Vegans and calcium

[vava]

I DID IT!

And just from my breakfast/ lunch shake!

1 tablespoon of sunflower seeds
1 tablespoon of pumpkin seeds
1 tablespoon of sesame seeds
2 narnas
3 dates
750ml fortified soya milk!

WOO HOO WOO HOO! thank you all so much for your input - v much appreciated! **dances off with big grin very pleased with self**:D

[Marrers]

Well done vava!

Is the fortified OJ something your daughter might drink emmap?

[emmapresley]

yep marrers, thanks :)..that is something she can drink loads of. from the list i see that, brocolli and brown rice..everything else i would have to sneak into things or she would flat out refuse.

i went to see about calcium supplements today..bought some and saw it had some milk stuff in and had to take it back..not got my thinking head on today :confused:

[Roxy]

I don't ever meet 100% of the RDA for calcium on fitday either. I have bought a calcium supplement, but hardly remember to take it.

I remember reading previously similar things to what John and Alex are talking about. So, I don't worry about it too much.

[Mystic]

Emma you have to give these (http://www.veganessentials.com/catalog/vegan-calcium-fruit-soft-chews.htm) to your daughter - they are awesome

[emmapresley]

thanks stickydate..there must be something similarly available in the uk though?

[Ian0723]

I simply drink Fortified Orange Juice. One glass supposedly has 35% Calcium, which I would consider extremely good. ^_^ I like Soy Milk alone, but I am never consistent with the amount I drink.

[Roxy]

I never take calcium supplements. And I don't have any deficiencies that I know of!

Here is a link that has a chart of the vegans foods with the highest calcium amounts: http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/calcium.htm#tofu They're all pretty common foods, so I don't see why we wouldn't be getting enough calcium unless we only ate junk foods. :) For example, a serving of calcium-set tofu gives 42% of your daily calcium needs.

Thanks for that link. I've bookmarked it. I'm thinking of adding quite a lot more raw foods to my diet, so that table will come in very handy :)

[clueless]

sesame seeds!!

and raw almonds :)

[leafy]

almonds, broccoli, kale, spinach, parsley, all veg/herbs/leaf that are very green contain a lot of calcium.

[Quantum Mechanic]

I believe oranges are high in calcium.
- EDIT - though not as high as some other things, but good to know since you probably eat them anyway since they taste nice and contain a lot of vitamin C (a medium orange has about 5% daily rec. calcium)

[Mahk]

I eat peppermint Tums, yes the antacid (actually CVS brand clones which I called to verify are vegan) as an inexpensive calcium supplement. Two have 400 mg which the label says is 40% of the DV, daily value.

[snivelingchild]

^You're not actually getting any of that calcium in Tums. It's going right through you, and could even increase your chances of stones. It's cheap for a reason. Look for a better quality calcium supplement, i.e. not carbonate. Dicalcium Malate, calcium citrate, etc. Also, if your not getting a 2:1 ratio of cal to mag, plus proper amounts of D and phosphorus, the calcium won't bind anyway. Rich dietary sources of magnesium are just as important everyday as those of calcium.

Broccoli has as much calcium as cow's or soy milk. Plus, it's yummy!

[Mahk]

As is mentioned in these articles, calcium carbonate (such as Tums) relies on stomach acid for proper absorption so it is best to take it with meals (and vitamin D).

http://ag.arizona.edu/pubs/health/az1042.pdf
http://www.calciuminfo.com/about/supplements.aspx
http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/calcium.asp

[Verencemos]

My understanding, gleaned from 'Plant Based Nutrition and Health' is that its not just how many milligrams of calcium are in your diet, but what you eat it with, as Quantum Mechanic and Mzee have already said. To get maximum absorption, you need to eat calcium with other foods that are high in potassium, low in sodium and low in certain amino acids (the building blocks of protein)(I think, but can't guarantee its the sulphur containing amino acids eg I think methionine that leach calcium from bone). Oranges and brocolli both fill all those criteria for high calcium absorption. So a greater proportion of the calcium in the food is absorbed by bone. Whereas dairy milk is high in sodium, low in potassium and high in the wrong sort of amino acids, so proportionally much less is absorbed. I think I read that that is the reason for the absurdly high RDA of calcium in western countries - its because if you eat / drink shedloads of dairy, then you paradoxically need to have a higher intake of calcium. I have said all this from memory - I would recommend reading the book if you want an accurate version of it.

