>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