Calcium

Minerals are what remain as ash when plant or animal tissues are burned or decompose completely after death. Minerals are present in tissue protein, enzymes, blood and some vitamins and so much more. We are going to go through some of the Macro-minerals calcium, magnesium, sodium, phosphorus, and potassium.  Then we will go into micro minerals: iron, silicon, selenium, zinc.  Then we will finish off the month with Antioxidants/free radicals and raw foods vs cooked foods. 
Let’s start with Calcium since that is a hot topic.  With all the dairy allergies today, the concern about calcium intake is on the rise.  If we can’t drink milk or consume dairy, where are we going to get our calcium?
Calcium Facts and myths

• Experts all agree that milk is the number one allergen and acknowledge the allergenicity of milk to babies and children.
• Milk and calcium link: Calcium is no more or less important than many other minerals
• Mineral Potassium is essential for every cell the body, a severe deficiency will cause the heart to stop but you never hear anyone ask if you are getting enough potassium.  The over concern about calcium is stimulated by radio, television, and magazines, primarily in commercials and advertisements for milk, cheese, and antacids.  These sources teach that calcium is necessary for healthy bones and for prevention of osteoporosis. This may be true, but is over simplified.
• Osteoporosis is certainly a legitimate concern, especially for women, 1 in 3 will lose enough bone minerals to cause fractures, but recent studies show that boosting calcium intake may not be the answer.

Ways calcium may be lost from the body:

• Coffee, tea, soda pop and chocolate, all contain caffeine and caffeine causes increased calcium loss in the urine.
• Refined sugar: ingestion of sugar increases calcium loss through urine.  When foods containing calcium are taken with sugar, the absorption of usable calcium through the intestine is greatly reduced.  Rickets, a calcium deficiency causing deformed bones in children can be induced by the use of sweetened condensed milk and many other forms of highly sweetened food sources such as junk food.
• Phosphorus: meat, grain and soft drinks have a high phosphorus content.  Phosphorus binds with calcium, therefore, when phosphorus is high in the blood, it can pull calcium from the bones.  An excess intake of phosphorus results in secondary hyperparathyroidism (over-active parathyroid) A diet high in phosphorus has the same effect as a calcium deficiency. Sugar decreases the amount of phosphorus in the blood to such a degree that for 2-5 hours after a sugar snack, the body cannot sustain calcification.
• Salt: sodium such as table salt increases urinary calcium excretion
• Fiber: A high fiber diet will decrease calcium absorption through the intestine.  Fiber added to an already deficient diet can actually make their mineral absorption worse because minerals tend to bind to the fiber, becoming unavailable for use.
• Vitamin D: without vitamin D, calcium cannot be utilized for bone formation.  Vitamin D activates the absorption or transportation of calcium.  Major food sources are eggs, liver, and mushrooms.  The sun is another source, 20 minutes of direct sunlight is beneficial for most people.
• Protein: depletes calcium in two ways: 1) High intake of protein causes loss of calcium through negative calcium balance.  When we eat more protein than we need, the excess protein is broken down in the liver to urea.  Urea has a diuretic action on the kidneys which results in minerals, including calcium, being lost in the urine.  2) Excess protein is acid forming, often pulling calcium from the bones to buffer the excess acidity.  High protein consumption contributes more to depletion of calcium from bones than does a deficiency of calcium intake. 
• Other factors contributing to loss of calcium from the body are: smoking, alcohol consumption, a history of gastrointestinal surgery or malabsorption problems, and taking corticosteroid medications.  It is apparent that body calcium is dependent upon habits, health, and life style. 

Calcium Myth #1: Milk is good for everyone

• Milk contains more than 25 different proteins that may induce allergic reaction.  At least 60 million people in North America are lactose intolerant which is the inability to digest lactose, the sugar naturally present in milk.  Lactase is the enzyme necessary to break down milk sugar and most people stop manufacturing this enzyme between early childhood and adolescence which is why 70% of the world population is lactases deficient.
• Milk could create a calcium deficiency as in a lactase deficient person, the lactose ferments in the intestine because it cannot be completely broken down.  When it ferments, it produces lactic acid which is absorbed into the blood stream and subsequently binds with calcium and magnesium making these minerals potentially unavailable to the tissues.  Calcium is used as a buffer to protect organs from the toxic effects of caffeine, alcohol, and drugs. 

Calcium Myth #2: Dairy products help prevent osteoporosis

• Fact: Milk loses 50% of its available calcium during pasteurization.
• Low fat and skim milk make calcium unavailable because fat is necessary for the proper transportation and absorption of calcium.
• According to the Journal of Nutrition (February 1989), the calcium in cheese is even less available for utilization than the calcium in other dairy products.
• As far as osteoporosis is concerned, keep in mind that vegetarians have been sown to have higher bone density than meat eaters of the same age and that countries that consume the most dairy products have the most osteoporosis.
• Nutritionists agree that the best diet to prevent osteoporosis is a low protein, low fat, high complex carbohydrate diet that includes abundant fresh vegetables, fruit, whole grains, and fresh raw seeds and nuts.

