients that rob your body of calcium & magnesium, among other minerals) and the dairy, and your calcium excretion will drop. Add in the above listed calcium-rich foods and weight-bearing exercise (Crossfit anyone?), and you’ll be good to go.
Hungry for more? Go HERE and read about it from Dr Loren Cordain. Also from Dr Cordain (12/09):
“In the June 2009 issues of both the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 2 articles were published that reinforce the concept that net base yielding diets promote strong bones and may prevent bone mineral loss and osteoporosis.”
“Osteoporosis is a huge health problem world wide, afflicting 1 in 3 women and 1 in 10 men over the age of 55 years. In the US 10 million Americans have osteoporosis. Healthcare practitioners and the general public need to understand that there is more involved in the prevention of osteoporosis than just calcium intake and vitamin D.” –Dr Cordain
And a great quote from World Famous Dr Spock (baby/children’s physician not Star Trek):
“I no longer recommend dairy products after the age of 2 years. Other calcium sources offer many advantages that dairy products do not have.” –Dr. Benjamin Spock
But what about the milk ads that say milk does the body good?
FALSE
It’s marketing hype. Just like those ridiculous sneakers by Sketchers… Shape-Ups. Just walking in these special shoes will help you lose weight and tone up. REALLY!?!? They are even sold in Sports Authority now. CRAZY.
What good does milk actually do? The say it does the body good. So what good does it actually do. I went to their website to find out. The clever celebrity endorsed Got Milk peeps (like PETA, and you KNOW how crazy those people are!) claim that the benefits are:
Eases PMS
(so does a cup of tea, a bubble bath, a nap, and getting my way… all with zero negative effects)
Prevents Cavities
(I hear brushing & flossing work pretty well too)
Helps You Sleep
(workout every day, eat balanced nutritious meals, and relax before bed by reading a book or taking a hot shower/bath… you’ll sleep)
Helps Re-build Muscle
(I hear lifting heavy weights often and eating lots of meat will do it better & faster; build muscle by eating muscle, it’s pretty simple to me.)
Helps Build Strong Bones
(I already covered this above. Their statement is based purely on the fact that milk contains lots of calcium. They don’t care about the fact that calcium excretion from dairy is high enough to practically void the initial calcium intake. Eat your veggies!)
Milk Bath: it’s a great beauty ritual for your skin, hair & nails
(seriously, I am taking this off their site, I swear I am not making this up… I am not even going to comment on this one…)
But I need extra protein, so I need more dairy?
FALSE
If you need more protein then you best start eating more meat. I don’t discriminate either. White meat, dark meat, beef, pork, poultry, fish, seafood… it’s all good (in it’s leanest form of course). Enjoy the fattier cuts in moderation.
But I need +3000 calories per day and dairy has lots of calories?
TRUE, but…
Lots of calories & lots of sugar. There’s a better way to get more calories without sacrificing your health. For example, eat more quality fats: avocado, nuts & seeds (no peanuts), coconut oil, olive oil, fish oil, fresh or shredded coconut, and nut butters (cashew & almond, for example). And of course, lots of meat!
But all babies drink milk so it has to be good for me?
Are you a baby? No. Then you don’t need milk. Besides, babies get their milk from their mothers from the breast. So that means No. My favorite quote:
“It’s not natural for humans to drink cow’s milk. Humans milk is for humans. Cow’s milk is for calves. You have no more need of cow’s milk than you do rat’s milk, horse’s milk or elephant’s milk. Cow’s milk is a high fat fluid exquisitely designed to turn a 65 lb baby calf into a 400 lb cow. That’s what cow’s milk is for!” –Dr Michael Klaper MD
Okay, now we covered some of those pesky myths running around in your head, so let’s move on into the serious side. Let’s talk about why dairy is dangerous.
Dairy Is Bad For Your Health
What we already know (and if you didn’t know, well then, I’ll expound a little).
