Vegans and calcium

[Mystic]

http://vegrd.vegan.com/pages/article.php?id=1265

[Artichoke47]

Excellent advice. I wouldn't take an iron supplement unless advised to by a doctor.

And for calcium, broccoli and rice/oat/soy/almond milks are great sources! Don't forget that the 1,000 mg/day recommendation is for omnivores, who lose calcium in their urine due to all of the excess protein they eat every day. Some doctors say that 400-500 mg/day for a vegan is sufficient, since we don't usually get excess protein.

[Mystic]

I was anaemic, and for 6 months was on potent iron supplements - now I am scared that my stores will deplete again

[Hasha]

Does anyone know if it's possible to OD on calcium? Because I just got some calcium supplements and don't really know how much I should be taking. I know that I'm getting some calcium in my diet, but I'm pretty sure I'm not getting enough (it basically comes down to fortified soy milk), so I figured I could use some supplements. Lately, I've been taking two tablets a day (one tablet being a third of daily value), but maybe I don't really need that much... I'm not sure if I should be concerned.

[John]

Does anyone know if it's possible to OD on calcium?

I'm not a doctor or anything, but can't too much calcium give you kidney stones?

[Hasha]

I'm not a doctor or anything, but can't too much calcium give you kidney stones?

Oh. Well, I don't know, but I wouldn't be surprised. See, some B12 supplements will have over a hundred times the recommended DV. But a single calcium tablet will only have some 30-40%. So, to me, that suggests that you can take as much B12 as you like, but that you can OD on calcium.

[medus]

I know one brand of mineral water which has more than 500mg of calcium per litre. It could be a good source, but... can our bodies absorb all those minerals in mineral water? If 'yes', then how much? 50%? 20%? 0%?

Do you drink mineral water? Do you like it?
I do, specially in summer when is hot and it's very tasty with a bit of lemon.
:)

[laura1983]

I found a study that confirms that your body absorbs calcium from mineral water as easily as it does from milk. (Osteoporosis International, vol 11, 2000). But, only bottles labeled "mineral water"- not "spring" or "artesian" are guaranteed to contain natural minerals and you get a lot more calcium with some brands than others.

[laura1983]

I dont know how easy it is to look at this journal as it might be subscription only, i can see it at uni as we have subscriptions to a whole host of science/medical journals.

[medus]

I've found this in:
Journal of the American Dietetic Association. [J Am Diet Assoc] 2002 Nov; Vol. 102 (11), pp. 1658-62.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the contribution of mineral water containing different amounts of calcium and magnesium to the total dietary intakes of these minerals DESIGN: Matched case control study using data issued from the Supplementation en Vitamines et Minéraux Antioxydants (SU.VI.MAX) cohort. SUBJECTS: Subjects were water consumers-240 men and 424 women-divided into the following 4 groups (n=166 per group): regular drinkers of a calcium-rich and magnesium-rich mineral water (calcium, 486 mg/L; magnesium, 84 mg/ L), drinkers of a water classified as a moderately mineralized content (calcium, 202 mg/L; magnesium, 36 mg/L), drinkers of 2 low-mineralized waters (calcium, 9.9 to 67.6 mg/L and magnesium, 1.6 to 2 mg/L, respectively), and drinkers of tap waters. STATISTICAL ANALYSES: Quantitative data were compared using student's t test. Mean comparisons were performed in multivariate analysis by analysis of variance. RESULTS: Dietary calcium intake provided by the various food groups did not differ between the 4 consumer groups, except for calcium provided by mineral water. According to its calcium concentration, mineral water may contribute to one fourth of the total daily calcium intake. Subjects who regularly drink mineral-rich water have a calcium intake that is significantly higher (P< 10(-3)) than those drinking either low-mineral-content water or tap water. Dietary magnesium intake provided by the various food groups did not differ between the 4 consumer groups, except for magnesium provided by mineral water. Depending on the magnesium concentration of the mineral water, it contributed 6% to 17% of total daily magnesium intake. Drinkers of magnesium-rich mineral water and water with a moderate mineral content had magnesium intakes significantly (P< 10(-3)) higher than those of drinkers on low-mineralized or tap water. APPLICATIONS: Mineral-rich water may provide an important supplementary contribution to total calcium and magnesium intake. For dietetics professionals, it may provide-in place of the usual recommendations concerning the consumption of dairy products-a good way to improve calcium and magnesium intakes, particularly in subjects who don't like dairy products.