Calcium Myth #3: calcium supplementation helps prevent osteoporosis
Fact: this depends on whether you have changed your diet appropriately to improve your calcium absorption as stated above.
Calcium supplements and absorption rates:

• Calcium carbonate: 50% calcium, used in many antacids
• Calcium citrate: 50% calcium, probably the best absorbed calcium
• Calcium gluconate: 9% calcium, usually well absorbed
• Calcium hydoxapetite: 24% calcium, also very well absorbed.
• Calcium lactate: 13% calcium, people who are not allergic or intolerant to milk absorb calcium lactate, found in milk best.
• Calcium orotate and chelate: 10% calcium, usually well absorbed.
• Bone meal and dolomite:  lowest absorption and questionable because some brands have been shown to contain pollutants such as aluminum and lead

IF you are going to supplement, a formula of calcium combined with other minerals is the safest choice as not to deplete other minerals or upset the mineral balance.  No mineral in the body works alone.  Each affects the other and as we have seen, there are many factors to consider in relation to calcium. 
Milk as a source of calcium

• The milk that is processed and pasteurized, the enzymes are destroyed during these processes which requires your body to donate an enormous amount of enzymes to digest it. 
• Fat free milk is not without problems either, when the fat is removed, the same amount of milk is higher in protein, which may cause or contribute to a negative calcium balance.  Fat free milk still contains allergenic proteins and indigestible sugars.
• Unpasteurized raw milk contains an enzyme which splits the calcium from the phosphorus it is bound to making the calcium more available to the human body.  Raw milk is also a high enzyme product requiring far less of your own body’s enzymes to digest it. 

Sources of Calcium
Nuts and seeds (1 cup portions)

• Almonds                                              600 mg calcium
• Filberts (hazelnuts)                         424 mg calcum
• Sesame seeds                                   2200 mg calcium
• Sunflower seeds                              260 mg calcium
• Walnuts                                               216 mg calcium

Nut butters (3 oz portions)

• Almond butter                                                  225 mg calcium
• Cashew butter                                                   36 mg calcium
• Hazelnut butter                                                159 mg calcium
• Peanut butter                                                    15 mg calcium
• Sesame butter                                                  843 mg calcium
• Sunflower butter                                             99 mg calcium

Peanut butter is not recommended as it delivers the least calcium and is the most allergenic
Nut milks

• Nut milk is a good substitute for cow’s milk as it is very high in calcium and a good source of essential fatty acids, necessary for health
• Nut milks can be used on cereals, in recipes, or for drinking from a glass
• Nut milk made from 2 oz of sesame seeds and 2 oz of almonds will contain 712 mg of calcium per cup
• Adding Barbados molasses to the sesame and almond milk will yield 940 mg of calcium per cup.
• Since calcium in nut milks have not been heated or cooked, it is highly absorbable and can be easily digested.

 
Vegetable (1/2 cup portions)

• Artichoke, 1 medium                              47 mg calcium
• Asparagus, 6 spears                                22 mg calcium
• Avocado, 1 medium                                19 mg calcium
• Green beans                                              29 mg calcium
• Broccoli                                                        21 mg calcium
• Cabbage                                                       18 mg calcium
• Carrot, 1 medium                                    19 mg calcium
• Collard greens                                           74 mg calcium
• Kale                                                               47 mg calcium
• Peas                                                              22 mg calcium
• Spinach                                                        16 mg calcium
• Swiss chard                                                 51 mg calcium

Molasses (1 tbsp)

• Blackstrap                                                           137 mg calcium
• Barbados                                                             49 mg calcium

Beans and Rice (1 cup portion)

• Brown rice                                                           23 mg calcium
• Garbanzo beans (chickpeas)                        80 mg calcium
• Kidney beans                                                     50 mg calcium
• Navy beans                                                         128 mg calcium
• Pinto beans                                                        82 mg calcium
• Soybeans                                                            460 mg calcium
• Tofu                                                                       258 mg calcium
• Wild rice                                                              30 mg calcium

Seaweed (3 ½ oz portions)

• Agar                                                       54 mg calcium
• Irish moss                                            72 mg calcium
• Kelp                                                       68 mg calcium

As you can see, there are many many different ways you can increase your calcium consumption with food.  SO pick your favorite and build yourself some stronger bones!
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**Note: this post is not meant to diagnose, treat or cure any illnesses. It is for informational purposes only.  Always read and follow the labels when taking supplements and always consult a healthcare professional.