BAD#1: High insulinemic response
- high sugar content of milk causes a spike in insulin
- continual spiking of insulin leads to hyperinsulemia
- hyperinsulinemia causes obesity, glucose intolerance, hypertension, and hypertriglyceridemia…the deadly quartet
- the deadly quartet leads to a bevy of illnesses (1):
Hypercholseterolemia
Immune disorders
Thrombosis and platelet aggregation
Cellular proliferation
Diabetes
Heart disease
Mood dysfunction
Brain dysfunction
Arthritis
Hyper inflammatory states
Alzheimer’s disease
Stroke
Osteoporosis
Metastasis
Angiogenesis
Cancer
BAD#2: Recombinant bovine growth hormone
Fancy word for manufactured (artificial) growth hormone that is pumped into dairy cows. And just so you know, it is BANNED in Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and most of Europe… since the year 2000. In 2010, it is still okie dokie in the USA. (2)
BAD#3: Casein protein
Okay, seriously, I had no idea on this, so I had to dig deep for research to find out. Basicly, casein has been linked to cancer; it is a powerful binder (like glue) and is used in many processed foods; and it’s a strong histamine (allergen).
BAD#4: Lactose intolerance
Many people of the world are lactose-intolerant and cannot digest lactose in dairy products. It won’t kill them, but it sure will mess them up pretty darn good.
Okay, so now for the NEW stuff that I bet you didn’t know!
The NEW Danger of Dairy
Dairy contains a little known hormone called betacellulin. It has the highest concentrations in milk and cheese, but again, it is present in all dairy products. Betacellulin can withstand the heat of pasteurization and the strong digestive juices of your stomach & intestines.
This special hormone is able to bind with EGF (epidermal growth factor) receptors on your gut wall and they travel outside, into your bloodstream. This initial action causes said receptors to up-regulate (create more). This leads to more binding of betacellulin and your receptors and more traveling and more creating.
In a nutshell, this excess of EGF receptors (excess caused by betacellulin) floating around your bloodstream mimics a cancer patient’s. (3) There’s more. This scenario (excess EGF receptors circulating outside your gut) plays out for a wide array of cancers: breast, colon, prostate, ovarian, lung, pancreatic, bladder, stomach, and head & neck cancers.
Higher concentrations of EGF receptors increase the chance of cancer recurrence, reduces survival and increases tumor progression & development. (3) STOP THE DAIRY. In light of my new found research, I may have to go back and update my Pyramid of Danger.
And just so you know, what does the government think about this new information? The FDA has approved the start of experimental trials of NEW drugs. Yes! That’s what we need, more damn drugs. And you know what these drugs are going to try to do? They will stop the EGF receptors from signaling, which means stop them from multiplying. I guess telling people to stop or reduce dairy consumption (to eliminate the betacellulin which triggers the signaling & multiplying) was too easy.
Lose the dairy my friends!
Disclaimer: I will personally still enjoy some ice cream as a treat on my cheat meals. Dairy is not a part of my diet in any other way. I personally believe that a bland but healthy life is not enough for me, and I so enjoy my cheat meals. I must say though, if I had cancer, or had a family history of cancer, I would most definitely give it up. It seems to me that this is good rule for others too. Your life is too precious to gamble with.
Here’s to your health,
~ Monique A
Comments (19) »
First I’ve never understood why people need cheat meals. Do you tell a recovering alcoholic that a cheat drink every now and then is okay?
If you still want to eat ice cream, they are many non-dairy ones on the market that are coconut-based and/or cashew-based. With their high “sugar” content they aren’t paleo, but much more so than dairy-based ice cream.
Look for these ice creams:
Coconut Bliss
Tempt hempmilk
Organic Nectars [cashew-based]
Raw Ice Cream Company [coconut & cashews]
Tomberlies [coconut & cashews]
Purely Decadent [coconut-based]
Their websites are listed at:
http://nomilkmall.com/
I have enjoyed them. I am not an alcoholic or a dairy-aholic and I don’t have celiac disease. I choose Paleo, like many, for better health & performance. But I don’t believe that a gestapo mind-set wins over too many converts. I don’t force people to have cheat meals, I allow it as a responsible option.
We all have personal responsibility and we all have choices. Even Dr Loren Cordain (World renowned EXPERT on Paleolithic diets for health & performance) agrees, as he recommends people start with weaning off dairy, grains etc slowly but surely AND he recommends cheat meals (or open meals) 3x per week to help with adherence. You can go hardcore if you choose too.