[medus]

Another one:
The British journal of nutrition. [Br J Nutr] 2005 Feb; Vol. 93 (2), pp. 225-31

It is well known that the intestinal availability of Ca from Ca-rich mineral waters is equivalent to that of milk Ca. However, the effect of associated anions on Ca urinary loss needs to be addressed. The aim of the current study was to compare, under ordinary conditions of consumption, milk and a SO4-rich mineral water as the Ca provider in a large number of subjects consuming the same quantity of Ca from the two sources in a crossover study lasting for an extended period. Thirty-seven healthy women completed a 12-week protocol, divided into four periods of 3 weeks (W). In the first (W1-3) and third (W6-9) periods, dietary Ca intake was restricted to 600 mg/d. In the second (W4-6) and final (W10-12) periods, either 400 ml/d medium-fat milk or 1 litre of a Ca- and SO4-rich mineral water, each providing about 480 mg Ca/d, was added to the diet in a random manner. Dietary evaluation, blood and urinary measures were performed during the last week (W6 and W12) of each Ca supplementation period. The urinary excretion of Ca was higher (0.5 mmol/d more) with water than with milk (P<0.001). An examination of all the dietary factors known to influence calciuria suggested that the acidogenic action of SO4 was responsible for this increased calciuria. Thus, despite an equal Ca intake and assuming an unchanged intestinal absorption, these results suggest that Ca balance is better with milk consumption than with CaSO4-rich water.

[medus]

Journal of clinical gastroenterology. [J Clin Gastroenterol] 2004 Oct; Vol. 38 (9), pp. 761-6.

GOALS: The study was designed to determine whether high-calcium mineral water is an efficient additional source of dietary calcium, optimizing a method for calcium determination never used for mineral waters. BACKGROUND: It is generally agreed that an adequate calcium intake is necessary for the acquisition of an ideal peak bone mass and for the maintenance of the bone mineral density in adults, in postmenopausal women, and in the elderly. Mineral waters are calorie free, and some, with high calcium levels, might be significant sources of calcium. STUDY: The availability of the calcium contained in a high-calcium mineral water was measured in 27 healthy subjects. In 8 subjects the calcium availability of the water was compared with the calcium availability ingested with milk at the same calcium load. Milk and water were labeled extrinsically with 30 mg Ca. Fractional absorption from the oral dose was determined from plasma samples using ICP-MS technique. RESULTS: At an ingested calcium load of 3.18 mmol, percentage of absorption for water averaged 22.53 +/- 2.53 (mean +/- SD) for men, 22.57 +/- 2.10 (mean +/- SD) for premenopausal women and 21.62 +/- 3.12 (mean +/- SD) for postmenopausal women. Percentage absorption from milk was 23.15 +/- 4.06 (mean +/- SD). DISCUSSION: The calcium from the mineral water is thus highly bioavailable, at least as bioavailable as milk calcium, and ICP-MS appears to represent a reliable and reproducible method for calcium absorption from alimentary sources.

[medus]

Journal of bone and mineral metabolism. [J Bone Miner Metab] 2003; Vol. 21 (1), pp. 28-33.

