But, please consider following: Countries with highest consumption of dairy products, such as United States, Sweden, and Finland, also have greatest incidence of female osteoporosis. Eskimos, who consume highest amounts of calcium of any of world's people, have highest number of cases of osteoporosis. Osteoporosis occurs relatively infrequently in China, even though they consume very little milk or other dairy products.

The reason is that people on meat- and dairy- based diets are getting far too much protein, generally 2 to 3 times amount required, and when excess protein is excreted, calcium and other minerals are drained from body also.

The main problem is consumption of animal protein; studies have shown that protein from non-animal sources has health benefits. So answer to preventing osteoporosis is not to consume a lot of dairy products, but to reduce animal protein consumption through a balanced, nutritious diet centered on "New Four Food Groups": fruits, vegetables (especially broccoli, a very calcium-rich food, without negatives of animal products), grains, and legumes.

Many plant foods are good sources of calcium. Especially good sources are dark leafy greens (such as kale and mustard, collard, and turnip greens), broccoli, beans, dried figs, sunflower seeds, and calcium-fortified cereals and juices.

Consuming excessive amounts of protein can seriously damage human health. It can result in a negative calcium balance and osteoporosis, because calcium and other minerals are lost in urine, along with excess protein.

When protein is broken down in body, acid is produced. The body compensates by buffering acid through a complex process that involves release of calcium from bone. The calcium is then excreted in urine. The higher protein intake, more calcium is lost. Protein-containing foods vary in amount of acid they generate. Although animal proteins are commonly assumed to produce more acid, this is not always true. Fish, meat, poultry, cheese, and many grain products have a high potential renal acid load (PRAL), a measure of acid production. Milk and yogurt have a low PRAL. Fruits and vegetables have a negative PRAL, meaning they supply alkali that can help buffer acid.

Therefore if a person has a high protein intake they should incrase amount of calcium in their diet. To offset loss of calcium in urine caused by processing protein, a high calcium intake can protect bone health. However, too much calcium can also be detrimental and intake should not exceed 2500 mg per day.

To protect your bones, consume a diet adequate in protein (0.36-0.45 grams of protein per pound of body weight), high in fruits and vegetables, moderate in sodium, and high in calcium. Adding a calcium supplement like HealthSmart Nutrition's Coral Cal-Min (http://www.air-water-nutrition-healthsmart.com/open/coral-cal-min/coral_cal.htm) or a whey powder such as HealthSmart Nutrition's undenatured CFM Whey (http://www.air-water-nutrition-healthsmart.com/open/Nutrition/whey_protein.htm)which contains a high calcium is helpful along with other good sources of calcium which include yogurt, fortified rice milk, tofu processed with calcium sulfate, collard greens, kale, mustard greens and blackstrap molasses. In addition to eating well, physical activity in your daily routine can help to strengthen bones.

I remember I read somewhere that there are 11000 follicles. When a girl is born, there is no more multiplication of oocytes. After birth follicles sit dormant. When female goes into her reproductive age, follicles start to grow and mature (one by one). Only 400 of them mature.

Yeah, it should be like this. Calculate. Average cycle is 28 days. So there are around 12 cycles a year. Women start to menstruate at 13-15 years old. The menopause is around 45-55 years. Total is 30-40 years

Multiply everything together. It should be around 400.

By way, an interesting thought.

All those discussion about abortion and Stem Cell research. Somewhere in nineteen century baby was considered baby when it was born. The church even struggled to admit anything like existence of cells etc. Rare baby actually survived beyond first year. Heck, hypothesis that human been consists of small cells was actually admitted widely not so long ago. Maybe hundred years ago. Then, all that research happened. People learned how fetus is created and how it grows. Now public idea is that fertilized oocyte is already baby.

Have you seen any oocyte under microscope? Even a human hair near an oocyte looks like a skyscraper near a real human. Now, if public perception had shifted this way in several decades, shouldn't we punish all women for that they recklessly loose 400 potential babies during lifetime. Isn't it a crime?

Then, maybe we should punish every man for losing millions of sperms - also potential babies. Where did this idea come from that fertilized oocyte is baby and non-fertilized oocyte is not? Shouldn't we move boundary a little bit earlier? Need to think about that.

Anyway.

Ovarian follicle (follicle means small bubble in Latin) usually mature, rupture and release oocyte that was in this follicle. Sometime rupture delays. Then ovulation delayes. (Ovulation is rupture and release of oocyte. Oocyte is cell that eventually becomes fetus after sperm gives genetic material).

Normal cycle is divided into follicular phase (when follicle grows) and luteal phase. Luteum means yellow in Latin.

When follicle ruptures (by way rupture means burst or tearing), oocyte goes out.

The cavity that left behind (remember it was small bubble) is filled with blood and special cells, producing hormones. These special cells grow in quantity and fill that cavity. These cells produce hormones that help fertilized oocyte to attach and to grow in uterus. Because they grow in quantity, they create a yellowish body in ovary. It is literally yellowish. The name is Corpus Luteum (corpus=body, luteum = yellow).

This is normal cycle.

As we said, follicle sometime doesn’t rupture (there is a bunch of reasons). A physician should sort out several different conditions. This is an abnormal cycle. If follicle does not rupture it becomes follicular cyst. Cyst also means bubble in Latin. There are actually plenty of different kinds of bubbles in medical Latin. Big ones and small ones. Normal and abnormal.

OK, cyst did not rupture. Then what happens?

Well. If cyst doesn't rupture, it usually resolves. That fluid inside cyst is reabsorbed and cyst collapses.

However, if cyst ruptures, it causes acute pain. The pain comes from irritation of peritoneum (lining of peritoneal cavity) with blood and cyst content.

Why it is not painful when a regular follicle ruptures and releases oocyte? Probably, a regular follicle is too small. In addition it doesn't cause much bleeding.

In contrast cyst is a really big bubble (sometime 5-10 cm in diameter). If it ruptures, it instantaneously release bunch of special fluid. Plus, there is significant bleeding because there are a lot of blood vessels around to feed.

Significant is of course relative.

For example, take 5-10-20 ml of blood from a patient vein in a hospital daily. He complains about pain from needle mostly.

But if you get same 10 ml of blood into peritoneum... Wow. You will cry. There are plenty of nerve endings. Peritoneum is too touchy-feely. Tender.

Besides, cyst has high concentration of prostaglandins. Prostaglandins, in their turn, are mediators of inflammation. They should cause significant pain directly and indirectly.

From other hand bleeding could be really significant. Then it becomes really dangerous.

A physician also should not miss an ectopic pregnancy. Doctor will order a pregnancy test for that. If an ectopic pregnancy starts to bleed, this is really really worrisome. It seems like your blood did not left your body. However blood is in abdominal cavity. It left blood vessels. It is internal bleeding. You die quickly.

Aleksandr Kavokin MD/PhD,

http://www.kavokin.com