What we do 90% of the time is what dictates our mental health, physical health, and spiritual health. Very few are 100% on everything. And that is okay. I run a successful Crossfit gym and I have changed lives of members (over a hundred)PERSONALLY with nutrition & exercise. This is the method in which I do it and get many people from many walks of life & various jobs… to adhere.
And, I believe in enjoying life. I enjoy cheat meals: ice cream, cake, pastries, cheesecake, feta cheese, authentic greek salad dressing on a salad, coconut fried shrimp, and mojitos. I don’t over do it. They are reserved only for the cheat meal, 3 per week, and the remaining meals, all 24 of them, are strict/pure Paleo.
If you have dependency issues or health issues related to dairy, then don’t have have cheat meals. Hope you got some useful info from the article.
I was going to call you out on your cocount shrimp and mojitos, but you beat me to the punch! LOL.
Great post Monique.
So Rippetoe and his GOMAD followers are all wrong??? I know plenty of people who have had plenty of success doing paleo+dairy. The lactic acid to the muscles does WONDERS. Let us not forget the health of various cultures or peoples such as the Masai who thrive on dairy and protein. Many of the top Crossfitters do raw milk straight from the farm. It’s a very personal choice Anywhere on the net you can find a Paleo “expert” to agree or disagree with dairy. All I know is I have seen great success with it and am anxious to try it myself. There are two sides to every coin. Thanks for your insight.
I am one of the people Monique has helped and changed, at 50 I have never felt better. Eating Paleo and being a part of CrossFit has helped tremendously. I even think twice about my choice of cheat meats because it makes a huge difference in how I feel. I was never a dairy fan so I appreciate this article pointing out the variety of foods that contribute to our calcium intake.
Fantastic post! I’ve eliminated dairy from my diet since taking on Paleo, and I’ve noticed massive changes in how I feel, look, sleep and perform. Thanks so much for giving us a well researched, strong article that also explains what’s going on beneath the surface. Helps to understand why we make the dietary choices that we do.
Monique, a well-written and interesting post. This is an important topic, in which I believe many people are interested. I must admit that I disagree with you on several points.
First, a disclaimer. I am an advocate of high-fat dairy in Paleo eating. I drink half-and-half, and eat cheeses and yogurt, pretty much every day. I also recommend it to my clients, including the lactose intolerant ones. The results are universally excellent.
Although it will make my comment seem a bit of a mish-mash, I will simply make my points in response to your points, in the same order, because I am short on time today. I apologize for not taking the time to organize it. Here goes:
Prevents cavities: Brushing and flossing ARE important, but equally (or perhaps more) important to the formation of jaw structure and teeth, and the prevention and healing (yes, I said healing) of cavities is the vitamin K. The best food source of vitamin K2? Goose liver. The best source for those of us not living in France? Grass-fed dairy, particularly hard cheeses.
Helps you sleep: I can only speak for myself here. I have a lifelong history of sleeping troubles. Switching to a “strict”, Cordain-style paleo helped these quite a bit. But now I drink warm half-and-half before bed and that helps even more. Like I said, it’s an n=1 study without a control, so take it with the proverbial grain of salt.
Helps rebuild muscle: Dr. Matt Lalonde, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Mentioned, Dr. Lon Kilgore, and Mark Rippetoe know a little bit about making people stronger, and all advocate milk as a way to do this. To quote Rip:
“It is because over thirty years of direct observation has demonstrated to me that when trainees drink one gallon of milk added to their regular diet and train in a progressive linear fashion, they gain significant muscular body-weight, and those that do not drink their milk, even in the presence of progressive linear training, fail to do this. They also fail to continue progressive linear training for the same length of time, because this is facilitated by the steady weight gain. I understand that you’re asking me if I have controlled for other factors such as failure to do the program correctly, and the answer is yes, of course I have, because I am not a complete idiot. Those that will not do the program are not being considered when I make these remarks, because that would be too ****ing obvious a hole in my analysis. The difference in the milk drinkers is that THEY GET BIGGER THAN THE ONES WHO WON’T DRINK THE ****ING MILK. Please tell me that you understand this now.”
