THE health articles in the Bolton Evening News are always interesting and I am sure educate many.

I would like to add several facts to the excellent article "Osteoporosis" on September 3.

Diet IS very important. We should eat a varied wholefood diet and restrict our intake of dairy products.

The Dairy Industry and the Government spend huge amounts of money advertising milk, eggs and cheese. Many people believe this advertising and consume large amounts of dairy produce -- only to find their health deteriorates.

Excessive protein is a killer. If you eat cottage cheese for weight control, watch your bones!

Did we not have a healthier nation during the war when protein and sugar were rationed?

Our calcium intake is disturbed by the high phosphorus content of the typical Western diet. Dr Guy Abrahams, who studied the nutritional profiles of women with osteoporosis, believes that magnesium rather than calcium deficiency is responsible.

Osteoporosis is mainly a lifestyle disease. The Japanese eat soya not dairy products and do not suffer from this crippling disease.

The advice for health is always the same -- eat lots of fresh vegetables, seeds and fruit, use olive oil instead of butter, cut down on smoking and alcohol, exercise, don't use fluoridated toothpaste and don't cook with aluminium pans.

There is no magic pill for health. It takes effort. We have a wonderful open market exploding with reasonably priced fruit and vegetables -- never mind five portions per day, have five per meal and watch your health improve.

Alwynne Cartmell

Wellbeing Workshops Worldwide

Bolton