Interesting. I'm too scared to buy it. :p
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Interesting. I'm too scared to buy it. :p
I make scones using blackstrap mollasses instead of sugar.
I usually make some almond milk and then strain the almond milk through some muslin - i use the strained almonds and mix it with the molasses as the moistening agent instead of milk - so that way i am getting the calcium from the almonds and the blackstrap - i cant really taste the blackstrap in the finished scone and i put loads in!! They are very yummy!! :)
Great. :)
Hi Tigerlily,
I eat varied food, with pretty good amounts of raw and non-processed food. I don't drink tea/coffee or take any medicine, avoid chemicals as much as possible, don't smoke, eat little sugar, eat almost no wheat, no white pasta, no white bread... just tasty vegan food inspired by recipes from all over the world. I smell of garlic. :)
Since I consume a relatively low amount if nutrient-killers, I probably get more nutrients out of the stuff I eat than if I would have a'normal' intake of things that are known to disturb the body or prohibit nutrient intake.
Both my girlfriend and I and improvise a lot when we make food, and occasionally write down a kind of loose recipe if we feel that we made something more-tasty-than-usual. I'll post something later if you are interested.
The thread you suggested is so busy, so maybe it's better to post one-off suggestions/ideas about meals in one of the other food threads...
I dont take supplements for calcium... I drink fortified soymilk and I eat tofu & dark greens often. I also read there's calcium in lentils as well as protein. So that killls 2 birds with one stone. (or humanely catches them) ;)
Like I said, I wasn't saying that it was hard to believe due to your calcium balance. I just did assume (is there a better word for believing with no pretense?) for absolutely no reason. Calcium set tofu is not "fortified" but it is "calcium set" which adds calcium to it regardless.
I don't like when I look up how to get more calcium in my diet and they(the vegan website or book) recommend fortified foods. "No, need for a supplement! The vegan diet is complete in every way, make sure you drink fortified soymilk!"
I like to eat whole foods and would like to get all of my nutrients from them.
It makes me happy that you do this.
Hi,
here are some quotes from various sources about what happens if you have a too high intake of calcium supplements:
http://www.raysahelian.com/calcium.html
http://courses.washington.edu/bonephys/opcalcium.htmlQuote:
Calcium supplement side effects
The most common adverse effects of calcium supplements are constipation, intestinal bloating and excess gas. Adverse effects occur most frequently with calcium carbonate. Switching preparations or increasing fluid intake may relieve symptoms. Patients who form calcium-containing stones are generally advised not to take calcium supplements. It is possible that a very, very low intake of calcium can aggravate the risk of stone formation by increasing absorption and urinary excretion of oxalate. However, a very high intake of calcium through supplements could also increase the risk for kidney stones. Therefore, it is best not to exceed 600 mg a day of a calcium supplement. Calcium is best taken during meals.
http://www.medicinenet.com/calcium_s...al/article.htmQuote:
Side effects
Side effects from a reasonable dose of calcium (1,000 mg/day) are very low. Some patients insist that calcium makes them constipated, although in blinded trials this complication is no more frequent than with placebo. A recent study by Prince found that higher doses of calcium supplements (1200mg/day in addition to 900mg/day from dietary sources) did cause constipation in 13% of subjects. Calcium citrate may help in these situations, as may increasing intake of fruit juices. Others complain of gastritis, which might be caused by taking calcium carbonate between meals, thus stimulating rebound acid production.
Very high intakes of calcium could lead to alkalosis. Intakes above 2,500 mg/day may not cause any noticeable side effects, but these doses will not help the bones and the kidney will need to do extra work to get rid of the excess calcium.
Calcium supplements may increase the risk of kidney stones. On the other hand, a large survey in men showed that those with the lowest dietary calcium had the most kidney stones. It is probably related to the total intake of calcium, which was over 2,000 mg on average in the WHI study.
http://arthritis.about.com/od/supplement/a/calcium.htmQuote:
SIDE EFFECTS: Calcium is generally well tolerated. High levels of calcium can cause some adverse effects. Notify your doctor if you experience any of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, constipation, stomach pain, thirst, dry mouth, increased urination. If you notice other effects not listed above, contact your doctor or pharmacist.
http://health.allrefer.com/health/ca...e-effects.htmlQuote:
Calcium Interactions:
It is important to talk with a doctor or pharmacist about possible interactions between your over-the-counter and prescription drugs, and calcium supplements. For example:
Calcium interferes with iron absorption (don't take a calcium supplement at the same time as an iron supplement - unless the calcium supplement is calcium citrate, or unless the iron supplement is taken with vitamin C)
Medications taken on an empty stomach should not be taken with calcium supplements
Quote:
Calcium in Diet: Side Effects
Increased calcium intake for limited periods does not normally cause toxic effects. The urine and the feces easily eliminate any excess calcium. However, an increased risk of kidney stones in persons susceptible to them has been associated with chronically high calcium intake.