Helps build strong bones: Once again, vitamin K (dietary K2 is important, mind you, since we have limited ability to make K2 from plant-based K1) is absolutely essential to this. It has nothing to do with the calcium in the milk. Don’t tell the milk advertisers though, I like their commercials. Go with grass-fed, high-fat dairy.
Milk bath: I am totally going to try this. But with cream.
But I need protein: We agree here. Dairy protein is not ideal. Eat something which had a chance to run away before it died.
Dairy has lots of calories…full of sugar: A square is a rectangle but a rectangle is not necessarily a square. Milk is a dairy product but a dairy product is not necessarily milk. When I look at my heavy cream or my half-and-half nutrition information, I see little or no sugar at all. The lower the fat, the higher the sugar and protein.
…babies drink milk…: Irrelevant as either a pro or a con.
Bad #1, High Insulinemic Response: This response is associated with the sugars and the protein in dairy. High fat dairy is very, very low in both, almost to the point of zero. Drop the skim milk and pick up the cream; this will bypass the insulinemic response.
On another note, hypercholesterolemia, or more important, dyslipidemia, is most likely a product of fructose metabolism in the liver, not a function of insulin levels. Some of the other problems you mention are not associated with insulin, either. Such as arthritis, which is an auto-immune issue. More on auto-immunity and casein later.
Bad #2 Growth Hormone: Buy dairy which is hormone free. It’s not a problem with dairy, it’s a problem with the farmer. Telling people to avoid dairy because of growth hormone in SOME of them is throwing the baby out with the bathwater, since it is available without hormone.
Bad #3, Casein: I have yet to see a study which shows casein’s negative effect on the body IN THE ABSENCE OF GLUTEN! Lots of things are harmful to us once gluten has torn a hole in our guts. It may be that casein is being unfairly implicated as an accessory, based upon poorly controlled studies.
BUT EVEN IF IT IS BAD… eat the high-fat dairy anyway. It is, as previously mentioned, low in both casein and sugar.
Bad #4, lactose intolerance: Another baby/bathwater situation. Nobody should have dairy because some people have trouble digesting milk-sugar? Why shouldn’t I have dairy because someone else is intolerant?
Besides, I have made my lactose intolerant clients very happy by turning them on to half-and-half, which has hardly any lactose. I have also heard it said that raw milk (which i don’t advocate drinking because of it’s high sugar content [although lower than "normal", Pasteurized milk]) is less of a problem this way, because the natural bacteria in it help break down the lactose, and boost your natural gut flora while they are at it, which is good for digestion, vitamin and mineral absorption, immunity, and gut motility.
Betacellulin: an interesting line of questioning, but it would seem that even Cordain is more interested in the effect of grains on EGF than of betacellulin. This is important to me, because my approach to paleo is not, “throw out everything that my ancestors didn’t eat”, it is “suspect everything my ancestors didn’t eat, but if it isn’t shown to cause problems, it’s okay”. Dr. Harris at PANU says it better here: http://www.paleonu.com/panu-weblog/2010/1/9/a-taste-of-dairy.html
Also, Petro Dobromylskyj over at Hyperlipid (linked later) has a couple interesting comments about Cordain’s stance on dairy.
“the various milk based societies should have stood out as highly disease prone, not a syndrome I recognize.”
and
“Obviously these cancers are rife in the Maasai[sic]. Oh, they’re not? Back to the drawing board.”
One final thing. There is some reason to believe that high-fat dairy may lessen, yes, lessen, the insulin response curve and increase the burning of stored fatty acids associated with eating combined carbohydrate and fat, as compared to other fats, or carbohydrate alone. Check out this review of a recent study by Petro (the review, not the study) over at hyperlipid (see, told you the link was coming): http://high-fat-nutrition.blogspot.com/2010/03/butter-insulin-and-dr-davis.html
A little more just for educational purposes: http://high-fat-nutrition.blogspot.com/2008/01/wheat-and-lactase.html
Don Wiss:
The alleged harmfulness of dairy is debatable at best, and completely avoidable by using only high-fat dairy.
Fructose has clearly been shown to be a hepatotoxin with no redeeming values.
