kerry1

Soda pop DOES strip the bones of calcium and yes, it does lead to osteoporosis. Something about the phosphorus in soda. I've read plenty of articles on it and don't remember exactly, but I do know that soda pop is horrible for your bones. Just say NO to soda.

Milk is not a good alternative for calcium quota. In fact, milk can leach calcium from your bones, because it is pasteurized. It provides you with some calcium and takes some away - how about that? Pasteurization and homogenization change milk from a healthy food into something like liquid plastic. It kills the enzymes that are vitally needed, for instance. How can you digest lactose without lactase, for instance? Fresh, raw milk has lactase in it; pasteurized milk has dead, worthless lactase corpses. Phosphatase (which helps you absorb calcium) is also killed in pasteurization. Skim milk has the Vitamin D removed because the Vit. D is in the butterfat. Synthetic Vitamin D is added back - synthetic is toxic to your liver. Xanthine oxidase is also present in butterfat; it's harmless in non-homogenized milk, but homogenization turns it into another chemical that's linked to heart disease.

Also, calcium absorption is complicated; it's not just a matter of eating enough calcium-rich food. You also need to limit calcium-destroying foods, such as soda pop, refined sugar, red meats, and other acidic foods. You need magnesium & other nutrients to help you absorb it - you can't just ingest it "plain". Forget antacids giving you calcium - what a crock. People in third-world countries who eat a low-cal, high-fiber diet - and NO MILK - actually have denser bones and less osteoporosis than Americans and milk-guzzling Europeans. The healthier the diet, the less calcium you actually need!
The best sources are green vegetables, soy and nuts. (I take calcium/mag supplements myself.) Weight-bearing exercise is absolutely necessary - Walking, weightlifting, etc. This is part of calcium absorption!!

There is so much more info on calcium and dairy products - I hope you'll research it. Far too much for me to put in this little post. Suffice to say that milk does not do a body good. I've read many sources that support this, including some nationally reknowned physicians.