Low intakes of calcium for prolonged periods of time can lead to calcium deficiency. This condition leads to osteoporosis, loss of the jaw bone (and secondary oral health problems), hypertension, and other disorders.
http://www.healthy.net/scr/Article.asp?Id=2019&xcntr=2
Quote:
Exercise has been shown to improve absorption, and lack of exercise can lessen it. Stress also can diminish calcium absorption, possibly through its effect on stomach acid levels, digestion, and intestinal motility. Though calcium in the diet improves the absorption of the important vitamin B12, too much of it may interfere with the absorption of the competing minerals magnesium, zinc, iron, and manganese.
I've noticed that my teeth look less healthy lately (a couple of chips and translucency). I picked up a calcium, magnesium, and vitamin D supplement.
I don't know how many to take. :confused: The bottle says 1-3 pills but I don't know how much I personally need. I don't eat many calcium rich foods, unfortunately. :o :(
Per pill:
Calcium---300mg
Magnesium--150mg
Vitamin D--200 IU
Is this good? It was the only vegan cal/mag/d supplement in the store.
Hi Tigerlily, there's some discussion about calcium requirements in the Calcium and Osteoporosis thread too, which may be useful. Remember that when minimum requirements are mentioned, they don't represent 'supplement' requirements, and that these requirements are set to a level useful for people with a very high protein intake.
Someone mentioned somewhere that he thought 200 mg daily was enough for vegans, but I haven't seen any studies backing this up. One study showed that among the studied subjects who got 525 mg of calcium a day (circa half the daily recommended intake in USA, or 85% of the UK RDI), vegans had the same fracture rates as the other diet groups.
You eat tahini regularly, don't you? :)
Here's a link to The Vegan Socity's page about calcium - it contains some info about calcium requirements and absorption.
I believe I've quoted some of it before - here's what they write about absorption:
Quote:
Calcium Absorption
Only 20-30% of calcium in the average diet is absorbed. Calcium absorption can be reduced because it binds to fibre, phytate or oxalate in the intestine. Vegan diets contain more than average of these substances. Fibre is no longer thought to limit the availability of calcium from food. Phytate or phytic acid is found in grains, nuts and seeds and can bind with calcium making it less absorbable. However, the body does adapt to lower levels of available calcium and the American Dietetic Association and the UK's Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries & Foods as well as the Department of Health believe that fibre, phytate and oxalate do not have a significant effect on calcium intake overall.
Although the calcium intake of adult vegans tends to be lower than the recommended optimum, it is close to the Estimated Average Requirement. There have been no reports of calcium deficiency in adult vegans.
The Estimated Average Requirement (UK) of a nutrient in the diet is an estimate of the average needs of a group of people. About half may need more, and half may need less.
Sunlight is important for calcium absorption!
Here's a link to an article I just found on vegkitchen.com
Plant-Based Calcium: Sources and Absorbability
I read in a health mag that a lot of the calcium in food vegans would eat (ie in legumes, nuts etc.) is not well-absorbed because of the presence of something else (didn't read that closely obviously) which inhibits availability/absorbtion. They suggested all kinds of greens and figs.
yes, i've read this recently. due to a protein in it or something that stops us breaking it down...
i'm still learning a lot about nutrition (which i think is a highly beneficial part of beocming vegan), and i take a multi-vitamin just to be sure. especially at the moment when i seem to be living in the library and don't always have the time to eat as properly as i like.
but i really want to be able to get all my nutrients from 'natural' sources eventually. i sometimes feel that taking supplements just makes people think that veganism isn't a 'natural' way to live, and i want to prove it can be done without any artificial compensation.
amanda
I looked into this and I found a researcher who claims it is because the statistics are skewed because of family size, women who have children later in life have smaller children.
Heres the link.
http://www.growtall.com/tallest-people.htm
I would think that the other likely cause of the Dutch being taller on average could be genetic.