How can high-sugar content make something “more paleo” than having dairy in it?
The only way it can be is if paleo is defined as “that which our ancestors may have had access to, and may have eaten”, as opposed to “what our genome and adaptations allow us to thrive on”.
I prefer the second definition, since it allows me to make food choices which, if I choose wisely, will enhance my life experience.
The first definition has two problems. One, it is arbitrary. Just because Paleo man ate it doesn’t mean it’s good (ex: honey is pure sugar), and just because he didn’t doesn’t mean it is bad. Two, we don’t really know for certain what were mainstays of any Paleolithic group’s diet and what weren’t, and there were many different groups, and therefor many different diets.
I think that calling them “cheat meals” is a bad choice of words. I think its all about CONSCIOUS eating. Deciding what you will be eating and enjoying it, period. I have recently took a step to decreasing dairy in my grain and sugar free diet. I think i will be much less strict with this than i am with grain and sugar, but we will see! BTW…GO breastfeeding! I hope the PALEO community are MAJOR supports of it, it would be silly if they werent!
WOW. Great posts and additional links!
Remember, I am offering up information that I have researched and believe in. It may not be right for everyone and that is okay. I am not a doctor not scientist, what I offer is a peek behind some of the common myths and my take on it, in a casual & fun tone. Interesting reads with good content and available links make for great posts in which I hope others will share to help spread knowledge or the research of more knowledge.
With that said…
Delia- Yes, I disagree with Rippertoe. He is an awesome strength coach, the best I know and I respect the man greatly. Yes, many athletes use milk (and protein shakes for that matter) to get better gains. My article is NOT about how to produce better, bigger, stronger athletes. It’s about health & wellness. And yes, there are many top performers who crossfit that drink milk and many that don’t. Some zone, some paleo, some paleo zone, and some do neither. I am only offering my opinion and the research to back it up, with some light commentary.
Goat- awesome post even though we disagree. I will check out your links, though it will probably not sway my decision (I am being honest), since it is based on Dr Cordain’s work, and I consider him the highest authority on this subject matter.
And again, I am not saying that milk cannot do the thing it purports to do, I am saying that there are others ways as well. I think the dangers make it not worth it.
In the end, do what is best for you & your body. We are all different. Keep what works and discard what does not.
Stephanie- I don’t get the big deal about the word cheat meal. It’s a word. Call it what you want. I can call it what I want.
And breast-feeding is okay. I am sure cavewomen did it, it is what we were made to do for our growing babies. I believe that back in the day, breast-feeding would last optimally up to 3-4 years (yikes). Read that somewhere. Obviously it doesn’t fit in today’s society. All babies are meant to drink breast milk from their mothers.
Nice discussions today!!
I am a member at monique’s gym. I am also a nutrition counselor, and I work with over 250 patients in my husband’s chiropractic clinic on their nutrition. My philosophies in food are very similar to Monique’s, however part of my training includes turning people on to raw dairy products (a better choice for some than what they’ve been doing). However, I have to say that in all of my experience, there are ALOT of people who do much better without dairy. The simple fact is, many suffer from dairy allergies or sensitivities and will never know it until they eliminate it from their diet and then put it back in again. Being ultra-sensitive to dairy myself, I can usually pick out a dairy sensitive person within a few minutes of meeting them – it’s not hard to see the dark circles under their eyes, hear the congestion in their throat, or have them talk about their chronically runny noses, stuffed ears, or digestive issues. Unfortunately, getting people off of dairy can be a battle – the body releases endorphins to cover over the symptoms of food allergies, and people become addicted to the endorphins. I am of the mindset that there may well be people who are okay with dairy in their system, but if you have any doubts, try going without for 8 to 10 days. Then put it back in. If you feel like crap, you are probably looking at either an allergy or dairy sensitivity.
great discussion today! I did a short post on dairy for the Paleo Challenge at CF Santa Clara last week (here: http://cfscpaleo.wordpress.com/2010/03/20/dairy-dairy-quite-contrary/)
but the best piece I’ve read on dairy is from Mark Sisson: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/dairy-intolerance/
and Amen to breastfeeding! I think I spent a full decade doing that.
