Bone health is maintained while living a raw food lifestyle. Strong bones can be measured in several ways. Bone density, while traditionally a measure of healthy bones, is only one parameter. Bone health is also maintained by exercise. Putting appropriate stress on your bones over time actually makes them more dense and strong. This is called Wolff's law, named after the 19th century German surgeon Julius Wolff. The opposite is also true. Lack of use will cause the bones to become weaker. So get your exercise! A recent study has shown that raw vegans compared to traditional dieters had lighter (less dense) bones. However the raw vegans on average had a much lower body mass index, thus having to support less weight. In addition the bone turnover markers were normal and the vitamin D was higher than- normal. There was also less inflamation. Follow this link for the synopsis on an article regarding raw food and osteoporosis It is a misnomer that raw vegans do not consume calcium as there are many sources available. These include seaweeds such as kelp, wakame and hijiki, almonds and sesame seeds, blackstrap molasses, beans, oranges, figs, quinoa, collard greens, rutabaga, broccoli, dandelion leaves and kale. |
