Calcium absorption
Again, I would like to synthesize data for each of the posts. My idea is to achieve a blog which is easy to refer to when getting to put into practice. So, not many introduction texts, right to the point (at least, for a start). Find the tips for your best calcium absorption right here:
1/ Get sufficient vitamin D (ideally from sunshine, or by eating a lot of chlorophyll-rich foods if you don't get enough sunshine)
2/ Get adequate quantity of vitamin C (but not above 1,250.mg daily, otherwise it may have the contrary effect)
3/ Combine calcium with magnesium, chlorophyll and mineral-rich foods (such as leafy greens, and presoaked legumes and grains), as well as phosphorus in a moderate quantity (in pumpkin and squash seeds, certain cheeses, nuts, and shellfishes)
4/ Presoak grains and legumes before cooking, so they don't inhibit calcium, magnesium, zinc, and other minerals present in them (I will post a soaking and cooking chart for each and every one of them one of these days)
5/ Avoid calcium inhibitors in a same meal (beet green, bell pepper, chard, cranberry, eggplant, plum, potato, rhubarb, spinach, tomato, too much sweet food or salt, and of course: alcohol, cigarettes, coffee, diuretics, marijuana, and soft drinks. Also an excess of protein, especially from meat)
6/ Avoid reduced-fat dairies and skim milk, because:
- the fats and enzymes which are taken away are necessary for the absorption of calcium
- it prevents absorption + utilization of vitamins A and D, which are fat-soluble, and needed for the existing and new bone masses
- calcium may go into soft tissues instead of into the bones
7/ Get regular and moderate exercise, to prevent calcium loss and gain bone mass
8/ Best calcium sources in a decreasing order: hijiki, wakame, kelp, kombu, brick cheese, dried wheat grass or barley grass, sardine, agar-agar, nori, almond, amaranth grain, hazelnut, parsley, turnip green, brazil nut, sunflower seed, watercress, garbanzo bean, quinoa, black bean, pistachio, pinto bean, kale, spirulina, yogurt, milk, collard green, sesame seed, Chinese cabbage, tofu, walnut, okra, salmon, cottage cheese, egg, brown rice, bluefish, halibut, chicken, ground beef, mackerel
If your basic diet is poor in calcium and you want to take calcium supplements, you should eat plenty of green veggies with the supplements to maximize calcium assimilation and avoid calcium accumulation in tissues. It is also best to take foods high in minerals with the calcium supplement for best absorption. You could pick between alfalfa or kelp tablets, which are good sources. Though, you should keep in mind that a whole foods source is always much qualitative and can never be replaced by supplements, especially on a long term basis, since live food is inhabited by the life force, which cannot be reproduced synthetically.