I am trying to boost my calcium at the moment. I get over A GRAM of calcium by mixing together the following:
~20g spirulina (also includes vitamin D, apparently - I am seeking confirmation of this),
one avocado,
~70g almonds,
3 tablespoons of blackstrap molasses,
cacao powder,
14 dates,
two tablespoons of hemp oil (for perfect ratio omega 3 to omega 6 oils)
I wanted to say thank you to Eve for recommending this book
"Strong Women Stay Young"
I have started working with weights and am really enjoying it. I found this book very helpful in explaining how to strengthen bones and muscles. I wanted to recommend it again.
Can anyone advise me on high calcium foods. I have a well rounded diet and keep a food diary but i don't seem to be getting enough of calcium.
Here is an example of my food diary.
I can't seem to post an excel document. Hold tight while i figure it out.
here's from the vegan society, hope it helps:
http://www.vegansociety.com/html/foo...on/calcium.php
nuts and seeds, best soaked for a few hours first, brocolli, spirulina, mineral water, kale. i don't like the vegan society. u don't need tofu or fortified milks or supplements.. and that RDA shit i don't believe in either. it all comes from corporate backed 'studies' and we all know how much you can trust the government when it comes to food..
ok here is a link to an average day for me. I do vary the foods from day to day but pretty much get the same outcome.
http://mywebpage.netscape.com/BSOAMX69/Daily+Diet+2.htm
what! a 1000mg of calcium a day.. that's just insane. u eat really healthy. u don't need to worry about a thing. only thing i'd change is switch ur multivitamin with spirulina.
I don't like to take suppliments or eat fortified foods. Ilike to eat things as least messed with as possible. As a matter of fact i just started taking the suppliment on Friday. How else to get the B12?
ahh then just take a B12 supplement, not a multivitamin. its cheaper.
As a fairly new vegan (two months) I just discovered Hemp Milk.
It has a lot of calcium in it. It doesn't taste that great though, so I sweeten it with organic molasses. Very addicting when used that way.
Good luck!
If you live in an area with "hard" water, you can get a fair amount of calcium from that as well -12% of the RDA per litre of London water, according to this:
http://www.whatreallyworks.co.uk/sta...rticle_ID=1784
Not sure if filtering the water would remove the calcium. Some bottled water has a lot of calcium as well.
Hemp milk? I have never heard of that but I bet I wouldn't like it since I'm so picky about the brand of soymilk that I use.:rolleyes:
I eat a ton of broccoli and dark leafy greens. That's where I get most of my calcium from.
It was many many years ago, but I'm sure I read a book called "The New Why You Don't Need Meat", by Peter Cox. If I remember correctly, never guaranteed, it claimed that if you were worried about calcium, you could just grind up chalk and put it in your food! Please don't take this as medical/nutritional advice though.
i drink water straight out of the tap at work in London - mostly because there's no room to keep a water filter there, but i think it tastes fine. but i don't drink it from the tap at home in Brighton because i think it tastes worse. i filter it at home. i drink about two litres of water a day at work so along with my diet i guess i'm doing ok calcium-wise :)
what makes you think you need more calcium, paragonx? do you have symptoms of deficiency?
Gorilla - i don't have any symptons. I read that i should get 1000 mg of calcium per day and i am only getting any where from 25% - 46% of that daily.
What would a sypmton of low calcium be? Just curious. . .
Thanks
-Ann
i think i've read somewhere on this forum that the RDA of calcium was set artificially high by governments (especially in the US) to encourage dairy consumption - i'm not sure how true that is though. i think 750mg is probably a more realistic daily intake to aim for.
apparently some symptoms of deficiency can include brittle hair and nails, depression, cramps, insomnia and obviously in the long term osteoporosis. i think you need vitamin D to absorb calcium too so make sure you get a good source of that.
Let's just think about why dairy is 'high' in calcium...
Where do you think cows get their calcium from so they can produce calcium-rich milk for their babies as well as having enough for themselves?
I don't think grass is particularly high in calcium, especially if it is not growing in chalky soil.
In the wild, animals seem to know when their bodies need minerals - for bones, shells or eggshells - and will seek out what they need. Farmed animals do not have this opportunity, so it is provided for them by the farmer in their feed or as 'salt-lick'. Ground limestone ("agricultural lime") is spread on pasture, where some is used by the grasses and some will be licked up by grazing animals.