I was developed a distateful degree of schadenfreude when a colleague of mine who is most sceptical about my diet developed osteoporosis. The osteoporosis clinic told her to cut out dairy food.

Only baby elephants drink milk, but they grow into fine strapping animals capable of making some pretty impressive bones!

V

[snivelingchild]

As is mentioned in these articles, calcium carbonate such (as Tums) relies on stomach acid for proper absorption so it is best to take it with meals (and vitamin D).
I've had 2 doctors warn my mom against taking TUMS for calcium because of the risk for stones. While eating tums with food may help it's absorption, citrate is still a much better form. I always recommend that people who chose to supplement with calcium also supplement mag/phos/D because if your levels are off, that calcium is just being excreted at best or forming stones at worst, which can be VERY painful. Also, liquid forms are better to take, and easier on the digestive system.

I also suggest looking at the WHO's suggestions of calcium intake. Far too many people take too much because the dairy industries in the US have lobbied to have ridiculously high RDAs for calcium. Other countries have far lower recommendations, and the WHO suggests 300-500mg daily. Those who would want closer to 500 would be teenage girls and post-menopausal women. Young men would need closer to 300. Taking too much calcium can be very hard on the body, so you never want to take too much, and always take into account your food sources. Keeping a food diary for a typical week and calculating your vit/min levels are a good way to see what you consume to see how much you should supplement.

[Verencemos]

And I forgot to add that other important things to avoid osteoporosis are
- excercise - bones are living organs, constantly being destroyed and remodelled. The new architecture depends on the stresses and strains that have been put on the bones. Weight bearing excercise encourages strong bones
- vit D - which may also be important in the prevention of other illnesses - malignancies and neurological disorders - though evidence in early stages
- not too much protein
- other minerals eg magnesium - but a healthy vegan diet should contain plenty

V

[karmafunk]

Does anyone know where i can get enough calcium? I don't drink soy because of the supposed health issues and also the deforestation in Argentina.

[veganwitch]

If you are avoiding soy/tempeh products, you can get your calcium from these greens: kale, collards, broccoli, okra, bok choy, turnip, and mustard greens. Blackstrap molasses is another good source of calcium. Btw, I got those suggestions from the book Becoming Vegan by Brenda Davis & Vesanto Melina. It's a really good reference for nutritional needs as a vegan.

[Korn]

Calcium in the Vegan Diet (http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/calcium.htm)
Calcium (http://www.vegansociety.com/food/nutrition/calcium.php)
Excellent Vegan Calcium Sources (http://www.vegan-nutritionista.com/vegan-calcium.html)
Good Vegan Calcium Source (http://www.johnrussell.name/recipes/calcium.htm)
Foods that are Good Non-Dairy Sources of Calcium (http://vitamins-minerals.suite101.com/article.cfm/vegan_sources_of_calcium#ixzz0VP7xOS9X)

[karmafunk]

That's a book that I think I need to buy. Thank you.

Thanks for those references Korn. Much appreciated.

[karmafunk]

I just ordered a used copy from Amazon for £7. Bargain!

Having looked at those links I can see I am not getting anywhere near enough Calcium. This is going to take some careful planning.

[Daffodil]

Foods quite high in calcium per 100g



Ready brek (Original)Seeds: Sesame Coco PopsPepper (Black)Nuts (Almonds)LinseedBasil (Fresh)Nuts (Brazil)Seeds: Hemp Parsley (raw)KaleMilk (Alpro)Spinach (raw)

[karmafunk]

Mmmm, ready brek. So glad thats vegan. Thank you.

[Daffodil]

you're welcome. you need 1000-1300mg calcium a day (well a woman does anyway), that's all i've researched coz i am one lol