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| Being diligent in my research!! |
As you already know Calcium is important when it comes to strong teeth and bones. About 99% of the 3lbs of calcium in the body is located in the bones and teeth. The remaining 1% is found in blood and other fluids. It is very rare that you hear anything about this other 1%, however it is very active! Every time a muscle contracts, a nerve sends out a signal, or blood clots to stop a bleeding wound, calcium is involved. Calcium is also involved in fat metabolism and even helps to maintain the correct pH in our bodies. We lose weight easier with a proper pH and the right amount of calcium.
Bones develop and mineralize throughout the first 3 decades of life. Peak bone density, or the maximum level of mineral content in bones, is reached somewhere between the ages of 30 and 40 years old. After that, bone mineral content no longer increases. By the time woman are 70, for example, their bones are 30 to 40% less dense on average than they once were. If you are a female your chances of Osteoporosis are 1 in 4 or for a male 1 in 8.
Calcium Absorption
This can be a very complicated process. Taking calcium does no good if you are not absorbing it. Calcium absorption is usually linked to other substances. When calcium is ingested with a meal, lack of gastric acid does not help calcium absorption. This is why it is recommended and more effective taken in smaller doses throughout the day and before bedtime. When taken at night it also promotes a sound sleep.
Vitamin D is important for calcium absorption as well. It helps to absorb calcium from the intestinal track and the kidneys, helping to maintain normal calcium levels and proper bone metabolism. As we age, the capacity of our skin to produce vitamin D drops to 25 - 50% that of young adults. Most foods do not contain vitamin D. Fatty fish, such as mackeral, wild salmon, sardines and catfish are good sources as well as shitake mushrooms. Small amounts are also found in egg yolks. 90% of our vitamin D comes from sunlight and the remaining 10% from food.
People with dark skin require substantially more exposure to sunlight for vitamin D production. For example, where light skinned people need 10 - 15 minutes a day, people with increasingly darker skin need from 30 minutes to 3 hours a day!!!!
Reducing Calcium Loss
Everyday our kidney`s filter about 8,000 mg of calcium and we reabsorb about 98% of it. Listed below are some major "calcium thieves".
Protein - Research has shown that for every gram of dietary protein above 47 grams per day, we lose about 0.5 mg of calcium through the urine. This is because a by-product of protein breakdown combines with calcium and carries it out of the body. That is simply one more reason not to load up on protein and protein powders!
If you expect to meet your calcium intakes with dairy you will want to read this! When cow`s milk is pasteurized it is heated up. Heating it up makes the protein like rubber and makes it hard for the body to digest. Pasteurizing kills the enzymes that are needed to help break down the milk to make it absorbable. If you want to get calcium from dairy the best sources are your fermented yogurts or kefir. (There will be more to come on the topic of dairy in a later blog).
When protein was derived from animal products people excreted 150 mg of calcium in a 24 hour period, but only 103 mg when protein was derived entirely from soy. People with diets high in animal protein are likely to need more calcium than those with plant based diets.
Sodium - High intakes of sodium decrease our kidney`s ability to reabsorb the calcium that passes through. The amount of sodium we require each day is very low. Generally, we meet basic sodium requirements through the sodium that is naturally present in foods and water, without added salt. For every 1,000 mg of sodium in our diets we lose about 20 - 40 mg of calcium. When this occurs we are losing 20 - 40% that has already been absorbed. If we only absorb 15-20% of our dietary calcium, this means that extra gram of sodium in our diets should be counterbalanced by about 100-267 mg of dietary calcium. 1 level tsp of salt provides 2,400 mg of sodium. This is also the amount many experts suggest as our max for the day. To protect your bones check the labels for sodium content.
Coffee - One innocent looking cup of coffee taken daily causes 1.4% loss of bone calcium per year in woman past the age of 50. (That`s 14% per decade!)
Soda Pop - Some of the most popular sodas contain phosphoric acid to balance their sweetness and to stop growth of micro-organisms. Phosphoric acid can increase calcium excretion as well.
Calcium Retention
Several lifestyle factors affect bone health, two prime example being hormonal balance and exercise!
Hormonal Balance - Estrogen appears to aid in calcium absorption and help our bones retain calcium. (If you would like more information on hormonal balance and how you can attain this let me know and I can help recommend a few things).
Exercise - the importance of exercise to bone health cannot be overemphasized. Exercise sends a powerful message to the bones to preserve calcium and keep bones strong. Other than our diet, there is nothing more valuable to our bones than exercise. Taking part in 45 minutes to an hour of weight bearing exercise (such as walking, running, cycling or dancing for example) 3 - 5 times a week plus a session with free weights, exercise machines or other similar resistance exercise 2 - 3 times a week are our best ways to help our bones retain calcium.
Recommended Foods high in Calcium
Greens: Broccoli, Chinese Greens (Bok Choy), Collards, Kale, Okra and Mustard and Turnip Greens - Greens are among our best bone - builders for reasons beyond their unbeatable calcium absorption. They`re high in vitamin K - the darker the leaf, the better. Vitamin K plays a essential role in helping our bone-building cells perform their task.
Legumes and Soyfoods - Tofu, soybeans, red beans, navy beans, lentils, kidney beans, chickpeas, etc. Although all beans contain calcium, some have more than others. White beans contain the highest at 226 mg per 1 cup!
Nuts, Seeds and Butters - almonds, almond butter, flaxseed, sesame tahini, hazelnuts. Almonds are a good choice. They are particularly rich in calcium.
Figs - Just 5 figs contains 137 - 197 mg of calcium. These were a training food for early olympic athletes. Figs are restorative. They increase strength of young people, preserve the elderly in better health.
Blackstrap Molasses - Molasses can be concentrated in pesticides that were sprayed on the cane and chemical residues, so organic brands are a great option. Use blackstrap not regular molasses for calcium.
There are also many other options available to us other than cow's milk out there such as: almond milk, soy milk, rice milk, etc.
Recommended Supplements:
Sunrider`s Herbal Calcium - What makes Herb Cal Tab better than any other calcium on the market? First of all, there are 3 types of calcium included in the forms of calcium carbonate, calcium citrate, and calcium gluconate. Each type has a different absorption characteristic that enable the highest chance of our bodies to be able to absorb them. Dr. Chen has also added dandelion (a natural source of calcium) in the `whole food` form of course as well as two essential enzymes, bromelain (from pineapples) and papain ( from papaya fruit) to help in the digestion process by breaking down the protein into amino acids and alfalfa which also has a high level of calcium with naturally occurring enzymes and chlorophyll. This cal tab also contains elemental magnesium and vitamin D. And, by no accident many of these herbs and enzymes have anti-inflammatory actions as well!
Can you take too much calcium? Yes, you can! That is why getting calcium from your table foods and the Sunrider calcium (which is made from whole foods) is a much wiser choice than an isolated source (supplemental calcium). Too much calcium can lead to constipation, drowsiness and cause calcium to deposit in tissues such as the liver and kidneys.
Sunrider`s Evergreen - This liquid chlorophyll is rich in iron, zinc and calcium. It`s main ingredients is chlorophyll from the alfalfa plant.
Barlean`s Omega Swirl Fish Oils - the most absorbable oil and #1 Best Selling Omega 3 on the market!!!
- This is a great way to get your Vitamin D!!!
- Comes in many delicious flavors. Check our www.barleans.com
If you are interested in these products please inquire and I will give you the information you need to be able to purchase these products.
Yours in health,
Kristy Kurtz
Certified Holistic Nutritionist
Sunrider Independent Business Owner
E-mail: livevibranthealth@gmail.com
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