Those bones, those bones need calcium...not dairy
A common concern for many clients I work with is their calcium intake. For various reasons, whether someone wants to go vegan or has been diagnosed as lactose intolerant after years of suffering from symptoms like stomach pain, bloating, diarrhea, there are more and more people wanting to replace dairy in their diet but are afraid to for fear of not getting enough of this critically important mineral.
Calcium is best known for its role in giving hardness to bones and teeth. We achieve peak bone mass by our late 20's after which we experience minimal change. Bone loss then accelerates in many women during menopause (at a rate estimated at 1 - 2%) due to the loss of estrogen, which is known to be protective for bone health.
Unfortunately, dairy advertising and nutrition-education campaigns have put massive emphasis on convincing us that we need some form of cows milk three times a day to hit our calcium requirements.
But did you know it is estimated that over 65% of the world’s population has a reduced ability to digest lactose?
As we look for more sustainable ways to reach our nutrient and health goals without having to suffer from digestive issues, we're becoming a lot more confident in our ability to get enough calcium whilst ditching dairy.
You can absolutely get enough calcium from plant-based foods. Dark leafy greens, calcium-set tofu, and fortified plant milk are just some of the foods that can help us achieve our calcium needs. Others include beans, tahini, almonds/almond butter, and figs. We just missed out on this information as there's not much money to be made from advertising whole plant foods.
So here are my top tips for you to help you ensure you're getting enough calcium on a plant-based diet and that it's absorbed well:
Eat low-oxalate dark leafy greens every day. These include bok choy, kale, broccoli and napa cabbage. Your body absorbs 40 - 60% of the calcium present in these foods. (oxalates present in the likes of spinach results in only a 5% absorption rate)
Opt for calcium set tofu and fortified plant milks. The body absorbs 30% of the calcium present in both (about the same rate as cows milk)
Make almonds, almond butter, and tahini a part of meals and snacks.
Reduce or avoid calcium thieves such as salt, alcohol, and caffeine. (Avoid smoking)
Take a vitamin D supplement to help absorb the calcium in the body.
There are many other factors important for bone health such as weight-bearing and impact exercises, plant protein, polyunsaturated fatty acids and certain vitamins and minerals. But I'll save that for another email that address overall bone health.