November 21, 2019
Years ago, on the podcast episode “The One New Book That Every Healthy Grocery Shopper Should Have In Their Cart,” I interviewed Mira and Jayson Calton about their book Rich Food, Poor Food, which I still consider to be an essential go-to for healthy grocery shopping.
But since then, plenty has happened, especially based on Mira's advanced osteoporosis diagnosis that she went through when she was 30.
Mira and Jayson decided to write a book on this (more details here: 7 Ways To Stop Bone Loss In Its Tracks & Build Unbreakable Bone Density). An osteoporosis diagnosis can feel like a debilitating life sentence—one that leaves you feeling stuck with a future of prescription drugs that only might keep the condition from worsening.
Mira Calton, CN and Jayson Calton, PhD have discovered a better way to prevent and even reverse the disease through the power of micronutrient therapy. The secret to building strong bones lies in the right combination of micronutrients—the vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, and amino acids in the foods we eat and supplements we take.
In their new book Rebuild Your Bones, the Caltons reveal how our dietary, lifestyle, and even supplementation routines may be depleting these essential micronutrients, and share the 40 healing habits scientifically proven to build stronger bones. They also provide an easy-to-follow plan to reverse these effects, including recipes and meal plans, exercise advice, and supplement recommendations. If you’re looking for a pharmaceutical-free way to restore your bone health, look no further—this is the definitive guide to safely and naturally stave off osteoporosis and reclaim your health.
During our discussion, you'll discover:
-How Mira's bout with osteoporosis led her to Jayson and their current body of work…6:30
- Diagnosed w/ advanced osteoporosis at age 30; had bone density of an 80-year-old person
- Working from couch, delegating tasks to staff
- Met Jayson; had reversed osteoporosis within 2 years
- 40 “healing habits,” all clinically proven in their own right, involving diet, lifestyle, and supplementation
-The ineffectiveness and sometimes counterproductive nature of current osteoporosis treatments…9:30
- Osteoporosis and osteopenia are viewed as “irreversible” diseases
- They are lifestyle diseases
- Bisphosphonates: drugs used to treat bone density issues
- 10-year window max for being on these drugs
- Many are 18-24 months (black box restriction)
- Many have not even been tested on animals, yet are prescribed to humans
- Implications include: cancer, punishing effects on the body
- Quantity over quality: denser bones, but of poor quality; ineffective in preventing fractures
- They deplete calcium, CoQ10, Vitamin C levels
- Unintended negative consequences of RANK-Ligand inhibitors (RANK-L):
- Work similarly to how Omega 3 works in the body (reverse-engineered)
- They bind to receptors in the immune system
- Cause low levels of magnesium
-The interplay between wheat and bone density loss…21:40
- Wheat contains oxalic acid, phytic acid,
- Contains lectins and trypsin inhibitors
- Gluten contributes to leaky gut
- Amylopectin A:
- Causes the body to over-secrete lectin (lets us know when we're full)
- Inhibits bone density as a result
-Ancestral approaches to preparing food to increase bone density…25:00
- Soak, sprout, ferment are good approaches
- Lectins are difficult to eradicate
- Steer clear of wheat and lectins while rebuilding your bones; occasional consumption
- Slowly reintroduce them, using aforementioned methods (soak, sprout, ferment)
-Effects of coffee on bone density loss…27:45
- Caffeine has been shown to deplete micronutrients such as calcium and iron (but can be offset w/ dairy)
- Copious amounts must be consumed in order to have any negative effects
- The benefits outweigh the negatives
- Antioxidants are a plus
- Turns off body's ability to produce osteoblasts, which creates osteocalcin
- Organic coffee is recommended
-How an acidic or alkaline diet affects bone density loss…32:15
- The notion that acid will “leak” calcium from your bones is a myth
- Antacids create more stomach acid
- Beware of info you find on the Internet
- Acid-based foods help the body absorb more calcium
- Bone is 50% protein-body volume; you need protein to rebuild bones
-The importance of Omega-3 & 6 and Omega fatty acids pertaining to bone health…40:15
- Omega 6 is essential fat; causes inflammation in the body (which isn't a bad thing)
- Omega 3 is anti-inflammatory
- “It's what our ancestors would have eaten in their diet. However…”
- Omega 6 and 3 do not offset each other; they're competing to absorb in the body
- First step to reducing inflammation: drive down Omega 6 to 4:1 ratio to Omega 3
- Many foods we regard as “healthy” are disproportionate in Omega 6 content
- First step: cut down on Omega 6 consumption
- EPA and DHA compete for absorption similar to Omega 3/6
- Ideal time to take calcium: right before exercise
-Things to consider when taking a multi-vitamin (MV) pertaining to bone health…51:30
- 93% of Americans are deficient in at least one micronutrient
- Most conditions are “long-latency condition” diseases
- Focus on diet and lifestyle before supplementation, but you can't fulfill micronutrient needs through diet alone
- MV is a “shotgun” approach to supplementation
- MVs are not effective because they compete w/ minerals for receptor sites in the GI tract
- ABCs of optimal supplementation:
- Absorption
- Beneficial quantities and forms
- Competition between micronutrients
- Synergy between micronutrients
- Research study on commercial MVs:
- More than half did not disintegrate within set time limit
- “Bedpan pills”
- Known to stop up septic systems
- Powdered MVs are best consumed when washed down w/ water
- AM and PM version of MV
-Precautions to take when choosing a multivitamin…1:01:15
- Most MVs do not contain Vitamin K2
- Many MVs have lost their potency by the time they reach the store shelf
- DL tocopherol is used in many MVs
- Each form of a vitamin is equally important
- Best form of calcium: Calcium potassium phosphate form (closest to bone structure)
- Most forms of Vitamin K2 are incompatible w/ calcium
-How a cell phone in your pocket affects hip bone density…1:08:30
-And much more…
Click here for the full written transcript of this podcast episode.
