>1/.The pH balance produced by the metabolism of the diet. A diet which
>produces
>an acidic residue is often buffered using calcium.

All great points, Andy, but the one above is one of the big ones, if
not the
biggest.  I've posted it before, but Cordain gives a good example.  It
would
take 54 gallons of urine to excrete the acidic residue of a two litre
bottle
of Coke.  That ain't gonna happen, so first magnesium, then calcium
comes
into play.  Two top acid producers?  Bread and hard cheeses.
Westerners
(except us, of course) eat bread every day and most people eat hard
cheese
with happy thoughts of strong bones in thier uninformed minds.

I'd love to see this proven scientific phenomenon get some time in the
spotlight, but it's too complicated for many people and the rest just
refuse
to believe it.

I'm not lactose intolerant, but I've NEVER drank milk.  Bleah!  The
taste
makes me gag.  My mother never understood it and always worried I
wasn't
getting enough calcium.  It was great to read Ray's book and figure
out why
I hate milk; it's not what I'm designed to eat.

Dori Zook
Denver, CO