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Article for Nutrition Lecture - Yoga Arts.

Calcium - An Expanded Viewpoint

For years calcium has been pushed as one of the most important nutrients and the one most people are likely to become deficient in. Yet despite all the talk about the importance of calcium, very little is said about the factors essential for effectively absorbing and utilising it. All the minerals in the body are in a delicate, dynamic balance and if a deficiency in calcium exists then other minerals will also be out of balance. Exactly how minerals should be balanced is still a question scientists ponder over as can be seen in the calcium:magnesium ratio which researchers used to advocate as two:one. More recently researchers are telling us it should be one:one and some are even asserting that magnesium intake should be twice that of calcium! Paul Pitchford in "Healing with Whole Foods" argues that a favourable mix of all known nutrients essential for calcium absorption is found in a balanced whole-food diet.

Calcium in Western diets is seen to be synonymous with dairy products, however, America has one of the highest intakes of dairy products in the world and it also has the highest incidence of arthritis and osteoporosis. Studies of ancient human remains, at a time before cows milk and dairy products were available for human consumption, have shown that children and adults had stronger bones and teeth than people of a similar age today. The answer as to why this is the case lies in two factors. One is that dairy produce is today usually of poor quality, being pasteurised and homogenised, and the calcium is not easily absorbed, and two that certain cofactors of calcium metabolism are usually low in a standard Western diet. These cofactors are magnesium, phosphorus and vitamins A, C and D.

 

Recommendations for Increasing Calcium Absorption:

  1. 1. Get sufficient Vit D from sunshine. The ideal for proper calcium absorption is 20% of the skin of the body exposed for thirty minutes a day (longer time is needed it is cloudy).
  2. 2. Eat calcium, magnesium, chlorophyll (high in Magnesium) and mineral rich foods especially grains, legumes, leafy greens (including barley and wheat grass and spirulina) and seaweeds. Avoid the calcium inhibitors (see below).
  3. 3. Exercise regularly and moderately to halt calcium loss and increase bone mass. People who are convalescing need to walk or stand daily as bones need to bear weight and exert force against gravity to prevent loss of calcium.
  4. 4. Calcium supplements can be helpful if the diet is poor but they should contain a broad range of minerals to help the calcium absorption or be taken with a multivitamin and mineral supplement.
  5. 5. Presoak grains and legumes before cooking to neutralise their phytic acid content, which otherwise binds the zinc, magnesium, calcium, and other minerals in these foods.
  6. 6. Use oxalic acid foods sparingly (rhubarb, cranberries, plums, spinach, chard and beet greens) as they also bind calcium.
  7. 7. If dairy is used, the fermented kinds digest more easily - yoghurt, cottage, fetta and ricotta cheese, buttermilk and kefir. Avoid skim milk, as it is devoid of fat and enzymes necessary for proper calcium absorption.
  8. 8. Include foods that are high in silicon, as it is essential for calcium utilisation and for increasing bone strength. It is an integral part of all connective tissues of the body, including blood vessels, tendons and cartilage and is therefore necessary for their health and renewal. Silicon is a major component of fibre so a diet of whole foods from grains, vegetables, legumes and fruit should have adequate amounts of silicon. Foods that are highest in silicon are all lettuce, parsnips, buckwheat, millet, oats, brown rice, dandelion greens, strawberries, celery, cucumber (richest in the peel), apricots and carrots.

 

Calcium Inhibitors:

  1. 1. Coffee, soft drinks, and diuretics.
  2. 2. Excesses of protein, especially meat.
  3. 3. Refined sugar or too much of any concentrated sweetener or sweet-flavoured food.
  4. 4. Alcohol, marijuana, cigarettes, and other intoxicants.
  5. 5. Too little or too much exercise.
  6. 6. Excess salt.
  7. 7. The Solanum genus of vegetables (tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, capsicum, chilli and tobacco) contains the calcium inhibitor solanine so should be used sparingly.

 

Times of Increased Calcium Requirements:

  1. 1. During periods of growth - childhood and adolescence, pregnancy and lactation and during rapid mental/spiritual growth.
  2. 2. With age - older people assimilate less calcium and women have greater needs after menopause.
  3. 3. In the presence of heart and vascular disease and high blood pressure; bone disorder, including easily fractured bones, arthritis and tooth and gum problems; most nervous system disorders.

 

Suzanne Staples, ND DBM ATMS.





Last updated : Tuesday, October 18, 2011
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