Resources from this episode:
– Book: Rebuild Your Bones: The 12-Week Osteoporosis Protocol
– Spectracell Micronutrient Analysis
– Book: Rich Food, Poor Food
Episode sponsors:
–Kion Flex: The ultimate recovery formula, Kion Flex is a bioavailable blend to support joint comfort, mobility and flexibility, and bone health. Ben Greenfield Fitness listeners, receive a 10% discount off your entire order at Kion when you use discount code: BGF10.
–Powerdot: Relieve your pain, Recover faster from workouts, build muscle and endurance to help you accelerate past those training plateaus and feel great doing it.
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Ben, I know you recommend the Thorne but I am curious if you have tried their nutreince multivitamin?
I listen to most of Ben’s podcasts and am grateful for all the information. Thanks! Yet I am coming to believe that strict curation or 100% endorsement of all provided info is not to be assumed. Ben gets the info out there without challenging or too much questioning of the conflicting info from other sources. It’s a shotgun approach and we should simply take any guest’s info with a grain of salt and/or further investigation before any action.
This was one that I did not feel stands well to scrutiny and I bet that Ben will continue to recommend and use many different regimens that conflict with some of what was proposed on this podcast or in their book, by extension. Other aspects are surely golden.
They seem to carry someopinions (or “facts”) that fly in the face of all information, not just conventional but from the recent serious nutrition researchers also. Some of their claims that surprised me:
1) Nutrients cannot be absorbed in combination with food due to competition for absorption. In other words, if you wish get the bulk (or all) of your nutrients from food, that will never work. This explains why mankind has failed to thrive until now that we have supplements available that we can consume without food. All of those who came before us, dating back to evolution of the species were malnourished due to lack of supplements. Apparently evolution itself is flawed and we cannot be sufficiently nourished by food at any point, not just due to soil depletion or dietary changes but due to competition between food and nutrients. Ok, got it. Food and nutrients need to be consumed seperately. Makes perfect sense.
2) We need a constant flow of nutrients all day long or we suffer. Only getting nutrients on occasion is compared to “using a condom half the time” Apparently there is no adequate mechanism in our bodies for sustaining us in health during absense of food (or food + supplements as they argue) unless we are consuming nutrients constantly, we will be depleted. This concept of theirs explains why it is not possible for people to fast for more than a few hours or maybe a day without suffering severe nutirent depletion and thus, at a minimum, osteoporosis. Thus the severe reduction in health seen in populations that passed through periods of hunger and starvation, right? Oh, you say fasting helps us? How can that be if we need an uninterrupted flow of nutrients?
3) In the same vein, we should be, hopefully eating “at least 4 times a day” Part of their theory that nutrients must be constantly inputted to our systems, though the idea that they are not absorbed with food is apparently inconsistent.
4) Olive oil and Avocado oil are to be avoided due to high Omega 6 content. This flies in the face of other info recent and past from some of the best curators we have for choosing oils and fats. I think that their info here is over-simplified. EVOO has relatively low amounts of Omega 6. There is more to the story. We are still learning.
Some links: https://www.marksdailyapple.com/why-the-omega-3om… https://www.marksdailyapple.com/guide-to-olive-oi…
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28143667 https://chriskresser.com/an-update-on-omega-6-puf…
Wish I could edit. Please pardon the snarky tone and excessive facetiousness! Sorry.
@Steven Dude, well said. That wasn’t nearly snarky enough if you ask me. Ben is the man, but he has a lot of BS on his podcast. Almost like mini infomercials and as you said, he doesn’t really challenge the guests which is a diservice to his fans. We all better run out and buy this book and supplements immediately and hope our bones don’t crumble in the process. Psh There super secret vitamin formula is not going to do much of anything for you other then empty your bank account. Eat in moderation. Excercise in moderation. Enjoy your life. Repeat. Do that and you are lucky better off then 90% of the population.
I would interested to see if Ben has tried or has swapped MV and fish oil to this brand to see the effects if any from Thorne and Super essential
Can they recommend an Omega 3 Fish Oil source?
Synchronicity. I am currently planning my annual winter bone building protocol (from winter solstice to spring equinox) & just picked up the “rebuild your bones” book. Haven’t listened to the episode yet, but will incorporate ideas gained into my goals . If anyone is interested; I benefited last winter from using “organic plant calcium” from mykind organics. Which I’m using again due to the positive results I experienced with stress fractures.
Ben, is there a written transcript of this podcast?
Yes, they typically take a few days to populate. Here it is: https://bengreenfieldfitness.com/transcripts/tran…
Ben, if you want a fuller discussion of vitamins and minerals that’s going to challenge a lot of common misconceptions and give your listeners a lot of insight into the dangers of Vitamin D, iron and even such seemingly “harmless” ones like regular Vitamin C in the form of ascorbic acid, you really need to get Morley Robbins on your podcast. He is an absolute wealth of knowledge and can cite study after study. You should look into his Root Cause Protocol.