Someone wrote: >>5. Countries with high soy consumption have great mineral profiles(the >>Japanese have one of the lowest rates of Osteoporosis). And Staffan wrote in answer: >>This is not quite the case. The Japanese have LOWER bone density than Europeans although they lose bone a bit more slowly. However, hipfracture rates are less common in Japan which is largely unexpained. I wonder if there is anything to the probably lower body weight of Japanese compared to Asians (smaller frames...) that could account for the bone mineral density being less, or was bone mineral density tested on a per-lbs.-of-bodyweight basis? The way I've understood it, a lot of bone mineral density depends on how much weight-bearing is applied to it. Heavier and bigger boned Europeans would seem to me to naturally need more dense bones. I think this might help explain the hip fracture rates being lower in Japan than expected too. Another thing I'd wonder is whether bone mineral density studies had been done on Japanese living under Western conditions with Western diets. Asians are quite different structurally from caucasians just as there are differences between other races-- in forensics you can help tell a caucasian from an Asian by the granularity (I think, either that or dryness) of the earwax versus caucasians. And I've heard physical therapy specialists talk about how different they find Asian muscle structure to be-- hard to knead because of muscle and flesh tightness on the upper back. Alas, muscle structure I'll never have :( ... (hey, still working on it). Also curious what the 'great mineral profile' was supposed to be-- in other words, how are others' mineral profiles off? (Just had mine done a month or so ago... not enough magnesium in comparison with calcium... though lots of calcium excretion to outside tissues... short on zinc in comparison to copper (which was way elevated). Donna _____________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Free instant messaging and more at http://messenger.yahoo.com