For people in Western countries, the vegan diet has the advantage of low energy intake, but the calcium status of this strictly plant-based diet is still unclear. The aim of this study was to determine the calcium balance of individuals on a vegan diet in comparison with a lactovegetarian diet in a short-term investigation. Seven women and one man, ranging in age from 19 to 24 years, received during the first 10 days a vegan diet based on plant foods and calcium-rich mineral water and a lactovegetarian diet during the following 10 days. Portion size was adapted to the subjects' individual energy requirements. Calcium status was assessed by means of calcium intake in food and calcium output in feces and urine as measured by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry. In addition, deoxypyridinoline was measured in urine as a marker of bone resorption. The results show a significantly smaller daily calcium intake with an average of 843 +/- 140 mg in the vegan versus 1322 +/- 303 mg in the lactovegetarian diet. Apparent calcium absorption rates were calculated as 26% +/- 15% in the vegan and 24% +/- 8% in the lactovegetarian group (NS). The calcium balance was positive both in the vegan diet (119 +/- 113 mg/day) and in the lactovegetarian diet (211 +/- 136 mg/day) (NS). Deoxypyridinoline excretion showed no significant difference between the two diets (105 +/- 31 and 98 +/- 23 nmol/day). The present results indicate that calcium balance and a marker of bone turnover are not affected significantly when calcium is provided either solely by plant foods or by a diet including dairy products, despite the significantly different calcium intake levels in the diets. We conclude that a well-selected vegan diet maintains calcium status, at least for a short-term period.

[Kimberly]

I was wondering if anyone knows if juicing broccoli and kale (plant foods high in calcium) is a good source of calcium? I've been jucing them each day and taking them with flax oil and other juices, but I wonder if I am actually getting the calcium from them?

[Kiva Dancer]

I'm thinking that yes, you are.

[PolluxStar]

anything that mentionz vitamn D or calcium phosphate , or any wordz next 2 calcium ... would it be something that has milk in it possibly?

[Seaside]

From "The Juice Lady's Guide to Juicing for Health" by Cherie Calbom:

"Plants incorporate minerals, which occur in inorganic forms in the soil, into their tissues. As a part of this process, the minerals are combined with organic molecules into easily absorbable forms, which makes plant food an excellent dietary source of mineral. Juicing is believed to provide even better mineral absorption than whole fruits and vegetables because the process of juicing liberates minerals into a highly absorbable form."

Best juice sources of calcium:
kale
parsley
dandelion greens
watercress
beet greens
broccoli
spinach
romaine lettuce
string beans
oranges
celery
carrots

[spo]

Hi, Kimberly;
I juice all the time and always try to incorporate Kale into the juice for the high Calcium content. Seaside is right about juicing being a superior way to get nutrition from fruit and vegetable sources. :)
spo

[eve]

not necessarily, could be synthetic.

[jpcw]

I think sometimes calcium phosphate can be derived from ground up animal bone, so you do need to be careful. Having said that, it could also be derived from a mineral source. Vitamin D is created in the skin by sunlight - you shouldn't need to take it as a supplement unless you live mostly in the dark! :D

[Evilfluffbunny]

Is liquidizing/blending better than juicing? I have a juice machine but I find it very wasteful, like you only get a small amount of juice for the amount of fruit/veggies you put in. I've started putting the stuff straight into my food processor instead and drinking all the pulp as well. If it's too thick I just add a bit water or fruit juice. It's really filling too as you can get a massive amount of fruit into a couple of pint glasses. :)

[Seaside]

I love smoothies! :) I think that there is a difference between juices and blended drinks, though. Although fiber is a necessary component for health, it can block absorption of nutrients to a certain degree, so for people who really need extra nutrition from fruits and vegetables, it is better to juice them, and save the pulp for something else, like thickening up soups.

[Evilfluffbunny]

Although fiber is a necessary component for health, it can block absorption of nutrients to a certain degree

Oh, I didn't know that - thanks. Perhaps it would be better to liquidize apples, oranges etc, but juice things like celery and so on. It's never straight forward is it? :rolleyes:

[gertvegan]

When I was looking at getting a juicer/blender, I talked to Shazzie of Detox Your World (www.detoxyourworld.com) who advised that fibre wouldn't be an issue in my vegan diet. So I opted for a juicer over the blender. :)

[Kimberly]

That's what I figure--I'm getting way more than enough fibre as it is, and drinking a glass of spinach-apple juice is a lot easier than eating a bunch of spinach leaves and a couple apples! :)