Protein in fact does not leach calcium from bones as many folks say. It in fact helps build bone mass.....read on......
Health experts have long thought that diets high in protein could lead to bone damage. But a recent series of government-funded studies by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) suggests that bones aren't harmed by protein after all. In fact, research shows they can actually benefit from it, largely by aiding calcium absorption when the mineral is at low levels.
Though the results of this latest study have yet to be published, they add to a growing body of evidence that seem to contradict the theory that a protein-rich diet is harmful to bone health.
For example, last year scientists from the Bone Metabolism Laboratory at Tufts University reported that men and women who increased their dietary protein by an average of 58 grams a day had 25 percent higher levels of bone growth factor and lower levels of a marker of bone resorption compared with a control group.
And two years ago, another ARS study of postmenopausal women who were given a protein-rich diet of 10.5 ounces of meat daily (about 117 grams of protein, amounting to 20 percent of the day's calories) found no adverse effect on calcium rates or bone breakdown, even when they were receiving only half of their recommended calcium intake.
In order to better understand protein's benefit to bones, scientists are looking at the growth factor Igf-1, a hormone required for bone protection, whose levels increase when higher amounts of protein is fed to humans or animals.
In the meantime, there's no reason we can't start reaping the rewards of this research right now. I don't know about you, but if enjoying a nice juicy steak for dinner can also help protect my bones, I'm all for it.
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