So most of the calcium in dairy products (and meat) has actually come from supplements! Just as it is more sensible, healthy and humane for humans to get protein directly from plants rather than feeding plant protein to animals and then eating the animals or animal products, it's more sensible, healthy and humane to get calcium in the same way! i.e. by eating plants rich in calcium and by supplementing with natural minerals as necessary. Just a small pinch of ground limestone or chalk will give you the recommended 700 mg a day even if you were getting none at all from plants or water.
If tap water in your area has only temporary hardness (London is an example), the calcium bicarbonate that is responsible is converted to the insoluble calcium carbonate by boiling in your kettle and will settle as sediment and scale. Therefore your tea or coffee will be lower in calcium than the original tap water. A few areas have water that is permanently hard - i.e. the calcium is not precipitated by boiling - because the water source has come from rocks containing gypsum (calcium sulphate), so tea or coffee made there will still have most of the calcium of the original water. Whether or not it tastes any better I couldn't say!
A plant source that is often quoted as being high in calcium is sesame seed, (either whole, or crushed to form tahini) - presumably the sesame needs a limey (high pH) soil to grow in, as that is the only place it can get the calcium from!
I use fitday.com to make a note of what i am eating and count my calories in an effort to lose some weight. I think the site is good for showing you the individual nutrients you are consuming but it seems day after day I am not making the calcium requirements. Today I had half a pack of tofu in my breakfast shake and then smoked tofu for main evening meal and still I have only had 25% of the daily intake I require according to the site.
I went down the double tofu route today cos I looked up foods high in calcium and tofu was one. Would be nice if I could eat a healthy diet and get all the nutrients I need without thinking I need to have a mineral supplement.
Today I have eaten - shake for breakfast = 3 quarters of a pint of almond milk, banana, can of blackcurrants and half a pack of silken firm tofu.
apple and two rings of fresh pineapple
evening meal - Smoked tofu in onion gravy with mashed potatoes and broccoli
snack - one and a half lines of greens and blacks cherry chocolate, 5 panda licorice bears and an apple.
Can anyone suggest how I can get some more calcium with my diet so that I don't have to resort to tablets? I do like cabbage, kale and sprouts but not every day!:o
Nuts are a good source of calcium so are soybeans, tahini and black strap molasses.
Are you against fortified foods as well as vitamin/mineral supplements? A pint of fortified nut or soy milk would probably have a good deal of calcium.
What are fitday's daily requirements? 1000-1500 mg is what the US FDA suggests for someone eating SAD food, but you probably need a lot less if you exercise, get vitamin D (through sunshine or supplementation), and avoid eating excess protein or sodas that contain phosphoric acid.
In "Food Revolution" John Robbins claims that the body is actually more efficient at using calcium from plant sources, so that would be another reason you wouldn't need as much.... If you can pick up the book at the library, it has a really good chapter on milk and the calcium issue (called "Got BS?" :D).
Everyone will probably jump on me for this, but as someone who has counted calories and nutrients in the past, I don't think it's feasible to get 1000-1500 mg of calcium from a vegan diet without eating fortified foods or taking some kind of supplement. Then again, you probably don't need 1000-1500 mg.
How much calcium have you been averaging (if fitday allows you to see weekly or monthly averages)?
PS: I think most dark green veggies have calcium (not just the three you mentioned). Like broccoli and asparagus? I figure it's good to eat at least one serving of something green and/or leafy every day.
If you go to "nutritiondata.com" you can look up the calcium content of different foods (though I assume fitday has a similar database).
only been doing it again for a few days cos I was unwell all over christmas and new year but for the past 4 days the average is 32% of RDA although it doesn't tell you what RDA is - just says calculated by age and sex.
I had almond milk in my smoothie today instead of soya milk cos I had soya in the form of tofu in my smoothie and tofu again at tea time. I don't want to overload on soya.
I will have soya milk tomorrow tho and see if I can bump it up a bit - thanks so much for your replies much appreciated!:)
Yeah, I worry about overloading on soy (probably just buying into meat-eater propaganda!). Someone must make a fortified nut milk?
If fitday is a US site, then the RDA would probably be 1000 -1500 mg, meaning you're getting somewhere between 300 and 500 mg of calcium... 500 would be better than 300, if you could manage it.
Also, I don't know how fitday works exactly (I've used calorieking in the past), but are you logging generic "tofu" or generic "nut milk" or generic "soy milk," or are you logging the specific brands you use? There can be a *lot* of variation by brand. Unfortified soymilk won't have all that much calcium (somewhere around 50 mg, I think?), but fortified soymilk will have tons.