I’ve never been a big fan of milk, though I do love cheese. Until recently, when I went on a dairy-free diet, I’d relied on my rather generous cheese intake to meet my calcium needs from day-to-day. An article I read in Discover Magazine over the weekend (which, unfortunately, is only available in their print version) has given me reason to think about adding a calcium supplement to my diet, too.
It’s all due to a report covered in the article which explains that researchers from Columbia University’s Medical Center have found that a hormone released from bone may actually help regulate blood glucose. That makes the skeleton more than a mere structure holding the organs in place: it turns it into part of our endocrine systems.
Previously, researchers had shown that fat itself produces hormones that affect bone metabolism. Now, they’re beginning to establish that the process works in reverse, too, with our skeletal structure affecting how we metabolize fat.
Working with mice, the research team determined that osteocalcin (a substance produced by bone) actually signals fat cells as well as the pancreas, which means it impacts the secretion and handling of insulin. That’s not just news for folks with diabetes, though: everyone‘s body uses insulin to move glucose from the bloodstream into muscle and liver cells, where it’s turned into fat if not used for energy.
So, does this explain why increased dairy consumption purportedly improves weight loss? Calcium enhances bone density, and it only makes sense that the denser the bone, the more capable it is of releasing this hormone they’re talking about.
Given how much my dairy-free diet has improved my allergies and general sense of well-being, I’m as likely to abandon it now as I am to, say, blow money on whole life insurance.
What I am planning on doing, though, is adding more calcium-rich fruits (oranges, blackberries, tomatoes), veggies (artichoke, peas, summer squash, broccoli) and seeds (almond, Brazil nut and pistachios) to my diet.
Hey, it couldn’t hurt!
