Preventing osteoporosis in old age should begin early. We build up our bone stores in childhood and as young adults, reaching peak bone mass in our thirties. From this peak, we begin gradually losing bone. Bones undergo a continual process called “remodeling” in which old bone is dismantled, and new bone is built to take its place. The adult human skeleton is renewed every 10 years by overhauling tiny patches of bone at a time. First, bone cells called osteoclasts chip away at old bone (often referred to as “bone resorption”); then bone cells called osteoblasts build fresh new bone. Somewhere in our thirties, we start losing more bone than we build, so the more bone we’ve amassed in our youth with good nutrition and weight-bearing exercise, the better our chances will be of maintaining strong bones for life. But, because bones are constantly being replaced, we can, in the words of President Joe Biden, “Build Back Better” at any time. Many facto…

. . . a gluten-free diet clears up a host of health problems Foods you enjoy every day and think of as healthy, like whole grain breads, cereals and pastas, may be causing big problems without your knowledge. Wheat, barley, rye, kamut, and spelt all contain a protein called gluten, which causes a problematic immune response in an increasingly large segment of the population -- possibly up to 50%. This leads to a wide range of health problems, from mild indigestion to debilitating neurological diseases and fatalities from cancer and heart disease. In fact, some health practitioners are finding that a gluten-free diet clears up a host of health issues in many of their patients. Immune reactions to gluten, often referred to as "gluten intolerance" (GI), can start early in life, and are associated with the development of numerous autoimmune diseases. GI creates silent inflammation and tissue damage in the intestines, brain, heart, joints, skin and/or elsewhere in the body. In the sma…

. . . it prevents celiac disease Celiac disease is an extreme autoimmune response to gluten (found in wheat, rye, barley, spelt, kamut and triticale) resulting in degradation of the intestinal wall. This greatly impairs absorption of nutrients. Celiac disease now affects 1% of the population (its incidence has been growing rapidly) and has a genetic component.  Spanish researchers studied 75 newborn babies over the first 4 months of life. They were classified according to genetic predisposition to celiac disease (high or low) and whether they were breastfed or bottle fed. The researchers found that among those genetically predisposed to get celiac disease, certain gut microflora tended to predominate; however microflora in those who were breastfed were more like the microflora found in the babies with a low genetic predisposition.  In other words, although the babies will be followed to see who actually gets celiac disease, breastfeeding appeared to be protective against it. …