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Fast Food & Bone Health
 Fast food constitutes high content of
fat, sodium, and
sugar and have been
categorized as bone robbers. The main reason that you should avoid fast food is
that it doesn't maintain nutritional
balance as it is not easy to have
control
over how they are cooked. Some fast foods are with lots of oil and butter
(without any guarantee of purity) and there may be no option if you want this
selection with
reduced fat. Fast food generally tends to be short on fresh
fruits and vegetables. Soda pop and cola drinks contain considerable amounts of
phosphorus, an acid-forming
mineral in the body. Research has shown that
phosphorus can interfere with the skeleton’s ability to absorb calcium. A recent
study reported in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine
suggests that teenage girls who drink lots of soda may increase their risk of
developing bone fractures and
osteoporosis. These drinks also contain large
amounts of refined sugar or equally dangerous sugar substitutes, which further
encourage bone loss. During the teenage years, when 40 to 60 per cent of peak
bone mass is built, a natural whole foods
diet, free of bone-robbing soft
drinks, is most important.
The researchers also concluded that a diet high in fast foods will increase a
person's risk of weight gain and
obesity - even though they may feel that they
are eating no more than they would if they ate an average meal. The difference
between a fast-food meal and a home-cooked one is the sheer quantity of
calories
and fat it delivers in one go. The US Department of Agriculture's recommended
daily intake for a normal adult male is 2800 kilocalories (11,723 kilojoules)
and a maximum of 93 grams of fat. A meal at a fast-food outlet - burger, fries,
drink and dessert - can deliver almost all of that in a single sitting.
Biologists are now starting to realize that a
binge of these proportions can
trigger physiological changes which mute the hormonal signals that normally tell
you to put down the fork.
Under normal conditions these hormones control eating and help maintain a
stable body weight. Leptin, for example, is continuously secreted by fat cells
and its level in the bloodstream indicates the status of the body's fat
reserves. This signal is read by the hypothalamus, the brain region that
coordinates eating behaviour, and taken as a guideline for keeping reserves
stable. The problem is, people who
gain weight develop resistance to leptin's
power, explains Michael Schwartz, an endocrinologist at the University of
Washington in Seattle. "Their brain loses its ability to respond to these
hormones as body fat increases," he says. The fatter they get, and the more
leptin they make, the more insensitive the hypothalamus becomes. Eventually the
hypothalamus interprets the elevated level as normal - and forever after
misreads the drops in leptin caused by
weight loss as a starvation warning.
Maintaining bone health with food
 The typical fast food diet is a major factor in weakening bones. Eating too
many acid-forming foods (protein,
refined flours, sugars) and inadequate
alkalizing foods to balance (fruits, vegetables, seaweeds) may exacerbate bone
loss. Drinking soda is perhaps the most pervasive habit that promotes a
calcium
drain. Some practitioners think that not consuming enough
essential fatty acids
and eating too many nightshade vegetables (tomato, potato, pepper, eggplant),
may affect bone health.
Calcium only works to support bones when eaten with its teammates --
magnesium, vitamin D and essential fatty acids. Calcium alone can strengthen
bones but also can make them brittle. Supporting the collagen matrix of bone is
crucial for flexibility. Protein and
vitamin C stimulate the collagen matrix.
Instead of guessing the right proportion of these nutrients and depending on
supplements, support bone health through high-quality whole foods.
 Fats are needed for proper function of the
immune and hormonal system. The
transport of
vitamins A,
E,
K and
D are dependant on having ample essential
fatty acids in the diet. If we lack fats, we may be lacking vitamin D, which
affects calcium absorption. Saturated fats protect the calcium depositing
mechanism in bones from free radicals. Good whole food sources include meat,
eggs and organic whole dairy products. Studies have shown that diets rich in the
omega-3s from fish (DHA and EPA), which also naturally result in a lowered ratio
of omega-6 to omega-3 fats, reduce bone loss. Researchers think this is most
likely because omega-6 fats are converted into pro-inflammatory prostaglandins,
while omega-3 fats are metabolized into anti-inflammatory prostaglandins.
(Prostaglandins are hormone-like substances made in our bodies from fatty
acids.)
Include whole grains, beans, fresh vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds and
reasonable amounts of animal protein in your diet. Emphasize dark leafy greens,
carrots, yams, winter squashes and cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cabbage,
celery). Dark-green leafy vegetables such as broccoli, kale, chard, turnip
greens and romaine lettuce are excellent sources of calcium. Calcium from green
foods is highly bioavailable because greens also provide vitamin K and
magnesium, necessary for calcium synthesis in the body.
 Fruits and vegetables also help to maintain a healthy pH balance in body
fluids. They promote alkalinity, whereas meat, dairy and grains are
predominantly acid-forming. Whenever the body becomes overly acidic, the
parathyroid gland, which regulates calcium metabolism, releases a hormone which
activates the osteoclastic bone cells to dissolve calcium salts from bone for
release into the extra-cellular fluids. As an alkaline-forming mineral, calcium
is needed to bring pH levels back to normal.
If the diet is predominantly acid-forming for extended periods of time, the
parathyroid is continuously called upon to stimulate osteoclastic activity,
resulting in a gradual erosion of bone tissue. For optimal health and bone
strength, the diet should be based on 70-80 per cent alkaline-forming foods from
the vegetables and fruits category. The remaining portion should come from whole
grains, legumes, free-range eggs,
fish and organic meat and
dairy. How many
families today eat such a diet? Not many. Yet, along with
exercise, this is the
surest way to build and maintain healthy bones-for life.
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