FWIW – we dropped the term “cheat meal” from our vocabulary and replaced it with “CD” – Conscious Deviation.
Pretty interesting thought process and post. I think that a diet revolving around micro/macro nutrient intake from protein could be somewhat of a problem. But, using supplementary milk to enhance protein/calorie intake is not nearly as harmful as you make it out to be.
The osteoporosis issue that you bring up is much more provoked by the massive consumption of carbonated drinks and lack of weight training exercise than that of a milk intake within our country.
A well-rounded approach to diet and exercise that doesn’t rely primarily on milk is much less obstructive than this post exaggerates.
I meant micro/macro nutrient intake from milk* in that second sentence..whoops
Thanks Zuleida for chiming in!
Matt- really, what do you expect? this is a Paleo site and we promote the Paleo diet which nixes dairy. My goal is to provide further information and interesting reads for those that want to go full Paleo and need more reasons to help them to stop the off-limits foods than… just don’t do it.
Nothing I stated is a lie nor made up. It is backed up by research that is documented & published.
Adding fuel to the fire of dairy and although I think that Monique’s disclaimer may be “proper”, everyone out there should know that the “experts” in nutrition, medicine, etc., ie. those with a whole bunch of initials after their name DO NOT necessary know a whole lot about nutrition and CURRENT SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH! Just because the ADA, the AMA, the FDA, the USDA recommends it please take some time and invest in your own health and understanding. Case in point – did you know that MOST medical students are leaving medical school with inadequate nutrition training? This link is to a 2006 study, on the National Institute of Health’s web site , done by UNC Department of Public Health, one of the nation’s top public health departments, states “Numerous entreaties have been made over the past 2 decades to improve the nutrition knowledge and skills of medical students and physicians. However, most graduating medical students continue to rate their nutrition preparation as inadequate.” And here is the link http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2430660/ .
So, everyone follows what “my doctor told me” and your doctor, more likely than not, hasn’t done any more research on nutrition than the average person. In addition, registered dietitians who go through a LOT of training and education to get R.D. after their name generally promote dairy, gluten, grains because it is what is recommended by the government agencies – not necessarily what is supported by science! To Monique’s dairy post, adults are not biochemically meant to digest dairy because we do not have the enzymes present after adolescence to break down lactose. This little bit of info is actually in my nutrition text, by a PhD and a MS, who then go on to say that people can “manage” lactose intolerance! What? We don’t have the enzymes to break down the sugars in dairy in adulthood, then why in the world are we told to eat dairy anyway? These interesting “caveats” in the nutritional world are what frustrate people who want to feel better, look better, and live better. It’s why people want to believe there are “experts” that “know”….unfortunately some of these experts are stuck in a rut of supporting ideologies that are outdated and unhealthy and also support huge food processing companies and markets. You need to educate yourself and eat real, unprocessed food that was made for you, perfectly.
Great post Michelle!! Thank you
And sadly, a very true statement. Adding in, I have worked with some cancer survivors and family of cancer survivors, who have different doctors and get different nutrition advice. Some doctors tell their patients to eat lean meats, fruit & veggies, with some nuts & seeds and olive oil. Sounds familiar right? But some are telling patients to eat grains and low fat dairy. At least they agree that sugar & processed food is bad.
You have to research and trial & error on yourself to see what works and what doesn’t. Don’t kid yourself though, testing on yourself requires more than a couple days. Whether you’re giving up something or adding something in, take it for a spin, for about 3-4 weeks. And see what happens to your health, your mood, your performance.
Excellent post i am sure that i will come back here soon
In one of your quotes it says that cow’s milk is a “high fat fluid” when most milk contains less than 5% fat. Also, one of the supposed bad things about milk is that some cows are given “Recombinant bovine growth hormone”. Seeing as this is banned (I live in Oz) it won’t effect me. The positives of drinking milk outweigh the negatives by a long shot, even if I ignore the fact that milk is high in protein and calcium, I have something else that proves it.
I myself have had at least one mug of milk a day and so, I have never been calcium deficient (even when I was in hospital and lacking in almost every other vitamin and mineral) and have never had a broken bone or fracture.