Where do you Get your Calcium?

By Kyla Miller, R.H.N;

Based on a client’s nutritional assessment, I sometimes recommend that dairy be removed from their diet, which often leads to the question of where they will get their calcium. Undoubtedly, this is a valid question, since calcium is essential for bone formation, the prevention of osteoporosis, and for nerve transmission. Unfortunately, mass media has portrayed milk and dairy products, as the only acceptable source of calcium and this couldn’t be further from the truth. It is true that dairy products do contain large amounts of calcium, but what seems to be brushed over is the fact that they are also difficult to digest and absorb. Milk, for instance, when pasteurized, loses much of its calcium and enzymes that would allow calcium absorption to take place. Skim milk is an even poorer source of calcium because it is missing the fat that is necessary for its absorption.
 
When trying to increase calcium levels, the focus should first be on minimizing the loss of calcium. After all, you can consume as much calcium as you want, but if your body is not absorbing it or if it is being pulled out of the body by other factors, there is not much point. Some of the most common factors that can drain the body of calcium include:

Caffeine (coffee, tea, soda, and chocolate): The intake of caffeine causes an increase of calcium loss in the urine.

Refined sugar: When foods containing calcium are consumed with sugar, the absorption of usable calcium is greatly reduced. This results in the excess unusable calcium being secreted through the urine.

Phosphorus: Phosphorus binds with calcium. This means that if phosphorus levels in the blood are high, it will actually pull calcium from our bones. Meat, grains, and soda all contain high amounts of phosphorus.

Salt (table salt): Sodium increases urinary calcium secretion.

Vitamin D: Without vitamin D, calcium cannot be used for bone formation because it is responsible for activating the absorption and transportation of calcium.

Protein: When too much protein is consumed, the excess is broken down and has a diuretic effect, resulting in minerals such as calcium to be lost in the urine. Protein is also acid forming to the body. When the body is in an acidic state, minerals such as calcium are pulled from the bones to buffer the excess acidity.

Alcohol: The overconsumption of alcohol causes an acidic environment in the body, leading to the pulling of calcium from the bones to buffer the excess acidity.

A note on allergy

Milk is the number one allergic food. Milk contains more than 25 different proteins that may induce allergic reaction. In addition, many people are lactose intolerant. This is the inability to digest lactose, the sugar naturally present in milk. This is due to a deficiency in the enzyme lactase, necessary for the digestion of lactose. In fact, recent statistics show that 70% of the world’s population is lactase deficient and the number keeps growing. As you can see, milk is clearly not for everyone.

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